Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire , KG ( eng. Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire ; ca. 1477 - March 12, 1539) - British diplomat and statesman at the Tudors . Father Anne Boleyn , second spouse of King Henry VIII of England, grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I.
Thomas Boleyn | |||||||
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English Thomas Boleyn | |||||||
Thomas Boleyn in the garment of a knight of the Order of the Garter. A reprint of a memorial plaque decorating his tomb in St. Peter’s Church in Khiver, Kent [1] | |||||||
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Predecessor | New Creation (since 1529) | ||||||
Successor | title faded away | ||||||
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Predecessor | New Creation (since 1529) | ||||||
Successor | title faded away | ||||||
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Predecessor | New Creation (since 1525) | ||||||
Successor | title is no longer used | ||||||
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Predecessor | Sir Edward Poinings | ||||||
Successor | Sir William Fitzwilliam | ||||||
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Predecessor | Cuthbert Tanstall | ||||||
Successor | sir thomas cromwell | ||||||
Birth | OK. 1477 Hever Castle , Kent , England | ||||||
Death | March 12, 1539 Hever Castle, Kent, England | ||||||
Burial place | St. Peter's Church, Hever, Kent, England | ||||||
Father | Sir | ||||||
Mother | lady margaret butler | ||||||
Spouse | lady elizabeth howard | ||||||
Children | Maria Boleyn Ann Bolein George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford | ||||||
Awards | |||||||
Biography
Origin and Family
The ancestors of Thomas Boleyn were the well-to-do yomen who settled in , Norfolk County, as early as the 13th century [2] . The foundations of the welfare of Boleins and their subsequent high position were laid by Thomas' grandfather, Jeffrey Boleyn . After moving from Norfolk to London in the 1420s, he made a fortune on the trade in expensive fabrics. By the mid-1450s, he was already a respected citizen who held various solid posts, including the alderman of the City of London (from 1452) and the Lord Mayor of London (from 1457 to 1458) [3] . Acquired status and wealth gave him the opportunity to marry a member of the upper class, and it became Anna Hoo, daughter and co-heir of (later Baron Hoo and Hastings), who brought him extensive dowry [4] .
Their second son, , who inherited an impressive state after the death of his father and older brother [by 1] , also chose his wife the rich heir of a noble family - the daughter of Count Ormond , Lady Margaret Butler . Sir William alternately served as a sheriff of the county of Kent (in 1489), Norfolk and Suffolk (in 1500), in 1483 at the coronation of Richard III he was knighted by the Baths [5] . Margaret Butler belonged to the Anglo-Irish aristocracy , among her ancestors was Eleanor de Bogun , granddaughter of King Edward I of Plantagenet [6] [to 2] .
Thomas Boleyn was born approximately in 1477 in , Kent , bought by his grandfather Jeffrey Boleyn [7] . He was the eldest son of eleven children of Sir William and Lady Margaret [3] . In 1498 [8] or in 1500 [9] , Thomas Boleyn, following the family tradition, married Elizabeth Howard , a representative of one of the most distinguished families in England. Her father was Thomas Howard , Earl of Surrey (from 1514 - 2nd Duke of Norfolk ), mother - Elizabeth Tilney . Although at first under Henry VII, the Howards were in disgrace (in the battle of Bosworth, father and son fought on the side of Richard III), they nevertheless soon won the favor of the new king from the Tudor dynasty. For Boleyn, marriage with a lady from the Howard family was a brilliant game, opening the way for him to a career at the royal court [10] .
Thomas and Elizabeth had several children, but their exact number, like their dates of birth, is difficult to establish. Subsequently, Boleyn recalled that after the wedding, his wife "gave birth to a child every year" [8] . Of all the children, only three survived: two daughters — Mary and Anna , and a son — George .
The courtier and diplomat
Boleyn appeared at the royal court during the reign of Henry VII , in particular, one of the first mentions of his service relates to participation in the suppression of the uprising of the inhabitants of Cornwall in 1497. Together with his father, Thomas Boleyn fought in the Battle of Blackheath [11] . Later on, he was largely obliged to his father-in-law, Count Surrey [12] .
Despite the fact that he was the heir to a solid state, at first he had to be content with 50 pounds of annual income, rent from Heaver and the dowry of his wife Elizabeth Howard [13] . Gradually, Thomas Boleyn became one of the most prominent courtiers of Henry VII [14] . In 1501, he was honored to be among those invited to the wedding of the eldest son of the king, Arthur, Prince of Wales , and the Spanish Infanta Catalina of Aragon . In 1503 he was entrusted with escorting Princess Margaret Tudor to Scotland , to the court of her future husband King James IV [15] . In 1505, after the death of Sir William Boleyn, Thomas's well-being also improved markedly, he inherited fifteen estates [6] , and from Count Ormond Thomas Boleyn, who died in 1515, inherited the lion's share of his possessions in England, including the title of Baron Rochford [16 ] .
