Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
He was born in about 1477 at Hever Castle in Kent. His father Sir William Boleyn had purchased Blickling Hall in Norfolk from his own father Sir Geoffrey Boleyn. That wealthy mercer once served as Lord Mayor of London. Thomas inherited a claim to the Earldom of Ormond through his mother Margaret Butler. She was a daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. This maternal lineage gave him access to Irish peerages that English law usually barred women from passing down. The ancient Walter arms of the Butler family appeared on his Garter stall plate in St George's Chapel. Those heraldic symbols featured an azure chief indented against gold fields.
In 1503 he joined Princess Margaret Tudor’s escort to Scotland for her marriage to King James IV. He attended the wedding of Prince Arthur with Catherine of Aragon during his youth. A tournament held in February 1511 celebrated the birth of Henry Duke of Cornwall. Thomas wore costumes featuring emblems of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela alongside Thomas Grey. His appointment as ambassador to the Low Countries began in 1512. There he met Archduchess Margaret of Austria who spoke French and Latin like himself. They got along well enough for her to accept his daughter Anne as a maid of honour. Later missions included service as envoy to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1521 and 1523. He arranged details for the Field of Cloth of Gold meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I in 1520 before Sir Richard Wingfield took over preparations.
Henry VIII invested him as a Knight of the Garter in 1523. The king elevated Thomas Boleyn to Viscount Rochford on the 18th of June 1525. This title referred to a barony supposedly created in 1488 for his grandfather. The earldom had fallen into abeyance after Ormond died without any male heir in 1515. On the 8th of December 1529 he received the titles Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond. Piers Butler became Earl of Ossory five days later after renouncing claims to the Ormond title. The only surviving son George was granted the courtesy title of Viscount Rochford that same year. That courtesy status ceased to be merely symbolic sometime before the 13th of July 1530. His claim to Wiltshire depended upon his maternal great-grandfather James Butler who lost his life when executed by Yorkists on the 1st of May 1461.
He married Elizabeth Howard eldest daughter of Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey. Five children were attested though only three survived childhood. Mary Boleyn died on the 19th of July 1543 while her husband William Stafford was knighted on the 23rd of September 1545. Letters Patent revealed Mary had been posthumously accorded the title Dame Mary Stafford. Her couple lived in retirement at Rochford Hall in Essex during their final years. Anne Boleyn became Queen Consort of England from 1533 until 1536. She held the peerage Marquess of Pembroke between 1532 and 1536. Rumours circulated that Thomas allowed his wife to have an affair with the king. Henry VIII replied to those suggestions saying Never with the mother. When Anne failed to produce a son he acquiesced in her judicial execution alongside her brother Lord Rochford. He served on the jury for four men accused of adultery with his daughter but avoided judging his own children.
Thomas Boleyn left in disgrace after Anne’s death when Henry took Jane Seymour as his third wife. He suffered a final indignity when Piers Butler regained the Earldom of Ormond on the 22nd of February 1538. Two earls of Ormond existed in the Kingdom until Thomas died on the 12th of March 1539. His wife Elizabeth Boleyn passed away less than a year before him. He died at Hever Castle and was buried in St Peter's Church in Hever. An elaborate monumental brass survives there depicting him dressed in full robes wearing insignia of a Knight of the Garter. The badge appeared on his left breast while the Garter encircled his left knee. A falcon crest surmounted his helm resting upon a griffin beneath his feet. The inscription recorded the date 1538 using old style dating conventions or 1539 by modern standards.
Sir Michael Hordern portrayed Thomas Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days released in 1969. Benjamin Whitrow played him in a production titled Henry VIII. Jack Shepherd and Mark Rylance appeared in film versions of The Other Boleyn Girl during 2003 and 2008 respectively. Nick Dunning depicted him as ambitious and cunning in the Showtime series The Tudors starting in 2007. David Robb played Boleyn as a constantly furious schemer in Wolf Hall. These portrayals often emphasize his ambition and willingness to motivate his daughter Anne lest Henry lose interest. Some accounts suggest he sacrificed his children for personal gain though biographer Lauren Mackay argues otherwise. His career as an ambassador and courtier remained highly successful years before his daughters caught the King's eye.
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Common questions
When and where was Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire born?
Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire was born in about 1477 at Hever Castle in Kent. His father Sir William Boleyn had purchased Blickling Hall in Norfolk from his own father Sir Geoffrey Boleyn.
What titles did Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire receive during his lifetime?
Henry VIII invested him as a Knight of the Garter in 1523. The king elevated Thomas Boleyn to Viscount Rochford on the 18th of June 1525 and he received the titles Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond on the 8th of December 1529.
How many children did Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire have and what happened to them?
Five children were attested though only three survived childhood. Mary Boleyn died on the 19th of July 1543 while Anne Boleyn became Queen Consort of England from 1533 until 1536 before her judicial execution alongside her brother Lord Rochford.
When did Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire die and where was he buried?
Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire died at Hever Castle and was buried in St Peter's Church in Hever. Two earls of Ormond existed in the Kingdom until Thomas died on the 12th of March 1539.
Which actors portrayed Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire in film and television productions?
Sir Michael Hordern portrayed Thomas Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days released in 1969 while Benjamin Whitrow played him in a production titled Henry VIII. Jack Shepherd and Mark Rylance appeared in film versions of The Other Boleyn Girl during 2003 and 2008 respectively.