William Stafford (1500-1565)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Stafford, of Chebsey
, in Staffordshire
(c.1500-5 May 1556) was an Essex
landowner and the second husband of Mary Boleyn
, sister of Anne Boleyn
, and one-time mistress of King Henry VIII of England
.
, in Northamptonshire
, and his wife, Margaret, the daughter of Sir John Fogge of Ashford
, in Kent
. The family were distant relatives of the mighty Staffords, who controlled the dukedom of Buckingham and the earldom of Wiltshire until 1521. Nonetheless, William Stafford was a commoner, and only a second son, and thus served Henry VIII as a soldier.
In 1532, Stafford was listed as one of the two hundred people who accompanied Henry VIII to France
. The purpose of the journey was for Henry and his fiancée, Anne Boleyn
, to meet with Francis I
so that he might show his public support and approval for the annulment of Henry's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon
. Among the other travellers was Anne Boleyn's sister, Mary, the younger daughter of Thomas Boleyn, who was by then the Earl of both Wiltshire
and Ormonde. With her connections, Mary had excellent marriage prospects. Nonetheless, Mary and Stafford married in secret in 1534. When the marriage was discovered after Mary became pregnant, the couple were banished from court.
The couple initially lived at Chebsey in Staffordshire
, but later moved to the Boleyn family home, Rochford Hall
at Rochford
, in Essex. They lived in relative obscurity until Mary died in 1543, after which Stafford served in Scotland
. He was knighted there in 1545 and, two years later, became an MP
for Hastings
. Also in 1545, Stafford remarried, this time to his distant cousin, Dorothy Stafford
, the youngest daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
and Ursula Pole.
During the reign of Mary I
, Stafford and his family fled to Geneva
. He died there on 5 May 1556, not living to see the reign of his first wife's niece, Elizabeth I
, or to see his wife, children, and stepchildren become influential courtiers in Elizabeth's court.
(d. 19 July 1543), daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
, and Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire
. They had two recorded children:
Stafford married secondly, Dorothy Stafford
(d. 22 September 1604), daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
, and Ursula Pole. They had six children:
Chebsey
Chebsey is a small village in Staffordshire 2.5 miles southeast of Eccleshall on a confluence of Eccleshall water and the River Sow some 5 miles northwest of Stafford...
, in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
(c.1500-5 May 1556) was an Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
landowner and the second husband of Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
, sister of 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...
, and one-time mistress of King Henry VIII of England
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...
.
Biography
Stafford was the son of Humphrey Stafford of BlatherwyckeBlatherwycke
Blatherwycke is a village and civil parish in the East Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-east of Corby. It is near Blatherwycke Lake, on the Willow Brook.-Demographics:...
, in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and his wife, Margaret, the daughter of Sir John Fogge of Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The family were distant relatives of the mighty Staffords, who controlled the dukedom of Buckingham and the earldom of Wiltshire until 1521. Nonetheless, William Stafford was a commoner, and only a second son, and thus served Henry VIII as a soldier.
In 1532, Stafford was listed as one of the two hundred people who accompanied Henry VIII to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The purpose of the journey was for Henry and his fiancée, 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...
, to meet with Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
so that he might show his public support and approval for the annulment of Henry's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
. Among the other travellers was Anne Boleyn's sister, Mary, the younger daughter of Thomas Boleyn, who was by then the Earl of both Wiltshire
Earl of Wiltshire
The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess....
and Ormonde. With her connections, Mary had excellent marriage prospects. Nonetheless, Mary and Stafford married in secret in 1534. When the marriage was discovered after Mary became pregnant, the couple were banished from court.
The couple initially lived at Chebsey in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, but later moved to the Boleyn family home, Rochford Hall
Rochford Hall
Rochford Hall is a manor in Rochford, Essex, England. During the reign of King Henry VIII, it belonged to Thomas Boleyn, then viscount Rochford, and it was the marital home of his daughter Mary Boleyn, sister of Queen Anne Boleyn, and Mary's second husband, William Stafford, Lord Chebsey...
at Rochford
Rochford
Rochford is a small town in the Rochford district of Essex in the East of England. It is sited about 43 miles from Central London and approximately 21 miles from the Essex county town, Chelmsford...
, in Essex. They lived in relative obscurity until Mary died in 1543, after which Stafford served in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was knighted there in 1545 and, two years later, became an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Hastings
Hastings (UK Parliament constituency)
Hastings was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1885 general election, when its representation was reduced to one member....