In 1509, after Henry VIII ascended to the throne, the position of Thomas Boleyn at the court became even stronger. Thanks to his education, his knowledge of foreign languages (he was fluent in French and, which is very unusual for a layman, knew Latin ) [7] and gallant manners, he quickly managed to enter the circle of the young king’s confidants. At the coronation ceremony, Boleyn was knighted and later repeatedly participated in tournaments, masquerades and other amusements arranged by Henry. Later, he received a number of lucrative posts, in particular, in 1511 he was appointed sheriff of Kent and the constable of Norwich Castle [17] .
In 1512, preparing for the invasion of France , Henry VIII, without neglecting Boleyn’s abilities, sent him on a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands . Arriving at the court of Margaret of Austria , Thomas Boleyn made a favorable impression on the Archduchess. They soon became friends, not least because the Boleins were once supporters of the Yorks , with whom Margarita was distantly related [18] [to 3] . At one of the audiences, he noticed that the lady-maid of honor of different nationalities was among the archduchess. Boleyn did not fail to take advantage of the opportunity and asked her for permission to take his youngest daughter, Anna, into the retinue, to which he soon received consent. Later, Margarita reported in a letter to Boleyna that she was very pleased with her young ward [19] .
However, two years later, due to a change in the political situation (this time England entered into an armistice and alliance agreement with France) Boleyn and her daughter were withdrawn from the Netherlands. Anna went to the French court and was included in the retinue of Princess Maria Tudor , the bride of King Louis XII . There, elder sister Maria soon joined her. After the sudden death of Louis, Princess Maria departed for England, but Boleyn urged his daughters to remain in France, moving to the staff of the new Queen Claude , wife of Francis I [20] . Thomas himself returned to England, where he continued his court career. In 1516 he participated in the ceremony of the christening of the new-born Princess Mary , the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. In 1517 he again took the post of sheriff of Kent. Between 1519 and 1523 Boleyn served as the ambassador of England at the French court; in 1520, he was one of the organizers of the meeting of Henry VIII and Francis I to the Field of Gold Brocade , and also attended the meeting with Emperor Charles V in Gravlin , at the conference in Calais in 1521 and then was appointed ambassador to Spain [21] .
Fight for the title of Count Ormond
At the beginning of the 1520s, an internal family battle for the inheritance of Maternal grandfather Boleyn on the maternal side, Count Ormond, which lasted from 1515, entered a crucial stage. When Thomas Butler, the 7th Earl of Ormond , died on August 3, 1515, he did not have a legal male heir who could freely transfer the title, and he left all his property to the families of his two daughters from his first marriage - Boleynam and St. Ledger, making them full joint heirs [23] .
Despite the fact that Henry VIII granted Thomas Boleyn the rights to his mother’s property, as well as the results of the hearing in November 1516, during which Boleins and St. Leggers proved the legitimacy of their claims to Irish possessions and titles, Pierce Butler , late cousin Count, with the support of the Irish Lords, began to dignify himself as Count Ormond [23] . The ensuing litigation for the title and inheritance of Count Ormond between Boleyn, James St. Ledger [5] and Pierce Butler, threatened to turn into an armed insurgency in Ireland . Heinrich instructed Thomas Howard, the earl of Surrey , to resolve this issue in such a way as not to harm the Butlers, since it was in the interests of England to maintain peaceful relations with them [23] . Assessing the situation, Surrey, who was then Governor-General of Ireland at the time, came to the conclusion that neither side wanted to make concessions, and, in order to settle the conflict amicably, he made a proposal for marriage between the daughter of Thomas Bollein and Pierce's son Butler, by James [24] . In his opinion, such an alliance promised to be beneficial, including for the Butlers, since they would gain a significant political advantage by moving closer to the ruling elite of England [25] .
The idea was liked by Lord Chancellor Thomas Wolsey and, after consulting with King Henry, he strongly recommended Boleyn to marry Anna to James, who was living in England at the time at Wolsey’s upbringing. In 1521, Thomas Boleyn called his youngest daughter to England, but he was in no hurry to give final consent, as he was sure that he could achieve what he wanted with the help of Henry VIII. As a result, marriage negotiations did not end with anything [26] .
The coveted title of Count Ormond was given to Boleyn in 1529, thanks in large part to Anna [27] , at that time the all-powerful favorite of the king. After several years of continuous struggle, Pierce Butler gave up the title of Count Ormond, receiving in return on long-term lease terms the disputed Ormond lands, as well as the title of Count Ossori. Pierce successfully regained the title of Count Ormond in 1538 two years after the execution of Anne Boleyn, and his son James inherited it after the death of his father in 1539, becoming the ninth Earl of Ormond. In England, this title was no longer used after the death of Thomas Bolain.
