Anne Hankford
Lady Anne Butler entered the world around 1431 as a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Richard Hankford. Her father held lands at Annery in Monkleigh, Devon, serving as feudal baron of Bampton. This status came from his second wife, Anne Montagu, who was herself a daughter of John Montagu, the third Earl of Salisbury. The connection to the Montagu family placed young Anne within a web of powerful English nobility from her earliest days. Historical records describe her background through sources like Tristram Risdon's Survey of Devon published in 1811. These documents confirm her birth into a lineage that combined landholding power with high aristocratic bloodlines.
Before the year 1450 arrived, Anne married Thomas Butler, the seventh Earl of Ormond. He stood as the youngest son of James Butler, fourth Earl of Ormond, and Joan de Beauchamp. Their union linked two significant noble houses during a period of intense political maneuvering in England. The marriage occurred prior to 1450, establishing a partnership that would shape decades of family history. Thomas Butler later became known for his role in royal service under multiple monarchs. The timing of their wedding suggests a strategic alliance formed while both families navigated the shifting tides of the Wars of the Roses.
Anne and Thomas Butler produced two daughters who carried forward their legacy. Margaret Butler was born around 1454 and lived until 1539. She married Sir William Boleyn, creating a direct line to future English royalty. Their children included Thomas Boleyn, first Earl of Wiltshire, father to Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, and George Boleyn. A second daughter named Anne Butler was born circa 1455 and married Sir James St. Leger. This lineage ultimately made Lady Anne Butler the great-grandmother of Anne Boleyn. The connection between these generations remains one of the most famous genealogical threads in English history.
King Edward IV declared Thomas Butler and his brothers traitors during the mid-1480s. Statutes were passed against them at Westminster, stripping the family of their rights and lands. Anne died on the 13th of November 1485, within the same month that King Henry VII restored the estates and title of Ormonde through his first Parliament. This restoration marked a dramatic reversal for the Butler family after years of political exile. The timing suggests Anne's death coincided with the beginning of her husband's rehabilitation under the new Tudor regime. Her widowhood began as the family reclaimed what had been lost under Edward IV's rule.
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Common questions
When was Lady Anne Butler born and who were her parents?
Lady Anne Butler entered the world around 1431 as a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Richard Hankford. Her father held lands at Annery in Monkleigh, Devon, serving as feudal baron of Bampton.
Who did Lady Anne Butler marry before the year 1450 arrived?
Before the year 1450 arrived, Anne married Thomas Butler, the seventh Earl of Ormond. He stood as the youngest son of James Butler, fourth Earl of Ormond, and Joan de Beauchamp.
How is Lady Anne Butler related to Anne Boleyn?
A second daughter named Anne Butler was born circa 1455 and married Sir James St. Leger. This lineage ultimately made Lady Anne Butler the great-grandmother of Anne Boleyn.
What happened to Thomas Butler during the mid-1480s under King Edward IV?
King Edward IV declared Thomas Butler and his brothers traitors during the mid-1480s. Statutes were passed against them at Westminster, stripping the family of their rights and lands.
When did Lady Anne Butler die and what occurred that same month?
Anne died on the 13th of November 1485, within the same month that King Henry VII restored the estates and title of Ormonde through his first Parliament.