The Anne Boleyn Collection II: Anne Boleyn & the Boleyn Family (8 page)

Another piece of evidence to support the theory that Anne Boleyn was sent to Margaret's court is Anne's letter to her father. The original French can be read in the appendix of Philip W. Sergeant's
The Life of Anne Boleyn
;
⁶
here is Sergeant's translation:

"Sir, – I understand by your letter that you desire that I shall be a worthy woman when I come to the Court and you inform me that the Queen will take the trouble to converse with me, which rejoices me much to think of talking with a person so wise and worthy. This will make me have greater desire to continue to speak French well and also spell, especially because you have so enjoined it on me, and with my own hand I inform you that I will observe it the best I can. Sir, I beg you to excuse me if my letter is badly written, for I assure you that the orthography is from my own understanding alone, while the others were only written by my hand, and Semmonet tells me the letter but waits so that I may do it myself, for fear that it shall not be known unless I acquaint you, and I pray you that the light of [?] may not be allowed to drive away the will which you say you have to help me, for it seems to me that you are sure [??] you can, if you please, make me a declaration of your word, and concerning me be certain that there shall be neither [??] nor ingratitude which might check or efface my affection, which is determined to [?] as much unless it shall please you to order me, and I promise you that my love is based on such great strength that it will never grow less, and I will make an end to my [?] after having commended myself right humbly to your good grace.

Written at [?Veure] by

Your very humble and very obedient daughter,

Anna de Boullan."

There have been various theories as to where Anne was writing the letter from, with some historians arguing that the word "Veure" was actually Hever, or that it meant the fifth hour (5 o'clock). However, Hugh Paget argued that it was "the French version of the name of the royal park at Brussels", the place where Margaret of Austria visited during the summer months. Sylwia Zupanec dismisses this idea, saying that there was no residence with that name. However, Margaret's father, Maximilian I, signed various letters from "au Château de la Veuren" and referred to "nostre chasteaul de La Veuren"; "our castle of La Veuren", in a letter written to Margaret in June 1512. In a time with no standardized spelling, Anne could well have been referring to "Veuren" when she wrote "Veure", or may simply have missed the "n" off the end. The letter was full of such errors and "no intelligible English translation can give the flavour of the phonetic and idiosyncratic original."
⁷

In her letter, Anne also referred to "Semmonet", who was quite clearly helping her with her French, and a "Symmonet" was a member of Margaret's household. We know this because there are various mentions of "Symmonet" in the correspondence of Emperor Maximilian and Margaret of Austria – for example, a letter written by Maximilian to Margaret on 25th May 1510.
⁸
I can't believe that this is a coincidence.

The final piece of evidence for Anne Boleyn being at the court of Margaret of Austria is Thomas Boleyn's letter to Margaret of Austria recalling his daughter, written from Greenwich on 14th August 1514:

"Ma treschiere et tres redoubtee dame dans sy humble cuer quil mest possible a votre bonne grace me recommande. II vous playra a savoir comment la seur du Roy mon maistre madame marie Reyne fyancee de France ma requyse davoir avecques elle ma fille la petitte Boulain laquelle ma tresredoubtee dame est a present avecques vous en votre court a laquelle requeste je nay peult ne sceut refuzer nullement sy est ma tresredoubtee dame que je vous supplie treshumblement quil vous plaise de donner et octroyer congiet a ma fille de povoir retourner pardevers moy avecques mes gens lesquelz jay envoyet devers vous a ceste cause ma tresredoubte dame je me tiens fort obligiet envers votre bonne grace a cause de la grant honneur que fait aves a ma fille et que ne mest possible a desservir devers votre bonne grace non obstant que je ne dezire aultre chose synon queje vous puisse faire auleun service agreable ce que jespere de faire encores cy en apros au plaisir de dieu auquel je prie ma tresredoubtee dame quil vous doinst lentier accomplissement de vos nobles et bon dcsirs escript desoubz mon signe manuel a la court royalle de Grynewiths en engleterre, le xiiii jour daoust anno xv et xiiii.

