Jane Boleyn, born Parker, was the wife of George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, the brother of Queen Anne Boleyn. George and Anne had both been executed in 1536.
Jane was a distant cousin of King Henry VIII of England, being a descendant of Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso, the maternal grandmother of King Henry VII. She grew up at court and was a maid of honour to King Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was at the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520 and danced with her future sister-in-law in a display in 1522. She married George Boleyn sometime in 1525, although no exact date survives. Their jointure had been signed in October 1524.
As her sister-in-law’s star rose at court, so did her own position. In 1529, her father-in-law was created Earl of Wiltshire with the Viscount Rochford as his subsidiary title. From then on, Jane was known as Viscountess Rochford. But King Henry would have to break with the Church to eventually marry Anne, and this finally happened in 1533. During this time, Jane probably spent a lot of time with her sister-in-law. As Anne prepared for her coronation in the Tower of London in 1533, Jane was with her and probably would not have realised she would one day be back there in more terrifying circumstances. On 1 June 1533, Jane was part of Queen Anne’s coronation and wore a coronet as befitting her status as a Viscountess.
After just three years, the times of glory were over. On 2 May 1536, both George and Anne were arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Several other men were arrested over the next few days as well. All were believed to have committed adultery with Anne. Jane was questioned, but as a noblewoman, she would not face torture. No transcript survives of Jane’s interrogation, and she has been accused of providing information about George’s incest with Anne. However, this cannot be proven. Anne’s guilt, and those of the others, were already set in stone, and it seems unlikely that Jane was the final nail in the coffin. George was executed on 17 May, followed by Anne on 19 May. Jane was now a widow and, with his estates forfeited, a poor one too.
Despite the circumstances, Jane found a place in the new Queen’s household and she was almost certainly by her side when she died following childbirth in October 1537, Not much later, she returned to court as a lady of the privy chamber for King Henry VIII’s next bride – Anne of Cleves. Although there is no record of Jane being present at Anne’s wedding day, she was certainly with her in the following weeks. The marriage quickly turned sour as Henry was disappointed in his wife. Just six months later, the marriage was over, and Jane testified to a conversation she had with Anne that showed how ignorant Anne had been of the martial relations needed to produce a child. This only confirmed that the marriage had not been consummated, and the marriage could be declared null and void.
Her replacement was already lined up, and on 28 July 1540, King Henry VIII married Catherine Howard. Catherine and Jane hit it off, and Catherine quickly came to rely on Jane. She even joined the King and Queen on their summer progress. However, in November 1541, King Henry received a letter about Catherine’s morals, and he ordered a delicate inquiry. The situation soon unravelled; Catherine had not been a virgin on their wedding night; she was damaged goods. Not much later, he abandoned her at Hampton Court Palace. A terrified Catherine could now only wait. Meanwhile, she and Jane shared a secret.
Catherine had grown up in the household of Agnes Howard, Duchess of Norfolk, where she had “romps” with Henry Mannox, a music teacher, and Francis Dereham, a secretary of the Dowager Duchess. Jane probably knew nothing about this, but she did know what had been going on over the last few months. Catherine had been involved with Thomas Culpeper, a courtier, and Jane had been part of it, taking messages back and forth. They were both in mortal danger.
Soon, Catherine and Jane were separated. Catherine was taken to Syon Abbey, while Jane was taken to the Tower of London. In her desperation, Catherine said that the only reason she had even spoken to Thomas Culpepper was because Jane had pushed her to it. Nevertheless, evidence was found that Catherine was a willing participant in the former of a letter. Catherine had written, “It makes my heart die to think I cannot be always in your company. Come when my Lady Rochford is here, for then I shall be best at leisure to be at your commandment.” The more Catherine talked, the more trouble she brought upon them.
Once more, Jane was protected from torture, but she was interrogated and confessed that she had helped Catherine look out for him. She added, “Culpepper hath known the Queen carnally considering all things that this deponent hath heard and seen.”
Thomas Culpepper and Francis Dereham were executed in December 1541. Meanwhile, Catherine remained in limb at Syon, and Jane linged in the Tower. On the third day there, “she went mad.” This did not quite suit King Henry, and he sent his own doctors to treat her. She was allowed out of the Tower of London and placed in the care of Anne, the wife of the admiral lord Russell. She was probably taken there by the river during the night.
Meanwhile, King Henry worked on an Act of Attainder for Catherine and “that bawd, the lady Jane Rochford.” Guilty verdicts followed not much later, and they had to be taken back to the Tower of London. Catherine was brought there on 10 February 1542 by barge. Jane had been brought back the day before, and they were informed they were to die on 13 February.
Catherine and Jane each spent their last hours in separate chambers in the royal lodgings to the southeast of the White Tower. Catherine was assisted by four ladies, while Jane also had her servants, as was her right as a Viscountess. She removed her black damask nightdress and put on a black velvet gown. She also wore black shoes and black gloves. The scaffold was draped in black and covered with straw to soak up the blood. The block, which Catherine had used practice, now rested there.
As befitting her rank, Catherine would be the first to die. In his role as Constable of the Tower, Sir John Gage came to fetch Catherine with a polite knock on the door. She walked downstairs, through Cole Harbor Gate, around the White Tower, to the scaffold. It was over in minutes.
Water was thrown over the scaffold, and it was then covered with fresh straw. Sir John walked back to the royal lodgings, where Jane waited in either the King’s or the Queen’s apartments. She was escorted down the stairs and around the White Tower, and she had seen nothing of Catherine’s death, and her body had already been carried into the Church of St Peter ad Vincula close by.
Jane climbed the scaffold and graciously forgave the executioner. There is no transcript of her final words, though parts of it were left to us. She said, “I have committed many sins against God from my youth upwards and have offended the king’s royal Majesty very dangerously, so my punishment is just and deserved. I am justly condemned by the laws of this realm and by Parliament. All of you who watch me die, should learn from my example and change your own lives. You must gladly obey the king in all things, for he is a just and godly prince. I pray for his preservation and beseech you all to do the same. I now entrust my soul to God and pray for his mercy.”
Her cloak was removed, and her hair was bound as she knelt for a final prayer. Her eyes were bandaged, and her head was severed. Jane was buried close to Catherine in the Church of St Peter ad Vincula. Closeby were also George and Anne Boleyn.1
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