He was the second child of the six children of Joshua de Isaac Moses Rodrigues Brandon and his wife, Sarah. He learned architecture under J. Dédeau in Alençon, France and then under Joseph T. Parkinson.
Analysis of Gothic Architecture – more than 700 examples of windows, doors, windows, and other architectural details, with measurements observed at first hand, collected from parish churches
Parish Churches – 63 churches from across England, each with perspective views, a short description in text and a plan
Open Timber Roofs of the Middle Ages – perspective, geometric and detail drawings of 35 timber roofs from parish churches in 11 different English counties, showing their form and principle of each example, with an introduction on the topic in general. The Builder commented that the work:
serves the one useful and necessary purpose of showing practically and constructively what the builders of the middle ages really did with the materials they had at hand, and how all those materials, whatever they were, were made to harmonise.
Buildings
In the 1840s John and Joshua designed several stations and engine-houses in the style of medieval manor houses on the London and Croydon Railway, disguising chimneys as early Gothic church bell-towers. Joshua's own exhibited designs at the Royal Academy between 1838 and 1874 included a design for Colchester town hall and in 1853, together with Robert Ritchie, a design for the interior of the Church of Christ the King, Bloomsbury of the Catholic Apostolic Church. Among the many churches Joshua built independently were the small church of St Peter's in Great Windmill Street, London and Holy Trinity Church, Knightsbridge, both of which have since been demolished. He also built, altered, and restored many other churches. However, even Brandon's becoming a fellow of the Institute of British Architects in 1860 failed to bring him the same success as an active architect as he had had as an author and this, the early death of his brother Joshua, and the death of his wife and child, all drove him to suicide by shooting himself in the head. Thomas Hardy, who worked briefly for Brandon, based his description of Henry Knight's chambers in his novel A Pair of Blue Eyes on his office at Clement's Inn. Brandon also employed Joseph Rawson Carroll, architect of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