. Also in 1545, Stafford remarried, this time to his distant cousin, Dorothy Stafford
Dorothy Stafford
Dorothy Stafford, Lady Stafford was an English noblewoman, and an influential person at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, to whom Dorothy served as Mistress of the Robes. Dorothy was the second wife of Sir William Stafford, widower of Mary Boleyn...
, the youngest daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford was born in Penshurst, Kent, England the eldest son of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland...
and Ursula Pole.
During the reign of Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
, Stafford and his family fled to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. He died there on 5 May 1556, not living to see the reign of his first wife's niece, Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, or to see his wife, children, and stepchildren become influential courtiers in Elizabeth's court.
Marriages and Issue
Stafford married firstly, Mary BoleynMary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
(d. 19 July 1543), daughter 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...
, and Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire
Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire
Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire , born Lady Elizabeth Howard, was the eldest of the two daughters of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and his first wife Elizabeth Tilney. Through her marriage, she held the titles of Countess of Wiltshire, Countess of Ormond and Viscountess Rochford...
. They had two recorded children:
- Anne Stafford (1534-?), likely named in honour of Mary's sister, Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne 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...
. - Edward Stafford (1535-1545).
Stafford married secondly, Dorothy Stafford
Dorothy Stafford
Dorothy Stafford, Lady Stafford was an English noblewoman, and an influential person at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, to whom Dorothy served as Mistress of the Robes. Dorothy was the second wife of Sir William Stafford, widower of Mary Boleyn...
(d. 22 September 1604), daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford was born in Penshurst, Kent, England the eldest son of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland...
, and Ursula Pole. They had six children:
- Elizabeth Stafford (1546–6 February 1599), married firstly, Sir William Drury, by whom she had issue; she married secondly, Sir John Scott.
- Dorothy Stafford (b. 1548).
- Sir Edward Stafford of GraftonEdward Stafford (diplomat)Sir Edward Stafford was an English MP, courtier and diplomat to France during the time of Elizabeth I.He was involved in abortive negotiations for a proposed marriage between Elizabeth and Francis, Duke of Anjou....
(1552–1604), married firstly, Roberta Chapman by whom he had issue; he married secondly, Douglas Sheffield. - Ursula Stafford (b.1553), married Richard DrakeRichard DrakeRichard Drake of Esher , Equerry of the Stable to Queen Elizabeth I, was the son of John Drake, of Ashe, and Amy ; he was a brother of Sir Bernard Drake...
of EsherEsherEsher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, by whom she had issue. - William StaffordWilliam Stafford (conspirator)William Stafford was an English courtier and conspirator.He was the son of William Stafford of Chebsey, who had been the brother-in-law of Henry VIII of England and the uncle of Elizabeth I...
(1554–1612), married Anne Gryme, by whom he had issue. - Sir John Stafford of Marlwood Park (January 1556–1624), married Millicent Gresham.
Films & Television
- Stafford is portrayed by Eddie RedmayneEddie RedmayneEdward John David "Eddie" Redmayne is an English actor and model. Redmayne won the 2010 Tony Award as best featured actor in a play for his performance in Red.-Early life:...
in the Hollywood adaptation of The Other Boleyn GirlThe Other Boleyn GirlThe Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently...
, by Philippa GregoryPhilippa GregoryPhilippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
, alongside Scarlett JohanssonScarlett JohanssonScarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
as Mary Boleyn. - Phillip Glenister played Stafford alongside Natascha McElhoneNatascha McElhoneNatascha McElhone is an English actress of stage, screen and television, best known for her roles in Ronin, The Truman Show and Solaris. McElhone also plays a leading role in the Showtime series Californication....
as Mary in the BBC filmThe Other Boleyn Girl (2003 film)The Other Boleyn Girl is a 2003 BBC television film, adapted from Philippa Gregory's novel of the same name.-Production:This was a low production budget of £750,000. The drama was shot using modern camera techniques and the cast spent four weeks in workshops improvising the script with the director...
of The Other Boleyn Girl. - Stafford is mentioned in the Showtime series The TudorsThe TudorsThe 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...
, in regards to his marriage to Mary Boleyn. He does not, however, appear on-screen.
Books
- Stafford appears as a principal character in The Last Boleyn, by Karen HarperKaren HarperKaren Harper is an historical fiction and contemporary fiction author. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.-Writing career:...
, a book about the life of Mary Boleyn in the years before, during, and after her time as the mistress of Henry VIII.