Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, KG
(c. 1477 – 12 March 1539) was an English
diplomat
and politician
in the Tudor era. He was born at the family home, Hever Castle
, Kent
, which had been purchased by his grandfather Geoffrey Boleyn
, who was a wealthy mercer. He was buried at St. Peter's parish church in the village of Hever
. His parents were Sir William Boleyn
(1451 – 10 October 1505) and Lady Margaret Butler
(1454–1539). He was raised Catholic and remained so until his death. He was the father of Anne Boleyn
, the second wife of Henry VIII of England
. As such, he was the maternal grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I
.
, eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
and Elizabeth Tilney
. They had five known children, only three of whom survived childhood:
north for her marriage to James IV of Scotland
. He was created a Knight of the Bath at Henry VIII
's coronation in 1509.
His appointment as ambassador to the Low Countries
brought him into contact with the regent Archduchess Margaret of Austria. Like Thomas, she spoke French and Latin and they got along well enough for her to accept his daughter Anne as a maid of honour.
Through his ability and the connections of his extended family, he became one of the king's leading diplomats. Known appointments and missions included:
(KG) in 1523.
Boleyn's claim to his other titles derived from his mother, Lady Margaret Butler
who was the younger daughter and co-heir of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. Thomas Butler, as an Irish peer, should only have sat in the Irish parliament. However as a personal friend of Henry VII
he was summoned to the English parliament in November 1488 as "Thomas Ormond de Rochford, chevaler". At this time, he was already 8th Earl of Carrick and 7th Earl of Ormond. In English law, matrilineal descent is not considered valid for earldoms. This usual prohibition was, in Boleyn's case, outweighed by a more important consideration - he was the father of two pretty daughters. Henry VIII dallied firstly with Boleyn's elder daughter Mary, then his younger daughter, Anne. Boleyn's ambition was so considerable that unsubstantiated rumours had it that he even allowed his own wife to have an affair with the king, but those were created in order to steer the king away from marrying Anne, even suggesting that she was his own daughter. When it was claimed that Henry had had an affair with both Anne's sister and mother, the king replied to the rumours "Never with the mother."
In 1525, Henry VIII became enamoured of Anne and began pursuing her. Coincidentally, her father was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Rochford
on 18 June 1525. The title referred to the "barony" of Rochford supposedly created in 1488 for his grandfather. The title had fallen into abeyance as Ormond had died without any male heir in 1515.
As Henry's infatuation for Anne intensified, so did her father's titles. Henry arranged for the main claimant to the earldom of Ormond, Piers Butler to renounce all his claims to the titles in 1529. Coincidentally, Piers Butler was rewarded for his generosity by being created Earl of Ossory
five days later.
Boleyn's claims to the Earldom of Wiltshire also depended upon his Irish relatives. This time, he had to go back to his maternal great-grandfather, James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond, to establish a claim. While James Butler was indeed the 1st Earl of Wiltshire (of the third creation), on 1 May 1461 he lost his titles, along with his head, when he was executed by the victorious Yorkists
. The title was subsequently revived (in fourth and fifth creations) and bestowed on parties unrelated to the Butlers of Ormond. This did not prevent the creation of the Earldom, for the 7th time. On 8 December 1529, Thomas Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, was created Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond.
His only surviving son, George
, was styled Viscount Rochford 1529-30, and created Lord Rochford before 13 July 1530. On 17 May 1536 he was executed for treason, and all his titles were forfeited. His widow, Jane, Viscountess Rochford
, continued to use the courtesy title until she, too, was attainted for treason and beheaded on Tower Hill on 13 February 1542 with Queen Katherine Howard, the King's fifth wife.
Boleyn was appointed Lord Privy Seal
in 1530. In 1532, his daughter Anne was granted a peerage
, being created Marquess of Pembroke
in her own right, before marrying Henry the following year and becoming queen consort. Boleyn acquiesced in her judicial execution and that of her brother Lord Rochford when Henry discarded her in favour of Jane Seymour
. At this point Boleyn was replaced as Lord Privy Seal and left in disgrace until his death a few years later. He suffered a final indignity as the claims of Piers Butler to the Earldom of Ormond were recognized and as he was styled earl of Ormond from 22 January 1538. There were two earls of Ormond in the Kingdom until his death on 12 March 1539.
in Anne of the Thousand Days
(1969), by Benjamin Whitrow in Henry VIII, and by Jack Shepherd and Mark Rylance
in the 2003 and 2008 film versions of The Other Boleyn Girl
, respectively. The 2007 Showtime series The Tudors
has Nick Dunning
in the role depicting him as ambitious, cunning and devious, constantly working to curry favour for his family against everyone else and always willing to "motivate" his daughter, Anne, lest Henry lose interest in her.