Test of the King of England
After it became clear that there would be no Irish marriage, Boleyn, with the help of his connections at court, identified Anna as a retinue of Queen Catherine of Aragon . Since 1519, the Queen’s eldest daughter, Boleyn, was also a member of the Queen. In 1520, she married William Carey , and soon after the wedding, she began a long relationship with Henry VIII. Thanks to this event, Boleyn, and previously not deprived of royal mercy, received as a gift not only new lands, but also the title of Viscount Rochford [28] , and also became a knight of the Order of the Garter and Lord Treasurer of the royal court. But Boleyn reached a higher stage in his court career when the king turned his attention to his youngest daughter, Anna. As her influence on Heinrich grew, he did not stint on gifts for her family. Thomas Boleyn got the title of Count Ormond, whom he had been seeking for several years, and in addition the title of Count Wiltshire, and in 1530 he took the post of Lord Guardian of the Malaya Seal .
Recent years
After the execution of Anne and George, Thomas Boleyn left the post of Lord Guardian of the Malaya Seal and with his wife retired to Hever Castle. Yet, in spite of his disgrace, he continued to participate in court life, though not as intensely as before [29] . Boleyn corresponded with Thomas Cromwell , in particular, consulting with him about the appointment of his daughter-in-law Lady Rochford's wages [30] . He provided all possible assistance in suppressing the uprising of 1536, known as the Holy Pilgrimage [29] , attended the christening of Prince Edward , and in January 1538 returned to the court. In April 1538, Boleyn widowed , and it was rumored that he was going to marry Heinrich's niece, Lady Marguerite Douglas [31] [29] .
In the last years of his life, Boleyn made an attempt to make peace with her eldest daughter, Maria , allowing her and her spouse, William Stafford, to reside at Rochford Hall in Essex . After his death, Maria inherited Rochford Hall and her father’s land in Essex [32] . Earlier, in a personal conversation with the king, Heinrich Boleyn expressed a desire to bequeath the land of the Ormonds to his granddaughter Elizabeth , who, shortly before the execution, recognized her mother as illegitimate . However, after he changed his mind, and this property also ceded to Mary [29] .
In March 1539, he passed away. His servant, Robert Cranewell, reported the death of his master in a letter to Cromwell of March 13, 1539. [33] The king, having learned of the death of Boleyn, ordered a mass for the rest of his soul [31] . Thomas Boleyn was buried in the parish church of St. Peter in the village of Heaver, Kent. His tomb is decorated with a plaque on which he is depicted in the garb of a knight of the Order of the Garter. Not far from him, one of his sons, Henry Boleyn, is buried.
Children
- Maria Boleyn (c. 1499 - July 19, 1543), was married twice: to William Carey and William Stafford;
- Anne Boleyn (c. 1501/1507 - May 19, 1536), was married to the King of England Henry VIII ;
- George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. 1504 - May 17, 1536), was married to Lady Jane Parker ;
- Thomas Boleyn (died in infancy);
- Henry Boleyn (died infancy).
In film and television
- Michael Hordern in the 1969 Anna 's Thousand Days Days [34] ;
- Benjamin Whitrow in the 2003 television film Henry VIII [34] ;
- Jack Shepard in the BBC television film “ Another One of the Boleyn Rhode ” (2003), film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory [34] ;
- Marc Ryllance in the Hollywood version of Gregory's novel Another One of the Boleyn Rum (2008) [34] ;
- Nick Dunning in the first two seasons of the Tudors television series [35] .
- David Robb in the BBC Two mini-series “The Wolf Hall ”, the film adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novel “The ” and “ ” [36] .
Genealogy
Comments
- ↑ Джеффри Болейн скончался в 1463 году; его наследник, Томас, старший сын от брака с Анной Хоо, умер в 1471 году [4] .
- ↑ Элеанор де Богун (1304—1363) — дочь Хамфри де Богуна и Элизабет Плантагенет ; в первом браке была замужем за Джеймсом Батлером, 1-м графом Ормондом .
- ↑ Её сводной бабушкой была Маргарита Йоркская, герцогиня Бургундская (1446—1503) — сестра королей Эдуарда IV и Ричарда III ; она была третьей женой Карла Смелого , родного деда Маргариты Австрийской.
- ↑ Ранее считалось, что на портрете изображён Томас Болейн, однако в 1981 году исследователь тюдоровской эпохи высказал предположение, что это, возможно, портрет Джеймса Батлера, 9-го графа Ормонда , родственника Болейна по материнской линии [22] .
- ↑ Джеймс Сент-Леджер — супруг Анны Батлер, второй дочери и сонаследницы Томаса Батлера, 7-го графа Ормонда.
