The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown (13 page)

The letter is mutilated, but we can see that he mentions Margery Lyster (née Horsman), one of Anne Boleyn's ladies-in-waiting, as being Anne's confidante. She would, therefore, have been someone who'd know what was going if Anne was having any affairs. Eric Ives
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points out that Margery was not arrested and, instead, moved into the service of Jane Seymour after Anne's execution, something that just would not have happened if the King had thought that Margery helped cover up his wife's affairs. The fact that none of Anne's ladies were arrested suggests that Anne was innocent.

Sir Francis Weston

It is thought that Sir Francis Weston was born around 1511 to Sir Richard Weston, a former Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer, and to his wife, Anne Sandys who had been one of Catherine of Aragon' s ladies.
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In 1521, Henry VIII gave Sir Richard the beautiful house and estate of Sutton Place, near Guildford in Surrey, and this became the Weston family home. In May 1530, Sir Francis Weston married Anne Pickering, the daughter of Sir Christopher Pickering of Killington, Cumberland. The couple went on to have a son, Henry, in 1535.

In 1532 Weston was made a gentleman of the Privy Chamber; in 1533 he became, with his father, joint governor of Guernsey. Records show that he was a favourite of both the King and Anne Boleyn, a friend of Lord Rochford (George Boleyn), a member of the rising Boleyn faction and a popular man of the King's court. He was also a talented lute player, a first class athlete and often played tennis, bowls and cards with the King. In 1530, the King paid him sixteen angels after Weston beat him at Tennis four times.
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At Anne Boleyn's coronation in 1533, Weston was made a Knight of the Bath, showing that he was a royal favourite and on the rise.

Quotes about Sir Francis Weston

George Cavendish, Cardinal Wolsey's gentleman usher and biographer, said of Weston:

"in active things, who might with thee compare?"

Thomas Wyatt, Weston's contemporary and a man who was also imprisoned, albeit briefly, in the coup against Anne Boleyn, said that Weston was "pleasant" and "well-esteemed".

Both Cavendish and Paul Friedmann,
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Anne Boleyn's biographer, wrote of how Weston received a number of grants and pensions from the King, showing what a favourite he was. Cavendish commented that Weston was "daintily nourished under the King's wing".

As well as praising Weston's athletic abilities, Cavendish also wrote about Weston's not so wonderful traits, describing him as

"Weston the wanton…that wantonly lived without fear or dread,…following his fantasy and his wanton lust" and said "hot lust kindled the fire of filthy concupiscence".
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Sir Francis Weston's Sexuality

If we are to believe historian Retha Warnicke, then Sir Francis Weston and the other four men arrested, tried and executed in the coup against Anne Boleyn were all known libertines; and libertines apparently progressed "from adultery and fornication to 'buggery' and bestiality".
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In Philippa Gregory's historical novel, "The Other Boleyn Girl", Sir Francis Weston and George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, were lovers. However, as far as I can tell from my research, there is no historical evidence to back up the idea that Weston was Rochford's lover or that he committed the illegal act of buggery. We cannot even prove that he was a ladies' man, although it is thought that he may have had an affair, or at least a flirtation, with Anne Boleyn's cousin, Margaret Shelton.

4th May 1536 – Further Arrests

On 4th May 1536, a further two members of the King's privy chamber were arrested and taken to the Tower of London: Sir Francis Weston and Sir William Brereton. Weston's arrest was predictable, coming after the Queen's ramblings about him telling her he loved her, but Anne had not mentioned Brereton and he was not close to her.

Sir William Brereton was a rather colourful character with power in Chester and North Wales. He was also close to Henry Fitzroy, the Duke of Richmond, and the Duke of Norfolk. Maybe his arrest was more to do with Thomas Cromwell's plans for reform in the administration of North Wales.

