Catherine and Henry both had issue as they say.
Their lines come right down to present day.
I can’t call the route to mind but someone who is much better informed than I will soon give you a breakdown.
I do know people like Elizabeth’s favourite Robert Devereux was great-grandson of Mary. Lettice Knollys his mother was Mary’s grand-daughter by Catherine. Lettice was a great friend of Elizabeth too at least until she married Robert Dudley and really p**d Elizabeth off!

Yeah I read about Diana being a possible desendant and all I really know is that Mary’s daughter had ALOT of children so there is a really good possibility that there is Boleyn blood still out there.

That’s awsome.

Sophie1536 said

I recently read that Katherine Duchess of Cambridge is related but I don’t know the details so if William and Katherine have children once more the Boleyn blood will be on the the English throne

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was a descendant of Mary…..so the Boleyn blood is already there but very diluted…

Anyanka,
Sorry it has taken so long to enter this post, but I’ve just joined the site.
Here’s my take on Mary Boleyn and William Carey’s issues: Mary Catherine b.c. 15 Aug 1524; and Henry b.c. 4 Mar 1526

Catherine mar. Sir Francis Knollys, Knight of the Garter (Francis was instrumental in overseeing Mary Queen of Scots, when she came to England)
Among their 5 issues was: Anne, b.c. 1553, who mar. Sir Thomas Leighton WEST, 2nd Baron de la Warr in 1571. John WEST Sr, 3rd Baron de la Warr, was their son. John WEST Sr. mar. Anne Claiborne dePERCY and had Col John WEST Jr.
Col. John WEST Jr. mar. Ursula Croshaw, who was g’daughter of Gov. George Yeardley of Virginia.
Their daughter, Anne WEST mar. Henry FOX of New Kent County, Va.
One of their issues was: Ann FOX who mar. Capt. Thomas CLAIBORNE, Jr, also of New Kent.
Their daughter, Martha “Peggy” CLAIBORNE mar. John D. WEBB of Charles Parish, York, Va.
Their daughter, Lucy WEBB mar. Nathan BARNETT, John Franklin BARNETT was their son. (Both Nathan and John served in Revolutionary War)
John moved to Clarke Co, Georgia and mar. Carline Fleming TINDALL and had among many: William Booker BARNETT
William Booker BARNETT moved to Calloway Co, Kentucky and mar. Mary “Polly” Blakeley
One of their sons was: Joseph Josiah BARNETT who mar. Nancy Maddox; and they had George Washington BARNETT (who served in the Confederate Army during the US Civil War) George mar. Martha Jane JONES and had my grandmother, Henrietta BARNETT who mar. Euin Thompson and had my Mother Vannie Bell THOMPSON.

I hope this post isn’t too long and/or complicated. But this is how I believe I am related to the Boleyn Family. If others here have different info, I sure would like to know about it. I’m no professional researcher and am prone to making mistakes; but nevertheless I enjoy studying family history.
ONE QUESTION: Does anyone have ideas concerning the possibility that Catherine and Henry may have been sired by King Henry VIII and not by Mary’s husband, William Carey? I believe it is a know fact that Mary and Henry had relationships AFTER her marriage to William. I’ve read several bits concerning this issue and many state that it is a good possibility that perhaps both were indeed Henry’s. (I’m sure we will never know the facts, for sure) But if that were the case, Henry would be my direct ancester. I don’t know if I would want to claim that connection, or not!!

Thanks Bolyen,

I read that a comtempory of Henry’s once remarked as to how Henry Carey favored the King. I think “some churchman” made that remark. Hopefully, if indeed I am a descendant of Henry’s, it is far enough removed as to not affect me “mentally”!
An aside: US President Lyndon B. Johnson was from this same line, through the Barnetts, up through the Boleyns, and onward.

Thanks for the reply, Larry (Barnettbuff)

Larry, I thought Catherine Knollys had 14 children. That always amazes me considering Anne only managed one (although Anne was quite old for childbearing in those years) and Mary only two or three.
There are two reasonably good books on Mary Boleyn, although as so little is known about her it is hard to write a good biography. But the books by Alison Weir and Jospehine Wilkinson are worth reading. I won’t recommend anything else of Weir’s, especially where Anne is concerned. The Mary Boleyn book does make an excellent case for Catherine being Henry’s child though.
I also think Catherine was definitely Henry’s, Henry (Carey) I am not so sure about. I’m also slightly mysteifed as to whether or not she would have been sleeping with her husband while she was sleeping with Henry, although my guess is no

Ah yes I’m not sure how many children she had with Stafford, it is generally said one or two although it looks like neither survived until adulthood. I haven’t done my “second-read” of either Mary Boleyn book (I generally need to read history books twice before I stop forgetting things )

I think the thing to remember is that Mary and William may have had little choice in the matter. While William may have been a favourite of Henry’s, he was still basically a servant. I think he may have done well enough even without Henry “borrowing” Mary from him, but once Henry has his heart set on something, who could say no? Whoever said no to Henry went to the block in the end.
It is worth reading both books as both Wilkinson and Weir have a different opinion on the affair. Weir presents the theory that Mary may have been an fairly unwilling participant in the affair, Wilkinson that Mary and Henry were actually in love. Weir’s tries to dispel the myth that Mary was promiscuous as well which I also agree with. Her supposed reputation she had before she came to court is based on a single remark made years after the fact. I find it dubious that had she such an infamous reputation she would have been allowed to serve KOA at court, even if her father was well in favour.

No I don’t believe it at all. Basically her reputation is based on that one remark supposedly made by Francis, which was not actually written by Francis himself. Mary came from a good family, her father was prominent at both the French and English courts. I doubt very much she would have risked such behaviour.
Remembering that ladies-in-waiting or maid-of-honour were appointed by the Queen herself and Henry would have had no say in the matter, Thomas Boleyn would have tried to get an appointment for Mary through Katherine. That itself quashes the myth that Henry wanted Mary at court because he was interested in her, also the fact that Mary came to court in 1519, married in 1520, and the affair with Henry is said to have started sometime in 1521. Katherine of Aragon would not have allowed any lady with a reputation for being that promiscuous to wait on her. The idea is laughable. Yes Mary still may have worked for Katherine after her affair with Henry started, but that was almost two years after Mary was first appointed, and by then Katherine would hardly make a fuss about it. There was an incident early on in Henry and Katherine’s marriage where they fought over one of his affairs but after that Katherine learned her lesson. To even acknowledge a mistress was acknowledging a rival. Before Anne, no mistress was a rival, they were merely mistresses, and best ignored.

Thanks Olga and Boleyn,
Perhaps this helps lighten my view of a possible ancestor, (Mary Boleyn)! What you say makes some sense to me.
On a related subject: something which keeps nagging at me —– How and why did Anne Boleyn keep Henry “at bay” for some 6 years during their relationship before giving in to a sexual relationship? If they were together so much during that time, it is hard to believe Henry didn’t force himself upon her, or being young and (how shall I say) prime of life, Anne didnot accept Henry’s advances? It really seems like a very long time “in waiting” for a proper marriage before sex. Any thoughts?

Larry