May 17 – The ends of George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton

| May 17, 2022

May 17 – The ends of George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton

While King Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was being declared null and void by Archbishop Cranmer at Lambeth, executions were taking place on Tower Hill. On this day in 1536, 17th May, George Boleyn, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton were executed for high treason after being found guilty […]

April 30 – Mark Smeaton is arrested, Henry and Anne argue, a lawyer is burnt, and two statesmen die

| April 30, 2022

April 30 – Mark Smeaton is arrested, Henry and Anne argue, a lawyer is burnt, and two statesmen die

On this day in Tudor history, 30th April 1536, court musician Mark Smeaton was arrested and taken to the home of Henry VIII’s right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell. What happened to him there over the next 24 hours is not known, but he ended up confessing to sleeping with Queen Anne Boleyn on three occasions. On […]

April 29 – Queen Anne Boleyn, a musician and a groom of the stool

| April 29, 2022

April 29 – Queen Anne Boleyn, a musician and a groom of the stool

On 29th April 1536, three days before her arrest, Queen Anne Boleyn had encounters with two courtiers who would eventually be executed for allegedly sleeping with her and plotting with her to kill her husband, King Henry VIII. Find out about Sir Henry Norris, the king’s groom of the stool and friend, and musician Mark […]

30 April 1536 – A musician is arrested and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn have an argument – The Fall of Anne Boleyn

| April 30, 2021

30 April 1536 – A musician is arrested and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn have an argument – The Fall of Anne Boleyn

On 30th April 1536, court musician Mark Smeaton was arrested and taken to Thomas Cromwell’s home to be interrogated. During his interrogation, which lasted 24 hours, Smeaton confessed to sleeping with Queen Anne Boleyn. On the same day that Smeaton was arrested, Alexander Alesius witnessed an argument between King Henry VIII and his second wife, […]

Were William Compton and Thomas Tallis, and George Boleyn and Mark Smeaton lovers?

| April 2, 2021

Were William Compton and Thomas Tallis, and George Boleyn and Mark Smeaton lovers?

Thank you so much to Omar from Leeds for the excellent questions regarding Showtime’s The Tudors series for my Fan Q&A series on YouTube. Omar wanted to know if William Compton and Thomas Tallis, and George Boleyn and Mark Smeaton really had sexual relationships. I consider whether these storylines were just fictional devices and look […]

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: Day-7

| May 12, 2020

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: Day-7

On this day in history, 12th May 1536, just twelve days after the first arrest in the fall of Anne Boleyn, four men were taken to Westminster Hall and tried for treason. Their names were Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton. All four men were found guilty. Let me explain […]

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: Day -19

| April 30, 2020

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: Day -19

On 30th April 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn had just 19 days to live and everything was moving quickly. On 30th April 1536, court musician Mark Smeaton was arrested and taken to the home of the king’s master secretary and right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell. What happened to the lowly Smeaton in those next hours, we don’t […]

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: Day -20

| April 29, 2020

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: Day -20

On this day in 1536, although she may have had an inkling that something was going on at the royal court, Queen Anne Boleyn could not have known that she only had twenty days to live. On 29th April 1536, the queen had encounters with two courtiers who would eventually be executed for allegedly sleeping […]

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