Anne Bourchier, Baroness Dacre
Encyclopedia
Anne Bourchier, Baroness Dacre (1470 – 29 September 1530) was an English noblewoman, the wife of Sir Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre
. Her stepfather was Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey
, which made Queen consort Anne Boleyn
, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England
, her half-niece. Her son-in-law was Sir Henry Norris, who was executed for treason in 1536, as one of the alleged lovers of her niece, Queen Anne.
Anne Dacre was commemorated as one of the ladies in John Skelton
's poem, Garlande of Laurrell, when the Poet Laureate
was a guest in the Howard residence of Sheriff Hutton Castle
.
Anne was also styled as Lady Dacre of the South.
She was a Lady of the Bedchamber
to Queen Catherine of Aragon
.
. She had a brother, John Bourchier
, 2nd Baron Berners, and one sister, Margaret Bourchier. On 14 April 1471, when she was a baby, her father, who was heir to the title of Baron Berners
, was killed at the Battle of Barnet
while fighting for the Yorkists. Her mother married Thomas Howard
, the following year. He was the son and heir of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
, and was created Earl of Surrey in 1483. Anne had nine half-siblings from her mother's second marriage, including Elizabeth Howard
, which made Anne a half-aunt of Queen Anne Boleyn
. Through her half-brother, Lord Edmund Howard
, she was also half-aunt to Queen consort Catherine Howard
.
Anne's elder sister, Margaret would later serve as Lady Governess to the children of King Henry VIII of England
. In August 1483, her stepfather was wounded in the Battle of Bosworth; the same battle where the family's friend and patron King Richard III
was slain. The Earl of Surrey was taken prisoner, and upon his release, the Howards would become loyal servants of the new king Henry Tudor
.
in Sussex
, and together they had three children:
Anne was a member of the household of Queen Catherine of Aragon as one of her Ladies of the Bedchamber.
, Poet Laureate
of England commemorated Anne, her mother, and her two half-sisters, Elizabeth and Muriel in his poem Garlande of Laurrell, which is about an event that had occurred when he was a guest in the Howard residence of Sheriff Hutton Castle. Anne's mother, along with her three daughters and gentlewomen of her household, had placed a garland of laurel, worked in silks, gold, and pearls, upon Skelton's head as a sign of homage to the poet. The stanza which is addressed to Anne reads: "To my Lady Anne Dakers of the sowth". Her name also appears in several of Skelton's other poems.
Anne died on 29 September 1530 at the age of 60.
Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre
Sir Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre was an English peer and soldier, the son of Sir John Fiennes.- Career :He was born in 1472, the son of Sir John Fiennes and Alice FitzHugh. He had one sister, Anne, Marchioness Berkeley . Thomas was invested as a Knight of the Bath in 1484 at the age of 12...
. Her stepfather was Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal , styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1514, was the only son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk by his first wife, Katherine Moleyns...
, which made Queen consort Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, her half-niece. Her son-in-law was Sir Henry Norris, who was executed for treason in 1536, as one of the alleged lovers of her niece, Queen Anne.
Anne Dacre was commemorated as one of the ladies in John Skelton
John Skelton
John Skelton, also known as John Shelton , possibly born in Diss, Norfolk, was an English poet.-Education:...
's poem, Garlande of Laurrell, when the Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
was a guest in the Howard residence of Sheriff Hutton Castle
Sheriff Hutton Castle
Sheriff Hutton Castle is a quadrangular castle in the village of Sheriff Hutton, North Yorkshire, England.-History:The original motte and bailey castle, the remains of which can be seen to the south of the churchyard. was built by Bertram de Bulmer, Sheriff of York during the reign of King Stephen...
.
Anne was also styled as Lady Dacre of the South.
She was a Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
to Queen Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
.
Family
Anne was born in 1470, the youngest daughter of Sir Humphrey Bourchier and Elizabeth TilneyElizabeth Tilney
Elizabeth Tilney, Countess of Surrey was an English heiress and lady-in-waiting to two queens. She became the first wife of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey....
. She had a brother, John Bourchier
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners was a statesman and translator, born at Sherfield, Hertfordshire, England, to Sir Humphrey Bourchier and Elizabeth Tilney, and educated at Oxford University. He held various Offices of State, including that of Chancellor of the Exchequer to King Henry VIII, and...
