Mary Fiennes, Lady Norris
Encyclopedia
Mary Fiennes, Lady Norris (1495–1531) 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
. Mary lived for six years at the French court as a Maid of Honour to Queens consort, Mary Tudor and Claude
.
in Sussex
in 1495, the only daughter of Sir Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre
and Anne Bourchier
. She had two younger brothers, Sir Thomas and John. Her mother was an elder half-sister of Elizabeth Howard
, making Anne Boleyn a cousin of Mary. Queen consort Catherine Howard
was also her cousin.
In 1514, Mary was appointed a Maid of Honour to Princess Mary Tudor and accompanied her to France when the latter married King Louis XII of France
; afterwards she served in the capacity to Queen Mary's successor, Queen Claude
, consort of the new king Francis I of France
. Among her fellow Maids of Honour were her cousins, Mary
and Anne Boleyn.
in Berkshire
, whom she had met that same year at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
in France.
Norris served King Henry VIII of England
as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber
, and was held in high favour by the King. He was later appointed Groom of the Stool
and continued to enjoy the King's favour. According to biographer Eric Ives
, Norris was the King's closest personal friend. Norris had control of King Henry's Privy chamber
.
Henry and Mary had four children:
on 19 May 1536.
Their four orphaned children were raised by Norris's brother Sir John Norris.
Treason
In 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 her cousin, 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
Wives of Henry VIII
The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...
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...
. Mary lived for six years at the French court as a Maid of Honour to Queens consort, Mary Tudor and Claude
Claude of France
Claude 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....
.
Family and early years
Mary was born at 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...
in 1495, the only daughter of Sir Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre
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...
and Anne Bourchier
Anne Bourchier, Baroness Dacre
Anne Bourchier, Baroness Dacre 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...
. She had two younger brothers, Sir Thomas and John. Her mother was an elder half-sister of 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...
, making Anne Boleyn a cousin of Mary. 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"....
was also her cousin.
In 1514, Mary was appointed a Maid of Honour to Princess Mary Tudor and accompanied her to France when the latter married King Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
; afterwards she served in the capacity to Queen Mary's successor, Queen Claude
Claude of France
Claude 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....
, consort of the new king Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
. Among her fellow Maids of Honour were her cousins, Mary
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
and Anne Boleyn.
Marriage and issue
In 1520 upon her return to England, she married the courtier Sir Henry Norris (1482- 17 May 1536) of YattendonYattendon
Yattendon is a village and civil parish northeast of Newbury, Berkshire. The M4 motorway passes about south of the village.-Geography:Yattendon stretches from Everington in the west to the hamlet of Burnt Hill in the east and the woodland just east of Yattendon Court, including Mumgrove Copse,...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, whom she had met that same year at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
in France.
Norris served 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...
as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
, and was held in high favour by the King. He was later appointed Groom of the Stool
Groom of the Stool
The Groom of the Stool was the most intimate of a monarch's courtiers, whose physical intimacy naturally led to him becoming a man in whom much confidence was placed by his royal master, and with whom many royal secrets were shared as a matter of course...
and continued to enjoy the King's favour. According to biographer Eric Ives
Eric Ives
Eric William Ives, OBE is a British historian and an expert on the Tudor period. He is Emeritus Professor of English History at the University of Birmingham...
, Norris was the King's closest personal friend. Norris had control of King Henry's Privy chamber
Privy chamber
A Privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The gentlemen of the Privy chamber were servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King and Queen at court during their various activities, functions and entertainments....
.
Henry and Mary had four children:
- Sir William Norris (b.1523)
- Edward Norris (1524–1529)
- Henry Norris, 1st Baron NorreysHenry Norris, 1st Baron NorreysHenry Norris , Baron Norris belonged to an old Berkshire family, many members of which had held positions at the English court. He was the son of Sir Henry Norreys, who was beheaded for his supposed adultery with Queen Anne Boleyn, and Mary Fiennes Henry Norris (or Norreys), Baron Norris (15257...
(1525–1601), married Margaret Williams of Rycote by whom he had issue. - Mary Norris (1526–1570), married firstly Sir George Carew, and secondly Sir Arthur ChampernowneArthur ChampernowneSir Arthur Champernowne was a Vice-Admiral of the West who lived at Dartington Hall in Devon, England.-Biography:Champernowne was the second son of Sir Philip Champernowne of Modbury, Devon, whose family had lived in Devon since arriving from Cambernon in Normandy in the eleventh century as part...
, by whom she had issue.
Death
Mary died in 1531, a year after her mother. Five years later her husband was attainted and executed for treason as one of the five alleged lovers of her cousin Queen Anne Boleyn, who herself was beheaded at the Tower of LondonTower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
on 19 May 1536.
Their four orphaned children were raised by Norris's brother Sir John Norris.