Notes
- ↑ Ives, 2004, Plate 49.
- ↑ Weir, 2011 , p. 6
- ↑ 1 2 Ives, 2004 , p. 3
- ↑ 1 2 Weir, 2011 , p. 7
- ↑ Weir, 2011 , pp. 8—9.
- ↑ 1 2 Перфильев, 1999 , с. 135.
- ↑ 1 2 Starkey, 2004 , p. 257.
- ↑ 1 2 Ives, 2004 , pp. 16—17.
- ↑ Starkey, 2004 , p. 258.
- ↑ Wilkinson, 2010 , p. sixteen.
- ↑ Wilkinson, 2010 , p. 15.
- ↑ Warnicke, 1989 , p. ten.
- ↑ Ives, 2004 , p. four.
- ↑ Лоудз, 1997 , с. 67.
- ↑ Перфильев, 1999 , с. 134—135.
- ↑ Starkey, 2004 , p. 266.
- ↑ Перфильев, 1999 , с. 136.
- ↑ Warnicke, 1989 , pp. 6—7.
- ↑ Starkey, 2004 , pp. 259—260.
- ↑ Перфильев, 1999 , с. 140.
- ↑ Ives, 2004 , pp. 10—11.
- ↑ David Starkey. Holbein's Irish Sitter? (eng.) The Burlington Magazine (May 1981). Дата обращения 3 января 2012. Архивировано 26 августа 2012 года.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Ives, 2004 , p. 34.
- ↑ Лоудз, 1997 , с. 72.
- ↑ Bernard, GW, 2011 , p. eleven.
- ↑ Starkey, 2004 , p. 267.
- ↑ Warnicke, 1989 , p. 33.
- ↑ Starkey, 2004 , p. 274.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Ives, 2004 , p. 353.
- ↑ July 1536, 1—5, 17. T. Earl of Wiltshire to Cromwell. (eng.) british-history.ac.uk . Дата обращения 25 июня 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 Warnicke, 1989 , p. 237.
- ↑ Wilkinson, 2010 , p. 170.
- ↑ March 1539, Rob. Cranewell to Cromwell. (eng.) british-history.ac.uk . Дата обращения 25 июня 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Thomas Boleyn (англ.) . IMDb.com . Дата обращения 3 января 2012. Архивировано 26 августа 2012 года.
- ↑ Sir Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire (англ.) . tudorswiki.sho.com . Дата обращения 3 января 2012. Архивировано 26 августа 2012 года.
- ↑ Wolf Hall (англ.) . IMDb.com . Дата обращения 3 августа 2015.
Literature
- Линдсей, Карен. Разведённые. Обезглавленные. Уцелевшие. Жёны короля Генриха VIII / Пер. from English Т. Азаркович. — М. : КРОН-ПРЕСС, 1996. — 336 с. - 10 000 copies — ISBN 5-232-00389-5 .
- Лоудз, Дэвид. Генрих VIII и его королевы / Пер. from English Ю. И. Губатова. — Ростов-на-Дону: Феникс, 1997. — 320 с. — (Исторические силуэты). - 10 000 copies — ISBN 5-85880-544-2 .
- Перфильев, Олег. Жёны Синей Бороды. В спальне Генриха VIII. — М. : ОЛМА-ПРЕСС, 1999. — 415 с. — 7 000 экз. — ISBN 5-224-00599-X .
- Bernard, GW Anne Boleyn. Fatal Attractions. — New Heaven and London: Yale University Press, 2011. — 237 с. — ISBN 978-0-300-17089-4 .
- Ives, Eric. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. The Most Happy. — United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. — P. 458. — ISBN 978-0-631-23479-1 .
- Starkey, David. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII. — New York: Harper Perennial, 2004. — P. 880. — ISBN 0-06-0005505 .
- Warnicke, Retha. The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn: Family Politics at the Court of Henry VIII. — New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. — P. 338. — ISBN 0-521-40677-3 .
- Weir, Alison . Henry VIII: The King and His Court. — London: Vintage Books, 2008. — P. 639. — ISBN 9780099532422 .
- Weir, Alison. Mary Boleyn: The Great and Infamous Whore. — Great Britain: Random House Publishing Group, 2011. — P. 338. — ISBN 978-022-408-9760 .
- Weir, Alison. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. — London: Vintage Books, 2007. — P. 642. — ISBN 9780099523628 .
- Wilkinson, Josephine. Mary Boleyn. The True Story of Henry VIII's Favourite Mistress. — Great Britain: Amberley Publishing, 2010. — P. 191. — ISBN 978-1-84868-525-3 .
Links
- England under the Tudors: Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (англ.) . Архивировано 26 августа 2012 года.