Mary Shelton
Encyclopedia
Margaret Shelton and Mary Shelton (1510x15–1570/71) were two sisters in Tudor England
, one of whom may have been a mistress of King Henry VIII
.
Both Margaret and Mary were daughters of Sir John Shelton
and his wife Anne
, the sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
, the father of King Henry VIII's
second Queen, Anne Boleyn
. Margaret and Mary were thus first cousins of the Queen.
Mary Shelton (1510x15–1570/71) was the youngest of Sir John Shelton's daughters. She was an attendant of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn, who is said to have chided her "for writing ‘ydill poesies’ in her prayerbook".
Mary was part of a social group which included the poets Sir Thomas Clere
(d. 14 April 1545), Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
, and Thomas Wyatt
, with all of whom she was romantically linked. In an epitaph he composed at the death of Sir Thomas Clere
, Surrey identified Mary as Clere's "beloved". Mary's two closest friends were Lady Margaret Douglas
, a niece of King Henry VIII, and Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond, wife of the King's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond. Shelton was the main editor of and a main contributor to the famous Devonshire MS
, where members of their circle wrote poems they enjoyed or had composed.
One of the Shelton sisters is believed to have been King Henry's mistress for a six-month period beginning in February 1535, according to statements made by the Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys
. According to Fraser, this was Margaret. However recent research has suggested that it was Mary who was Henry's mistress, and who was rumoured to become his fourth wife. Supposedly, this confusion arose from the label "Marg Shelton", in which the "y" resembled a "g", a common confusion in sixteenth-century writing. Some historians argue that Margaret and Mary were the same person, and not two separate individuals. According to Heale, "Rumour twice linked Mary amorously with Henry VIII".
By 1546 Mary had married her cousin Sir Anthony Heveningham (1507–1557). by whom she had five children, including Arthur Heveningham, and her youngest daughter, Abigail (wife of Sir George Digby of Coleshill, Warwickshire
), who was in attendance on Queen Elizabeth in 1588.
In 1546 there was suspicion of conspiracy between Mary and Surrey, which was noted for investigation by the Privy Council
.
In 1558 Mary married Philip Appleyard (b. c.1528).
Mary was buried in Heveningham church, Suffolk, on 8 January 1571. A probable portrait of Mary by Hans Holbein
is in the collection at Windsor Castle
.
Mary Shelton is one of the main subjects of The Mistresses of Henry VIII by Kelly Hart, Rethinking the Henrician Era: Essays on Early Tudor Texts and Contexts by Paul G. Remley.
The character of Madge Sheldon, played by Laura Jane Laughlin in the Showtime series The Tudors
is loosely inspired by the two sisters.
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
, one of whom may have been a mistress of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Both Margaret and Mary were daughters of Sir John Shelton
Sir John Shelton
Sir John Shelton of Carrow, courtier, was, through marriage, the uncle of King Henry VIII's second Queen, Anne Boleyn, and controller of the joint household of the King's daughters, Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth.-Life:...
and his wife Anne
Anne Shelton (courtier)
Anne Shelton née Boleyn was the elder sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and an aunt of his daughter, Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.-Life:...
, the sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, KG was an English diplomat and politician in the Tudor era. He was born at the family home, Hever Castle, Kent, which had been purchased by his grandfather Geoffrey Boleyn, who was a wealthy mercer. He was buried at St. Peter's parish church in the village of...
, the father of King Henry VIII's
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
second Queen, Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. Margaret and Mary were thus first cousins of the Queen.
Mary Shelton (1510x15–1570/71) was the youngest of Sir John Shelton's daughters. She was an attendant of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn, who is said to have chided her "for writing ‘ydill poesies’ in her prayerbook".
Mary was part of a social group which included the poets Sir Thomas Clere
Thomas Clere
Sir Thomas Clere was a successful poet at the court of Henry VIII. He is commemorated in several poems by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, with whom he had a very close friendship. He was engaged to Mary Shelton, a former mistress of the King's, in 1545...
(d. 14 April 1545), Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, KG, , known as The Earl of Surrey although he never was a peer, was an English aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry.-Life:...
, and Thomas Wyatt
Thomas Wyatt (poet)
Sir Thomas Wyatt was a 16th-century English lyrical poet credited with introducing the sonnet into English. He was born at Allington Castle, near Maidstone in Kent – though his family was originally from Yorkshire...
, with all of whom she was romantically linked. In an epitaph he composed at the death of Sir Thomas Clere
Thomas Clere
Sir Thomas Clere was a successful poet at the court of Henry VIII. He is commemorated in several poems by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, with whom he had a very close friendship. He was engaged to Mary Shelton, a former mistress of the King's, in 1545...
, Surrey identified Mary as Clere's "beloved". Mary's two closest friends were Lady Margaret Douglas
Margaret Douglas
Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox was the daughter of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, and Margaret Tudor, Queen Dowager of Scotland...
, a niece of King Henry VIII, and Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond, wife of the King's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond. Shelton was the main editor of and a main contributor to the famous Devonshire MS
Devonshire MS
The Devonshire MS is a verse miscellany from the 1530s and early 1540s, compiled by three women who attended the court of Anne Boleyn: Mary Shelton, Mary Fitzroy , and Lady Margaret Douglas...
, where members of their circle wrote poems they enjoyed or had composed.
One of the Shelton sisters is believed to have been King Henry's mistress for a six-month period beginning in February 1535, according to statements made by the Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys was a Savoyard diplomat who served as the Imperial ambassador to England from 1529 until 1545 and is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence.-Life:...
. According to Fraser, this was Margaret. However recent research has suggested that it was Mary who was Henry's mistress, and who was rumoured to become his fourth wife. Supposedly, this confusion arose from the label "Marg Shelton", in which the "y" resembled a "g", a common confusion in sixteenth-century writing. Some historians argue that Margaret and Mary were the same person, and not two separate individuals. According to Heale, "Rumour twice linked Mary amorously with Henry VIII".
By 1546 Mary had married her cousin Sir Anthony Heveningham (1507–1557). by whom she had five children, including Arthur Heveningham, and her youngest daughter, Abigail (wife of Sir George Digby of Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
), who was in attendance on Queen Elizabeth in 1588.
In 1546 there was suspicion of conspiracy between Mary and Surrey, which was noted for investigation by the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1558 Mary married Philip Appleyard (b. c.1528).
Mary was buried in Heveningham church, Suffolk, on 8 January 1571. A probable portrait of Mary by Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
is in the collection at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
.
Mary Shelton is one of the main subjects of The Mistresses of Henry VIII by Kelly Hart, Rethinking the Henrician Era: Essays on Early Tudor Texts and Contexts by Paul G. Remley.
In Fiction
She appears in The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy.The character of Madge Sheldon, played by Laura Jane Laughlin in the Showtime series The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
is loosely inspired by the two sisters.