Note: on 22 February 1538, the earldom of Ormond was restored to Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond.
|-
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(c. 1477 – 12 March 1539) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the Tudor era. He was born at the family home, Hever Castle
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, which had been purchased by his grandfather Geoffrey Boleyn
Geoffrey Boleyn
Sir Geoffrey Boleyn was a London merchant and Lord Mayor.-Life:Geoffrey Boleyn, the son of Sir Thomas Boleyn and Alice Bracton, was a wealthy London mercer. He served as a Sheriff of London in 1447, as alderman of the City of London in 1452, and Lord Mayor of London in 1457/8, and was knighted by...
, who was a wealthy mercer. He was buried at St. Peter's parish church in the village of Hever
Hever, Kent
Hever is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the River Eden, a tributary of the River Medway, east of Edenbridge. It is by in extent, and in area...
. His parents were Sir William Boleyn
William Boleyn
Sir William Boleyn was the son of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, a wealthy mercer and Lord Mayor of London, and his wife, Anne Hoo...
(1451 – 10 October 1505) and Lady Margaret Butler
Lady Margaret Butler
Lady Margaret Butler was an Irish noblewoman, the daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. She married Sir William Boleyn and through her eldest son Sir Thomas Boleyn, was the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England.-Family and...
(1454–1539). He was raised Catholic and remained so until his death. He was the father of 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 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 such, he was the maternal grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Marriage and issue
Sometime before 1499, Boleyn married Lady Elizabeth HowardElizabeth 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...
, eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
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...
and Elizabeth Tilney
Elizabeth 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....
. They had five known children, only three of whom survived childhood:
- Mary BoleynMary BoleynMary 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...
(c.1500 – 19 July 1543); Lady Mary Carey (1520–1528); Lady Stafford (1534–1543) - Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne 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...
(c.1501 – 19 May 1536); later Marquess of Pembroke (1532–1536); later Queen Consort of England (1533–1536) - Thomas Boleyn (c. 1502) (thought to have died young)
- Henry Boleyn (c. 1503) (thought to have died young)
- George BoleynGeorge Boleyn, Viscount RochfordGeorge Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was an English courtier and nobleman, and the brother of queen consort Anne Boleyn...
(c. 1504 – 17 May 1536); later Viscount Rochford (1529–1536) by courtesy
Diplomatic career
In 1503, he helped escort Margaret TudorMargaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
north for her marriage to James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
. He was created a Knight of the Bath at Henry VIII
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...
's coronation in 1509.
His appointment as ambassador to the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
brought him into contact with the regent Archduchess Margaret of Austria. Like Thomas, she spoke French and Latin and they got along well enough for her to accept his daughter Anne as a maid of honour.
Through his ability and the connections of his extended family, he became one of the king's leading diplomats. Known appointments and missions included:
- 1511 and 1517: High Sheriff of KentHigh Sheriff of KentThe High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
- 1512: One of a party of three envoys to the Netherlands.
- 1518–1521 : ambassador to France, where he was involved in arrangements for the "Field of Cloth of Gold" meeting between Henry and the new French King Francis IFrancis I of FranceFrancis 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...
in 1520. - 1521 and 1523 : Envoy to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. - 1527: One of a large envoy to France
- 1529: Envoy to a meeting of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Pope Clement VIIPope Clement VIIClement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
, to seek support for the annulment of Henry VIII and Catherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine 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...
. This was followed by another envoy to France.
Titles garnered
Boleyn was invested as a Knight of the GarterOrder of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(KG) in 1523.
Boleyn's claim to his other titles derived from his mother, Lady Margaret Butler
Lady Margaret Butler
Lady Margaret Butler was an Irish noblewoman, the daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. She married Sir William Boleyn and through her eldest son Sir Thomas Boleyn, was the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England.-Family and...
who was the younger daughter and co-heir of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. Thomas Butler, as an Irish peer, should only have sat in the Irish parliament. However as a personal friend of Henry VII
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....
he was summoned to the English parliament in November 1488 as "Thomas Ormond de Rochford, chevaler". At this time, he was already 8th Earl of Carrick and 7th Earl of Ormond. In English law, matrilineal descent is not considered valid for earldoms. This usual prohibition was, in Boleyn's case, outweighed by a more important consideration - he was the father of two pretty daughters. Henry VIII dallied firstly with Boleyn's elder daughter Mary, then his younger daughter, Anne. Boleyn's ambition was so considerable that unsubstantiated rumours had it that he even allowed his own wife to have an affair with the king, but those were created in order to steer the king away from marrying Anne, even suggesting that she was his own daughter. When it was claimed that Henry had had an affair with both Anne's sister and mother, the king replied to the rumours "Never with the mother."
