On this day in history, 10th May 1536, the Grand Jury of Middlesex met to decide on whether Queen Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton should be sent to trial.
The jury decided that there was enough evidence to try these people and then drew up the indictment.
In this video, I explain what happened and give a summary of the charges laid against the queen and the five men…
Here is a link to the article I mentioned, where you can read the indictment for yourself – https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/10th-may-1536…
These men were just the kings servants delivering what he intended, in a sense they were victims as well for they dare not declare there was little or no evidence, the queen had to be condemned as is blatantly obvious in the letter Dudley wrote to Lord and Lady Lisle, it was a thought in everyone’s minds even more so horrifyingly in the minds of the five men and the queen, it must have been truly terrifying when you know your husband hates you that much he has false charges against you concocted, and Weston Norris Brereton and Smeaton and George knew they were merely scapegoats, Anne must have felt truly alone she was at the mercy of the most powerful man in the kingdom and she was doomed, Cromwell the grand juries of Kent and Middlesex, the king could dress it up the way they wanted, but it was simply a way of getting rid of an unwanted wife, but not just any old wife, a crowned and anointed queen, it was not going to be easy it had to be seen as thorough and legal so people could not question the justice of it all, yet it was happening so fast there were murmuring and there was even more after the queen and her alleged lovers and co conspirators were dead, take this hasty so called investigation and so called evidence and compare it in the case of another doomed queen – Catherine Howard, whose own investigation took months and months, then Henry’s queen was first confined to her apartments but was still being treated like his consort, she was then moved to Syon House and lastly to the Tower, in her case also there was no trial, which I feel was not fair but after months of questioning there was seen to have enough evidence that she had betrayed the kings person, and she and Lady Rochford were condemned by the act of attainder, in Anne’s case she was rowed there right away, she had not been questioned she had no chance to plead her cause, she had been told rather harshly that her musician and a courtier – Norris, had confessed to committing adultery with her, and it was the kings pleasure she must go to the Tower, but she did at least have a trial even though the jury were simply the kings yes men and so, after the farce of the so called investigation, and the farce of the so called evidence of the juries of Kent and Middlesex there now was only one more game to be played in the ruination of this tragic Queen of England, – the trial where she was to be condemned, the sands of time were running out for Anne Boleyn, for the king wished to be free of his troublesome wife so much, he wished to marry another and sire an heir, that he was ready to commit murder and not just once but another five times, hardly any wonder that Henry V111, in the case of his second queen especially in his own time, and the years that followed after, inspired and continues to inspire much revulsion and disbelief.