I’d think they all were separate…I don’t know though…Hmmm.

Anyanka said

IIRC, the men were all kept in honourable confinement, even Smeaton since he had sufficent funds to pay for it. I need to look up the cites though…

Thank Anyanka.. I wasn’t too sure about Mark’s confinement, but it would have made sence that he would have been kept in a dungeon somewhere as he wasn’t landed gentry, only a good servant and a gifted musician. However as you have pointed out that wasn’t the case.

Maggyann said

Thank you for that information.
So Mark would have had enough funds to pay for his keep as it were in the tower. I thought he was a mere lowly servant but then again I suppose as a good musician he would have earned money.

I’m not to sure about this but I think Anne wanted Mark to be Elizabeth’s first music tutor, so therefore he must have been quite highly thought of. I think when he first came to court, he was perhaps viewed as so many other musicians were viewed ok can play a lute and sing a bit, but he must have had that certain something that made him stand out from all the other musicians.

Neil Kemp said

Don’t know about being Elizabeth’s music tutor but he was highly thought of as a musician. He started out as a boy chorister for Wolsey, so was already mixing in high circles for a person of low standing, could play multiple instruments and earned at least £100 a year. Many thought he had ideas above his station and were envious of his perceived closeness to Anne, so when the situation arose he made an easy and covenient pawn for Henry’s accusations.

Wherever there is an obvious talent there is bound to be jealously,and I’m afraid that it was poor old Mark who got the thin edge of the wedge.
Many people in the Tudor times and before came from humble origins. The Boleyn Family were after all just mercers, who by careful skill and dilligence in what they did worked their way up the social ladder, and I dare say that when Anne was just a twinkle in some cloth cutters eye, there were people who were jealous of the Boleyn’s etc it is always the same, even today you will find that. Certainly around here you do anyway.
Jealously is one emotion I simply don’t understand, basically because I don’t process it. If a person has worked hard all their lives and managed to buy a big house etc, out of what they earned. good for them, they deserve it. But for others it’s a case of this isn’t fair why should they be able to have new things etc.. It’s madness.. Like I said in a previous posting about which wife do you most think you are like? My answer is AOC, happy with my lot and very grateful and humble with it.
Anne liked good music and Mark was lucky enough to process the talant for Anne to enjoy what he played and sung.
Mark like Weston, Norris and Brereton, were scapegoats, used to 1. get rid of Anne and 2. perhaps to get rid of rivals to control old Stinky.
After Weston, Norris and Brereton were Stinky’s freinds before he met Anne, Stinky possibly was aware of Mark’s talants but didn’t encourage him to better himself, so in that respect Anne wanted him to make the most of his talant and gave him the oppotunity to do that.
I believe that it is entirely possible that he would have ended up teaching Elizabeth music, and of course if Anne had lived and produced other children, Mark would have been a very well know musician and teacher and also taught those children too and would have gone to his grave naturally, a very rich man, with perhaps an a knighthood or even an earldom and a good marriage under his belt to boot too.

Anyanka, I like your style, five new topics with one question! Simon Schama always said the best part of history are the what if questions.