The Anne Boleyn Collection II: Anne Boleyn & the Boleyn Family (4 page)

Notes and Sources

1 Russell, "The Age of Anne Boleyn."

2 "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 11: July-December 1536," n. 17.

3 Paget, "The Youth of Anne Boleyn."

4 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 15.

5 Herbert, The Life and Raigne of King Henry the Eighth., 257.

6 Ibid., 259.

7 Sander, Rise and Growth of the Anglican Schism, xlvi.

8 Ibid., 25.

9 The Manuscripts of J. Eliot Hodgkin, Fifteenth Report: Appendix, Part II:30.

10 Camden, Annales Rerum Anglicarum et Hibernicarum, Regnante Elizabetha Ad Annum Salutis M.D. LXXXIX.

11 Russell, "The Age of Anne Boleyn."

12 Warnicke, "Anne Boleyn's Childhood and Adolescence."

13 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 19.

14 Clifford, The Life of Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria, 80.

15 Warnicke, "Anne Boleyn's Childhood and Adolescence."

16 Russell, "The Age of Anne Boleyn."

17 "Calendar of State Papers, Spain: Further Supplement to Volumes 1 and 2," 30.

18 "Calendar of State Papers Foreign, Elizabeth, Volume 3: 1560-1561," 489–90.

3.
Anne Boleyn's Royal Blood

Many people talk of the Boleyns as upstarts or commoners but, just like Henry VIII's other five wives and, indeed, Henry himself, Anne Boleyn was a descendant of Edward I and had royal blood. Both of Anne's parents were descended from ancient and noble families - Thomas Boleyn from the Butlers (as well as the Boleyns) and Elizabeth Boleyn from the Howards; and both had royal blood.

The Howard Family's Ancestry

Burke's Peerage says of the Howard family, "The Ducal and illustrious Howards stand, next to the Blood Royal, at the head of the Peerage of England"
¹
and it is true that they have always been one of the most important families in the history of England. The family traces its ancestry back to William Howard of East Wynch, Norfolk, who was knighted by Edward I and who served the King as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. William's son, Sir John Howard, served Edward I as a gentleman of the bedchamber and his grandson, another Sir John, served Edward III as Admiral and Captain of the King's Navy in the North.

The family carried on faithfully serving English monarchs for generations. However, the family did not win the title of Duke of Norfolk until 1483. In this year, Richard III conferred the titles of Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Marshall of England upon Yorkist John Howard. Howard was subsequently made Lord Admiral of England.
²
His son, Thomas, Anne Boleyn's grandfather, was created Earl of Surrey. Unfortunately, John was killed just two years later at the Battle of Bosworth Field. In November 1485, both the dead Duke and his son, Surrey, were attainted by Henry VII's Parliament for their support of Richard III. The dukedom and earldom were forfeited, and Thomas Howard was stripped of his lands and imprisoned in the Tower of London for three years. He was restored to the earldom in May 1499 and went on to serve Henry VII as a lieutenant in the North and as Lord High Treasurer. He acted as an executor of the King's will in 1509 and as Earl Marshal at Henry VIII's coronation. Surrey was created Duke of Norfolk in 1514 after his victory leading the English troops at the Battle of Flodden. Surrey's daughter, Elizabeth Howard, is thought to have married Thomas Boleyn around 1498/1499,
³
i.e., before her father had been restored to his titles and lands.

The Howard family could also trace their roots back to Edward I by two lines of descent:

1st Line
⁴

Anne Boleyn's mother was Lady Elizabeth Howard (c.1480 – 1538), daughter of
Thomas Howard (1443 – 1524), Earl of Surrey and the 2nd Duke of Norfolk
from 1514, and of his first wife, Elizabeth Tilney.

|

Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk was the son of
John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
(1421 – 1485) and of Katherine Moleyns.

|

John Howard was the son of Sir Robert Howard (1385 – 1436) and of
Lady Margaret de Mowbray
(1388 – 1459).

|

Margaret de Mowbray was the daughter of
Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk
(1366 – 1399), of the first creation, and of Elizabeth Fitzalan.

|

Thomas de Mowbray was the son of John de Mowbray, 4th Baron Mowbray (1340 – 1368), and of
Elizabeth, Baroness Segrave
(d.1375).

|

Elizabeth was the daughter of John de Segrave, 4th Baron Segrave, and of
Margaret Plantagenet, Duchess of Norfolk
(c. 1320 – 1399).

|

Margaret was the eldest daughter of
Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk
(1300 – 1338), and of Alice Halys.

|

Thomas was a son of
Edward I
(1239 – 1307) and of his second wife, Margaret of France (c.1279 – 1318).

|

2nd Line
⁵

Anne Boleyn's mother was Lady Elizabeth Howard (c.1480 – 1538), the daughter of
Thomas Howard (1443 – 1524), Earl of Surrey and the 2nd Duke of Norfolk
from 1514, and of his first wife, Elizabeth Tilney.

|

Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk was the son of
John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
(1421 – 1485) and of Katherine Moleyns.

|

John Howard was the son of Sir Robert Howard (1385 – 1436) and of
Lady Margaret de Mowbray
(1388 – 1459).

|

Margaret de Mowbray was the daughter of Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk (of the first creation), (1366 – 1399), and of
Elizabeth Fitzalan
.

|

Elizabeth Fitzalan was the daughter and co-heir of
Elizabeth de Bohun
and of Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel and Surrey.

|

Elizabeth de Bohun was the daughter of
William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton
(d. 1360), and of Elizabeth de Badlesmere (1313 – 1356).

|

William de Bohun was the son of
Elizabeth Plantagenet
, also known as Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (1282 – 1316), and of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (1276 – 1322).

|

Elizabeth Plantagenet was the daughter of
Edward I
(1239 – 1307) and of his first wife, Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 1290).