George Constantine, Sir Henry Norris's servant, had this to say of Sir William Brereton:

"By my troeth, yf any of them was innocent, it was he... And he tolde me that there was no way but one with any matter. For I did aske hym and was bold apon hym because were were borne within foure myles together, And also we wente to grammar scole together. And the same daye afore two of the clock was he in the towre as ferre as the best. What was layed against hym I know not nor never hearde."
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There were now five men in the Tower of London: Mark Smeaton, Sir Henry Norris, George Boleyn, Sir Francis Weston and Sir William Brereton.

Sir William Brereton

The William Brereton of "The Tudors" is a Jesuit priest hired by the Pope to assassinate Queen Anne Boleyn, and a man who gives a false confession, saying that he slept with the Queen, in order to bring her down. The real Sir William Brereton was nothing like this character. He was, in fact, a groom of the privy chamber and a man who protested his innocence in the coup against Anne Boleyn in May 1536.

Sir William Brereton (or Bryerton) was the sixth son of a leading, landowning Cheshire family. He was born between 1487 and 1490; his father was Sir Randolph Brereton of Malpas, chamberlain of the county palatine of Cheshire.
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Randolph became a knight of the body in 1513. William's mother was Eleanor Dutton, daughter of Piers Dutton of Halton. Brereton, like three of his brothers, entered royal service and by 1524 (perhaps even 1521)
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he had become a groom of the privy chamber.

Eric Ives
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writes of how Brereton was "the dominant royal servant in Cheshire and north Wales" due to his wealth, his royal grants and his father's power in Cheshire. In the mid to late 1520s, he was able to secure the reversion of the stewardship of Longdendale, the position of sergeant of the peace in Bromfield and Yale, the lordship of Chirk, the escheator of the county palatine and ranger of Delamere Forest, keepership of Merseley Park, the post of sheriff of Merioneth and Flint, constable of Chester Castle and steward and controller of Halton – quite a list of offices, and those are just some of them! On his father's death, he was appointed Chamberlain of Chester. When Henry finally separated from Catherine of Aragon, Brereton was made receiver-general in Cheshire and Flint to Catherine, in her new position as Dowager Princess of Wales.
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Ives estimates that Brereton's gross income in the early 1530s was around £1300 a year, a large amount in those days.

In 1529/1530, Brereton married Lady Elizabeth Savage, widow of Sir John Savage of Clifton, Cheshire, and daughter of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, the King's second cousin. Her brother was Henry Somerset who had become the 2nd Earl of Worcester in 1526 on the death of his father. This marriage brought Brereton closer to the King, who trusted Brereton enough in 1531 to give him the job of delivering jewels to Anne Boleyn. He may also have been chosen to be present at the King's secret marriage, to Anne, in January 1533. Brereton's name was also on the list of those who attended Anne's coronation celebrations when Henry VIII dubbed around 50 knights bachelor.

Eric Ives also writes of how Brereton was in charge, helped by Thomas Wriothesley, of riding around the country in 1530 to collect signatures from the "elite of England" on a petition begging the Pope for Henry's divorce. Brereton's friendship with the King is shown also by the fact that he accompanied the King and Anne on many hunting expeditions and the fact that he enjoyed a multitude of royal grants and Crown offices. He was definitely a royal favourite! It was also Brereton who was responsible for giving Anne her famous and treasured greyhound, Urian, who was named after Brereton's brother, another of the King's grooms.

Brereton the Bad Boy

Sir William Brereton actually had a rather colourful reputation. It seems that he used his power and influence for his own gain, just as his father had. George Cavendish, Wolsey's faithful servant and biographer, describes him as someone who persecuted the innocent and who let personal animosity get in the way when he was doing his job. Cavendish gives the example of John ap Griffith Eyton, Brereton's former deputy, who was hanged in 1534. Eyton had accused Brereton of being involved in various offences: the robbery of cattle, the murder of a servant, the release of a monk guilty of treason, the murder of Eyton's uncle (Constable of Chirk) and another relative, and the murder of William Hamner at Bromfield. Brereton denied any involvement in the offences and blamed Eyton for the murder of Hamner. Even though Eyton was acquitted by a London court after complaining to the Star Chamber about Brereton, it is alleged that he was rearrested and imprisoned at Holt Castle in July 1534 and subsequently hanged.

