Sir Thomas Bryan was an English courtier during the reign of 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...

.

Family

His wife, Margaret Bryan was governess to the King's four acknowledged children, Mary

Mary I of England

Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...

, Elizabeth, Edward

Edward VI of England

Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...

 and his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of King Henry VIII of England and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, the only illegitimate offspring whom Henry acknowledged.-Childhood:...

. She impressed the King so much, he made her Baroness Bryan in her own right. They had three children, Margaret, Francis

Francis Bryan

Sir Francis Bryan was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always retained Henry's favour, achieving this by altering his opinions to conform to the...

 and Elizabeth

Elizabeth Carew

Elizabeth, Lady Carew , born around 1500, was an English courtier and reputed mistress of King Henry VIII.-Relatives:Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir Thomas Bryan and his wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir Humphrey Bourchier...

.

Francis was a close friend of the King's and of his brother-in-law, Nicholas Carew

Nicholas Carew (courtier)

Sir Nicholas Carew KG was an English courtier and statesman during the reign of Henry VIII. He was executed for his alleged part in the Exeter Conspiracy.-Early career:...

. As Baroness Bryan was the half-sister of Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire

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...

 and the mother of the King's mistress Mary Boleyn

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 his second wife 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...

, fortunes imroved for the Bryan family during the 1520s and early 1530s. But it was not only Thomas Bryan's nieces by marriage who attracted the King, but his daughter, Elizabeth Carew

Elizabeth Carew

Elizabeth, Lady Carew , born around 1500, was an English courtier and reputed mistress of King Henry VIII.-Relatives:Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir Thomas Bryan and his wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir Humphrey Bourchier...

, also. Elizabeth was linked to Henry from 1514 and was said to have been given jewels by Henry VIII that technically belonged to the queen, Katherine of Aragon.