In 1525, Henry VIII became enamoured of Anne and began pursuing her. Coincidentally, her father was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Rochford
Viscount Rochford
Viscount Rochford may refer to:*Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, viscount Rochford and later earl of Wiltshire and Ormonde, d.1539*George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, d.1536*Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover*John Carey, 2nd Earl of Dover*Pelham Carey...
on 18 June 1525. The title referred to the "barony" of Rochford supposedly created in 1488 for his grandfather. The title had fallen into abeyance as Ormond had died without any male heir in 1515.
As Henry's infatuation for Anne intensified, so did her father's titles. Henry arranged for the main claimant to the earldom of Ormond, Piers Butler to renounce all his claims to the titles in 1529. Coincidentally, Piers Butler was rewarded for his generosity by being created Earl of Ossory
Earl of Ossory
Earl of Ossory is a subsidiary title held by the Earl of Ormond that was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1528.In 1525, King Henry VIII of England became enamoured of Anne Boleyn and began pursuing her. As Henry's infatuation for Anne intensified, so did her father's titles...
five days later.
Boleyn's claims to the Earldom of Wiltshire also depended upon his Irish relatives. This time, he had to go back to his maternal great-grandfather, James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond, to establish a claim. While James Butler was indeed the 1st Earl of Wiltshire (of the third creation), on 1 May 1461 he lost his titles, along with his head, when he was executed by the victorious Yorkists
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
. The title was subsequently revived (in fourth and fifth creations) and bestowed on parties unrelated to the Butlers of Ormond. This did not prevent the creation of the Earldom, for the 7th time. On 8 December 1529, Thomas Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, was created Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond.
His only surviving son, George
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was an English courtier and nobleman, and the brother of queen consort Anne Boleyn...
, was styled Viscount Rochford 1529-30, and created Lord Rochford before 13 July 1530. On 17 May 1536 he was executed for treason, and all his titles were forfeited. His widow, Jane, Viscountess Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford was an English noblewoman who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. She was a sister-in-law of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn and lady-in-waiting to his fifth wife Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed.-Early life:Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of...
, continued to use the courtesy title until she, too, was attainted for treason and beheaded on Tower Hill on 13 February 1542 with Queen Katherine Howard, the King's fifth wife.
Boleyn was appointed Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
in 1530. In 1532, his daughter Anne was granted a peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
, being created Marquess of Pembroke
Marquess of Pembroke
Marquess of Pembroke was a title in the Peerage of England created by King Henry VIII of England for his mistress and future spouse, Anne Boleyn. It was the first hereditary peerage title granted to a woman.- Background :...
in her own right, before marrying Henry the following year and becoming queen consort. Boleyn acquiesced in her judicial execution and that of her brother Lord Rochford when Henry discarded her in favour of Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
. At this point Boleyn was replaced as Lord Privy Seal and left in disgrace until his death a few years later. He suffered a final indignity as the claims of Piers Butler to the Earldom of Ormond were recognized and as he was styled earl of Ormond from 22 January 1538. There were two earls of Ormond in the Kingdom until his death on 12 March 1539.
In popular culture
Thomas Boleyn has been portrayed by Sir Michael HordernMichael Hordern
Sir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
in Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The film tells the story of Anne Boleyn...
(1969), by Benjamin Whitrow in Henry VIII, and by Jack Shepherd and Mark Rylance
Mark Rylance
Mark Rylance is an English actor, theatre director and playwright.As an actor, Rylance found success on stage and screen. For his work in theatre he has won Olivier and Tony Awards among others, and a BAFTA TV Award...
in the 2003 and 2008 film versions of The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently...
, respectively. The 2007 Showtime series The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
has Nick Dunning
Nick Dunning
Nick Dunning is an Anglo-Irish actor born in the county of Wexford in 1959.Dunning is a well known theatre actor who attended RADA where he won the Ronson Prize for Most Promising Young Actor. He has appeared on stage in the West End in London and at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. He has won two...
in the role depicting him as ambitious, cunning and devious, constantly working to curry favour for his family against everyone else and always willing to "motivate" his daughter, Anne, lest Henry lose interest in her.
Styles and honours
- Sir Thomas Boleyn KG (1523–1525)
- The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Rochford KG (1525–1527)
- The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Wiltshire and of Ormond KG (8 December 1529–1539)
Note: on 22 February 1538, the earldom of Ormond was restored to Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond.
External links
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