Brereton was not a member of Anne Boleyn's inner circle and it appears that his arrest and execution were more to do with his activities in Wales and his opposition to Cromwell's reforms there. Cromwell was planning further administrative reforms for Wales and did not want any obstacles in his path. He was the perfect fall guy for Cromwell, having already garnered a reputation for corruption. He may have been a corrupt character, but, as Norris's servant, George Constantine said, "yf any of them was innocent, it was he". He was the odd one out.

With Brereton gone, his monopoly in Cheshire and North Wales was also gone. His offices were distributed between a few men – his brother Urian, Sir Piers Dutton, Sir Rees Mauncell and Hugh Starkey
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– so that the power was shared. Cromwell could now have his way in Cheshire and North Wales.

4th May 1536 – Lady Rochford's Letter

Around 4th May 1536, George Boleyn's wife, Jane, Lady Rochford, sent a message of comfort to her husband via Sir William Kingston. The full content of the message is unknown, but Kingston wrote of how Lady Rochford had promised to "humbly [make] suit unto the king's highness" for George. This meant that she was going to petition the King or his council on behalf of her husband. George was understandably comforted by her words and replied that he wanted to "give her thanks".
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There is no record of Jane petitioning the King on behalf of George, but that doesn't mean that she didn't. It is hard to imagine how she was feeling. Her husband, her friend and mistress, and men she knew well had been arrested; and Anne's ladies were being examined. Jane had been at court many years, she had seen people go into the Tower and never come out. She must have been terrified.

Jane Boleyn – History's Scapegoat

In "The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn", Alison Weir writes of how "most sources" concur that the evidence for Anne and George committing incest rested upon the testimony of George's wife, Jane.
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The source she cites for this is the 17th century biographer Edward, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, who described Jane as the 'particular instrument' in the downfalls of Anne and George, and who based his account on eye-witness Anthony Anthony's lost journal. Other sources cited are Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador; an anonymous Portuguese account; the writings of Lancelot de Carles, secretary to the French ambassador, and Jane's execution confession. According to Weir, these all back up the fact that Jane was the woman who gave evidence against the Boleyn siblings out of jealousy and resentment.

This picture of Jane also appears in the novels of Philippa Gregory and in the popular Showtime series, "The Tudors", so it is little wonder that many people hold her responsible for the deaths of George and Anne.

But did Jane betray Anne and George Boleyn?

No, I don't believe so; and I'm not the only one. Historian Julia Fox argues against this fallacy in her book on Jane, "Jane Boleyn: The Infamous Lady Rochford", calling Jane "a scapegoat". In a review of Alison Weir's "The Lady in the Tower, Fox's husband, historian John Guy,
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points out the following:

• That Chapuys never named Jane Boleyn as the witness against George and Anne.
  
• That the Portuguese source also did not name Jane, writing of only "that person".
  
• That Lord Herbert of Cherbury was not quoting from Anthony Anthony's lost chronicle but from his own book.
  
• That Jane's execution confession was a forgery and the work of Gregorio Leti, a man know for making up stories and inventing sources.
  
• That Lancelot de Carles was talking about Lady Worcester, not Jane Boleyn.
  

But what about George Boleyn's own words at his trial? Yes, according to Lancelot de Carles, at his trial, George said:

"On the evidence of only one woman you are willing to believe this great evil of me, and on the basis of her allegations you are deciding my judgement."
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But he doesn't say "On the evidence of my own wife you are willing…", he says "one woman". Since the Crown's main piece of evidence was the Countess of Worcester's conversation with her brother, regarding the Queen's inappropriate relationship George, I believe that George is referring here to the Countess and not to Jane. When George was imprisoned in the Tower of London, Jane wrote to him offering words of comfort.
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Would she have done that if she was a star witness for the prosecution?