Madge Shelton
Margaret Shelton was the youngest daughter of Sir John Shelton and his wife Anne. Her mother Anne was the sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire. This connection made Margaret and her sister Mary first cousins to Queen Anne Boleyn. The family held significant status within the English court during the early sixteenth century. Margaret's position as a cousin placed her in close proximity to royal power from birth.
Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial ambassador to England, wrote about a Mistress Shelton who served King Henry VIII. His statements suggest one of the Shelton sisters was the king's mistress for six months starting in February 1535. Biographer Antonia Fraser identified this woman as Margaret Shelton based on available evidence at the time. Modern scholars now point to confusion over handwriting where the letter y looked like g. This scribal error led many historians to believe it was Margaret when the records actually described her sister Mary. Some research suggests Mary may have been selected by the king to become his fourth wife.
Margaret attended her cousin Queen Anne Boleyn during Easter Eve on the 12th of April 1533. She witnessed the queen make her first public appearance as monarch that day. Hugh Latimer later identified Madge Shelton as the attendant present when Anne miscarried shortly after Katherine of Aragon died. Chapuys noted she was the concubine's closest companion due to their family ties yet would be dismissed at the end of the period. The atmosphere shifted dramatically when the queen suffered her loss and the political landscape changed around them.
Francis Weston had flirted with Madge Shelton while betrothed to Henry Norris. Anne Boleyn reprimanded Weston for these actions before her own arrest. Norris and Weston were executed on charges of having been lovers to Anne Boleyn despite their actual relationship with Madge. Thomas Cromwell instructed four unsympathetic ladies to report on the queen's behavior once she was arrested. These women included Mrs Coffin who heard Anne's complaints about the situation. The executions removed two men connected to Margaret's circle from the court entirely.
Madge married Thomas Woodhouse, son of Sir Roger Woodhouse or Wodehouse who died in 1560. Her husband participated in the battle of Pinkie in September 1547 where some sources suggest he was killed. They had a son named Roger Woodhouse born around 1541 who lived until 1588. This Roger became father to Sir Philip Wodehouse, 1st Baronet and ancestor of later Earls of Kimberley. Margaret likely died before 1555 leaving behind descendants that survived into the eighteenth century through this line.
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Common questions
Who was Madge Shelton and what was her relationship to Queen Anne Boleyn?
Margaret Shelton was the youngest daughter of Sir John Shelton and his wife Anne. Her mother Anne was the sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, which made Margaret and her sister Mary first cousins to Queen Anne Boleyn.
Was Madge Shelton the mistress of King Henry VIII for six months starting in February 1535?
Biographer Antonia Fraser identified this woman as Margaret Shelton based on available evidence at the time. Modern scholars now point to confusion over handwriting where the letter y looked like g, leading historians to believe it was Margaret when the records actually described her sister Mary.
When did Madge Shelton attend Queen Anne Boleyn during Easter Eve 1533?
Margaret attended her cousin Queen Anne Boleyn during Easter Eve on the 12th of April 1533. She witnessed the queen make her first public appearance as monarch that day.
Why were Francis Weston and Henry Norris executed despite their actual relationship with Madge Shelton?
Hugh Latimer later identified Madge Shelton as the attendant present when Anne miscarried shortly after Katherine of Aragon died. Norris and Weston were executed on charges of having been lovers to Anne Boleyn despite their actual relationship with Madge.
Who did Madge Shelton marry and what happened to her husband Thomas Woodhouse?
Madge married Thomas Woodhouse, son of Sir Roger Woodhouse or Wodehouse who died in 1560. Her husband participated in the battle of Pinkie in September 1547 where some sources suggest he was killed.