, 2nd Baron Berners, and one sister, Margaret Bourchier. On 14 April 1471, when she was a baby, her father, who was heir to the title of Baron Berners
Baron Berners
Baron Berners is a title in the Peerage of England.-From creation to first abeyance :The title was created in 1455 for Sir John Bourchier, youngest son of William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu, and younger brother of Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex and William Bourcher, Baron FitzWarine...
, was killed at the Battle of Barnet
Battle of Barnet
The Battle of Barnet was a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses, a dynastic conflict of 15th-century England. The military action, along with the subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury, secured the throne for Edward IV...
while fighting for the Yorkists. Her mother married Thomas Howard
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal , styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1514, was the only son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk by his first wife, Katherine Moleyns...
, the following year. He was the son and heir of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman, soldier, and the first Howard Duke of Norfolk...
, and was created Earl of Surrey in 1483. Anne had nine half-siblings from her mother's second marriage, including Elizabeth Howard
Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire
Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire , born Lady Elizabeth Howard, was the eldest of the two daughters of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and his first wife Elizabeth Tilney. Through her marriage, she held the titles of Countess of Wiltshire, Countess of Ormond and Viscountess Rochford...
, which made Anne a half-aunt of Queen Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. Through her half-brother, Lord Edmund Howard
Lord Edmund Howard
Lord Edmund Howard was the third son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and first wife Elizabeth Tilney. His sister, Elizabeth, was the mother of Henry VIII's second Queen, Anne Boleyn, and he was the father of the King's fifth Queen, Katherine Howard.-Biography:Howard was born about 1478...
, she was also half-aunt to Queen consort Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
.
Anne's elder sister, Margaret would later serve as Lady Governess to the children of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. In August 1483, her stepfather was wounded in the Battle of Bosworth; the same battle where the family's friend and patron King Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
was slain. The Earl of Surrey was taken prisoner, and upon his release, the Howards would become loyal servants of the new king Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
.
Marriage and issue
In about 1492, she married Sir Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre (1472–1534), son of Sir John Fiennes and Alice FitzHugh. She was styled as Baroness Dacre upon her marriage. She was also known as Lady Dacre of the South. Sir Thomas and Anne made their principal home at the Fiennes family seat, Herstmonceux CastleHerstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built Tudor castle near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, United Kingdom. From 1957 to 1988 its grounds were the home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and together they had three children:
- Sir Thomas Fiennes (died 26 October 1528), married in 1514, Jane Sutton, daughter of Edward Sutton, 2nd Lord Dudley, and Cicely Willoughby, by whom he had one son and heir Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron DacreThomas Fiennes, 9th Baron DacreThomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre was an English aristocrat notable for his conviction and execution for murder.Dacre was the son of Sir Thomas Fiennes and Jane Sutton daughter of Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley...
, who was executed for murder in 1541. - Mary FiennesMary Fiennes, Lady NorrisMary Fiennes, Lady Norris was an English noblewoman and the wife of Sir Henry Norris who was executed for treason as one of the alleged lovers of her cousin, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England...
(1495–1531), Maid of Honour to Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Queen Claude of FranceClaude of FranceClaude of France was a princess and queen consort of France and ruling Duchess of Brittany. She was the eldest daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany....
married Sir Henry NorrisHenry NorrisSir Henry George Norris was an English businessman, politician and football club director, most famous for his chairmanship of both Fulham and Arsenal...
, who was executed for treasonTreasonIn law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
as one of the alleged lovers of Queen Anne Boleyn. The marriage produced issue. - John Fiennes (b.1497)
Anne was a member of the household of Queen Catherine of Aragon as one of her Ladies of the Bedchamber.
John Skelton
Sometime after her marriage, John SkeltonJohn Skelton
John Skelton, also known as John Shelton , possibly born in Diss, Norfolk, was an English poet.-Education:...
, Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
of England commemorated Anne, her mother, and her two half-sisters, Elizabeth and Muriel in his poem Garlande of Laurrell, which is about an event that had occurred when he was a guest in the Howard residence of Sheriff Hutton Castle. Anne's mother, along with her three daughters and gentlewomen of her household, had placed a garland of laurel, worked in silks, gold, and pearls, upon Skelton's head as a sign of homage to the poet. The stanza which is addressed to Anne reads: "To my Lady Anne Dakers of the sowth". Her name also appears in several of Skelton's other poems.
Anne died on 29 September 1530 at the age of 60.