Monday, July 07, 2008

Question from Elizabeth Robinson - Anne Boleyn's ladies

Who was in attendance to Anne Boleyn during her short reign? Was there a woman named (Isabelle) Cheney? Cheyney? Thank you.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir Thomas Cheyne, Warden of the Cinque Ports during part of Anne's term as Henry's wife, was very peripherally involved in court affairs, and Henry and Anne spent two days at his manor in Kent. But Cheyne's wife at the time was also named Anne, not Isabella. I have searched what references I have readily at hand, and the only Isabella Cheyne that I find was long since dead by the time Anne Boleyn was born. I do find an Isabella Cheyney who would have been the correct age to have served Queen Anne, but she was from a lesser status family and thus unlikely to have attended the Queen. Have you tried checking the index of Ives' biography of Anne?

Anonymous said...

Here are the names of some of her ladies, not all of which necessarily served her at the same time:

Anne Gainsford, wife of George Zouche. She discussed Anne years later with George Wyatt, grandson of the poet Thomas Wyatt.

Elizabeth Holland – who was the 3rd Duke of Norfolk’s notable mistress.

Margery Horsman who probably supplied useful information against Anne in May 1536 and would serve her successor, Jane Seymour.

Jane Boleyn (Anne’s sister-in-law)

Mary Kingston, wife of the constable of the Tower. She acted as one of Anne’s ladies during Anne’s last days.

Jane Seymour – Henry VIII’s third wife

Bridget Wingfield.

Elizabeth Wood who was married to Anne’s uncle, James Boleyn.

Mary Shelton – Anne’s cousin who was rumoured twice to have been the king’s mistress.

I believe Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Tudor and Henry VIII's niece, also attended Anne.