On this day in Tudor history, 19th July 1543, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Mary Boleyn died. It is not known where she was laid to rest.
Mary was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond, and his wife, Elizabeth Howard. She was the granddaughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, and sister of Queen Anne Boleyn and George Boleyn, Lord Rochford. At some point, she had been King Henry VIII's mistress, but nothing is known of their relationship.
At the time of her death, Mary was married to William Stafford, but had previously been married to William Carey, a member of Henry VIII's Privy Chamber and an Esquire of the Body. She had two children during the course of her first marriage: Catherine and Henry. Carey died of sweating sickness in 1528 and in 1534 Mary married Stafford secretly and without her family's permission.
Here is my playlist of Mary Boleyn videos:
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Image: A portrait of a woman thought to be Mary Boleyn from the collection at Hever Castle.
Thanks for covering Mary Boleyn. The Boleyns popped up on my genealogy research, so I am keen to verify a connection to the family. It may be through Diana, Princess of Wales that the connection is made, but it’s a lot to unravel.
I find it so sad that poor Mary B’s burial place is unknown.
We know so little about her too.
Was she happy with William Carey? I think she was happy with William Stafford.
It’s believed she is buried at Hever and that would make sence, but there is nothing noted to think this would be the case. Besides ownership of Hever at the time of Mary’s death was in Anne of Cleves hands. And I doubt Anne would allow the burial of a stranger on her estate. I think it would make more sence for Mary to be buried with her mother in the Howard family plot at Lambeth.