Votre treshumble serviteur, Sr Thomas Boleyn."
⁹

In this letter, Thomas Boleyn is asking Margaret to release his daughter, "la petitte Boulain", into the care of the escort he had sent across, so that Anne could return to England. Anne needed to do this because she had been chosen to accompany Mary Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, who was due to leave for France to marry Louis XII. I cannot see to whom else Thomas Boleyn could have been referring when he writes of "ma fille la petitte Boulain", "my daughter the little Boleyn". Contrary to Zupanec's claim that the letter is undated, Thomas has written the date at the end: "le xiiii jour daoust anno xv et xiiii", meaning the 14th August 1514. Furthermore, there has never been any doubt cast on the authenticity of the letter, so it cannot be dismissed.

Another thing that suggests that Anne Boleyn knew Margaret of Austria was Anne's use of the motto "Ainsi sera, groigne qui groigne" (Let them grumble, that is how it is going to be). This, as Eric Ives and Joanna Denny point out, was a play on Margaret of Austria's motto "Groigne qui groigne, Vive Bourgogne!" (Grudge who Grudges, Long Live Burgundy!). Why would Anne make use of a motto of a woman she'd never met and whose court she had never attended?

Evidence for Anne Boleyn serving Queen Claude of France

It has been argued that Anne did not serve Queen Claude because the household lists of Queen Claude make no mention of either Boleyn girl, Anne or Mary, and that "the Boleyn sisters were probably confused with "Anne de Boulogne" and "Magdaleine de Boulogne" who were in the Queen Claude's household from 1509". Zupanec even doubts that Anne served Mary Tudor. She believes, instead, that Anne was sent by Thomas Boleyn to relatives in Briis-sous-Forges because "she may have indeed been guilty of some kind of a scandal", as Nicholas Sander, the 16th century Catholic recusant, believed.

Regardless of whether or not Anne's name appears in Queen Claude's household lists and whether or not she has been confused with other women, there is plenty of other evidence to back up the view that Anne served Mary Tudor then Queen Claude:

• • A "Madamoyselle Boleyne" is in the list of "gentlemen and ladies retained by the King (Louis XII.) to do service to the Queen":
  "Le conte de Nonshere," Dr. Denton, almoner, Mr. Richard Blounte, "escuyer descuyerie," the sons of Lord Roos, Lord Cobham, and Mr. Seymour, "enfans d'honneur"; Evrard, brother of the Marquis, Arthur Polle, brother of Lord Montague, Le Poulayn, "pannetiers échansons et valetz trenchans"; Francis Buddis, usher of the chamber, Maistre Guillaume, physician, Henry Calays, "varlet des robes," Rob. Wast. Mesdemoiselles Grey (sister of the Marquis), Mary Finis (daughter of Lord Dacres), Elizabeth (sister of Lord Grey), Madamoyselle Boleyne, Maistres Anne Jenyngham, "femme de chambre," and Jeanne Barnesse, "chamberiere." Signed by
  Louis XII."
  ¹⁰
  This obviously could have been Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister, so is not complete evidence.
  
• • King Francis I reported on 22nd January 1522 that "Mr. Boullan"'s daughter had been recalled from the French court:"I think it very strange that this treaty of Bruges was concealed from me, and also the powder and balls which are going to Antwerp;—that his subjects go and take the Emperor's pay;—that the English scholars at Paris have returned home, and also the daughter of Mr. Boullan, while ships were being made at Dover, and musters taken in England, the rumor being that it was to make war on France."
  ¹¹
  This must have been Anne because Mary was already in England at this time, having married William Carey in 1520.
  
• • The imperial ambassadors reported to Charles V in January 1522 "that Boleyn's daughter, who was in the service of the French queen, had been called home" and that "The cardinal said that he himself was responsible for her recall, because he intended, by her marriage, to pacify certain quarrels and litigation between Boleyn and other English nobles."
  ¹²
  It is clear that they are referring to Anne being recalled from France to marry James Butler. We know that the Boleyns and St Legers were, at this time, arguing with Sir Piers Butler over the title Earl of Ormonde, and that Cardinal Wolsey was attempting to broker a marriage between Piers's son and Anne to solve the problem.
  