The Butler Family's Ancestry

The Butlers, Thomas Boleyn's maternal family, were descended from Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler (d. 1205), who was of Norman origin. Theobald was the eldest son of Hervey (or Herveius) Walter and his wife Maud de Valoignes. Maud, also known as Matilda, was one of the daughters (and co-heiresses) of Theobald de Valoignes, who was Lord of Parham in Suffolk. Theobald and his brother, Hubert, were raised in the household of Ranulf de Glanville, Justiciar of England in the 1180s, and knew Prince John (the future King John) who also spent time there. In 1185, Theobald accompanied Prince John to Ireland when the Prince visited as Lord of Ireland and Theobald established religious houses in Wicklow, Limerick and Tipperary.

The family surname changed from Walter to Butler during the reign of Henry II. The name came from the fact that Theobald Walter was made the first Chief Butler of Ireland in 1177. This meant that he was the ceremonial cup-bearer to Prince John, the
boteillier
(Norman French) or "butler". He became known as Theobald Walter le Boteler (le Botiller), or as Theobald Butler, after his title and the Butler family were "born". As Butler of Ireland, he and his successors "were to attend the kings of England at their coronation, and that day present them with the first cup of wine, for which they were to have certain pieces of the king's plate".
⁶
By the time he died in 1205, he had built up extensive landholdings in Ireland, in Munster and south Leinster.

The title of Ormond, the earldom granted to Anne Boleyn's father in 1529, also traces back to Theobald, who was granted Irish lands (including East Munster, or Ormond) by Prince John. James Butler (c.1305-1338), a descendant of Theobald and the eldest surviving son of Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick (d. 1321), and of Joan Fitzgerald, was the first Earl of Ormond; the title was created especially for him. He served as a yeoman or valettus in Edward II's household in the early 1320s, but trouble in Ireland led to him returning there in the mid-1320s. His father died in 1321; although James did not inherit the title of Earl of Carrick, he did inherit the title of Chief Butler, becoming 7th Chief Butler of Ireland. James's father had served as a justiciar when Roger Mortimer was Lieutenant of Ireland 1317-18. This relationship, along with James's loyalty to the Crown, led to Edward III making James Earl of Ormond by patent in 1328, when Mortimer became Earl of March. James was also granted a life-grant of the liberty of the county of Tipperary, which was held by the family until 1716. James was loyal to Edward III and married the King's cousin, Eleanor de Bohun. According to his biographer, Robin Frame, "inquisitions at his death show that, besides his Irish lordships, he had property in ten English counties, all held jointly with his wife",
⁷
so we can see that he was rewarded well for his service. His son, James, was granted his lands in 1347.

The Ormond title is still with the Butler family today. In 1997, James Butler, 7th Marquess of Ormond, died childless. Thus, the marquessate became extinct and the earldom dormant, although it is likely that Piers James Richard Butler, 18th Viscount Mountgarret, will be able to claim it. The Butler family shield displays cups, symbolising the office of the Chief Butler of Ireland, and the motto is "Comme Je Trouve", meaning "As I Find". The cups and motto are used today by Kilkenny College private school because it was founded in 1538 by Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond.

The seat of the Butler family in Ireland was Kilkenny Castle. The castle is in the city of Kilkenny in the province of Leinster, south-east Ireland. It was built at the beginning of the 13th century for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke, and was bought from Sir Hugh le Despencer, Earl of Gloucester, in 1391 by James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond. When King Richard II visited Ireland in 1394-95, Butler was made Justiciar of Ireland because the King regarded him as the premier Irish earl. Kilkenny Castle remained the main residence of the Butler family from that point until 1967 when Arthur, 6th Marquess of Ormond, gave it to the residents of Kilkenny for a payment of £50.

As well as being an ancient and noble family, the 16th century Butlers carried royal blood, being descended from Edward I by three lines of descent:

1st Line

Anne Boleyn's father, Thomas Boleyn, was the son of Sir William Boleyn (1451 – 1505) and of
Lady Margaret Butler
(1454 – 1539).

|

Lady Margaret Butler was the daughter of
Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond
(1426 – 1515), and of Anne Hankford.

|

Thomas Butler was the son of
James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond
(1392 - 1452), and of Joan de Beauchamp.

|

James Butler was the son of
James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond
(d. 1405), and of Anne Welles.

|

James Butler was the son of
James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond
(1331 – 1382) and of Elizabeth Darcy.

|

James Butler was the son of James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond (c. 1305 - 1338) and of
Eleanor de Bohun
(1304 - 1363).

|

Lady Eleanor de Bohun was the daughter of
Elizabeth Plantagenet
, also known as Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (1282 – 1316), and of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (1276 – 1322).

|

Elizabeth Plantagenet was the daughter of
Edward I
(1239 – 1307) and of his first wife, Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 1290).

2nd Line

Anne Boleyn's father, Thomas Boleyn, was the son of Sir William Boleyn (1451 – 1505) and of
Lady Margaret Butler
(1454 – 1539).

|

Lady Margaret Butler was the daughter of
Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond
(1426 – 1515), and of Anne Hankford.

|

Thomas Butler was the son of James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond (1392 - 1452), and of
Joan de Beauchamp
(1396 - 1430).

|

Joan de Beauchamp was the daughter of William de Beauchamp, 1st Baron Bergavenny (c. 1343 - 1411) and of
Lady Joan Fitzalan
(1375 – 1435).

|

Lady Joan Fitzalan was the daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel and 9th Earl of Surrey (1346 - 1397), and of his first wife
Elizabeth de Bohun
.