William Eldred

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William Eldred (c. 1563?–c. 1646?) was an English gunner who served as master gunner of Dover Castle and wrote a book on gunnery. Born about 1563, he lived to an old age and in 1641 signed as a freeholder of Dover on a Kentish petition for liturgical reform. He may have been related to John Eldred or Thomas Eldred, but the exact relation is not known.

His major work is The Gunner's Glasse (1646), a guide for skilled gunners that explains how to spot and correct common errors. The book also describes the great gun exercises then in use. In its dedication to the Earl of Warwick, Eldred says he spent most of his time at Dover Castle and had been a gunner for about sixty years; he also notes that he served as a gunner in the Low Countries and in Germany.