• • Renée of France, Duchess of Ferrara and sister of Queen Claude, told Nicholas Throckmorton in Elizabeth I's reign "There was another cause which worked in her a goodwill towards the Queen; there was an old acquaintance between the Queen's mother and her, when the former was one of the maids-of-honour of the Duchess's sister, Queen Claude."
  ¹³
  
• • Lancelot de Carles, in his poem about Anne Boleyn's execution, "
  De la Royne d'Angleterre"
  , wrote:
  

"Or, Monseigneur, je croy que bien savez Et des longtemps la congnoissance avez Que Anne Boullant premierement sortit De ce pays, quant Marye en partit Pour s'en aller trouver le Roy en France,Pour accomplir des deux Roys l'alliance."

or

"My lord, I am well aware that you know and have known for a long time that Anne Boullant first came from this country when Mary [Tudor] left to go to join the king [Louis XII] in France to bring about the alliance of the two sovereigns."

He went on to say:

"Apres que fut Marye revenue En ce pays, elle fut retenue Par Claude, qui Royne apres succedda."
¹⁴

or

"After Mary returned to her country, she [Anne] was retained by Claude, the Queen who succeeded her".

• • Sixteenth century historians and chroniclers cite this as fact. William Camden's
  Annales
  ,
  ¹⁵
  his chronicle of Elizabeth I's life and reign, was written during Elizabeth I's reign and Camden was given access to William Cecil, Lord Burghley's private papers and various archives.
  ¹⁶
  He wrote that Elizabeth's mother, Anne, had served Queen Claude and Marguerite of Angoulême. Baron Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648) also wrote that Anne was "said by the French writers to have lived in that court", referring to the French court.
  ¹⁷
  

Even if you discount the evidence from the ambassadors and Francis I as referring to Mary Boleyn, which cannot be correct because of the dates, Renée of France, sister of Queen Claude, and Lancelot de Carles, secretary to the French ambassador, were in positions to know whether or not Anne served Queen Claude. There was no reason for them to lie.

I really cannot see there being any reason to doubt that Anne was sent to Margaret of Austria's court and that she went on to serve Queen Claude of France. There is certainly more solid evidence for her having attended them than for her not doing so.

Notes and Sources

1 Zupanec, The Daring Truth About Anne Boleyn: Cutting Through the Myth, chap. 2 – Mademoiselle Boleyn: Did Anne Boleyn really spend her childhood and adolescence abroad.

2 Correspondance de L'empereur Maximilien Ier et de Marguerite d'Autriche, Sa Fille, Gouvernante de Pays-Bas, de 1507 à 1519, 2:461, note 2.

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

4 Paget, "The Youth of Anne Boleyn."

5 Baron de Reiffenberg, Chronique Métrique de Chastellain et de Molinet: Avec Des Notices Sur Ces Auteurs et Des Remarques Sur Le Texte Corrigé, 154.

6 Sergeant, The Life of Anne Boleyn, sec. Appendix D.

7 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 20.

8 Correspondance de L'empereur Maximilien Ier et de Marguerite d'Autriche, Sa Fille, Gouvernante de Pays-Bas, de 1507 à 1519, 2:273.

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

10 "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1: 1509-1514," n. 3357.

11 "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 3: 1519-1523," n. 1994.

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

13 "Calendar of State Papers Foreign, Elizabeth, Volume 3: 1560-1561," n. 870.

14 Ascoli, La Grande-Bretagne Devant L'opinion Française Depuis La Guerre de Cent Ans Jusqu'à La Fin Du XVIe Siècle, 233–34, De la Royne d'Angleterre, Lancelot de Carles, lines 37–42 and 49–51.

15 Camden, Annales Rerum Anglicarum et Hibernicarum Regnante Elizabetha.

16 Russell, "The Age of Anne Boleyn."

17 Herbert, The Life and Raigne of King Henry the Eighth., 55, 110.

6.
Anne Boleyn and James Butler

In this chapter, I am going to look at the negotiations which aimed to marry Anne Boleyn off to James Butler, son of Sir Piers Butler, and to settle the dispute over the title of Earl of Ormond. But before we look at the negotiations, we need to consider who the Butlers actually were, how they linked with the Boleyn family, and why the Ormond title was under dispute.