Claire | April 30, 2017
On this day in history, court musician Mark Smeaton was arrested and taken to Thomas Cromwell’s house in Stepney to be interrogated. It is not known what happened to Smeaton at Cromwell’s house. The Spanish Chronicle records that he was tortured with a rope and cudgel: “Then he [Cromwell] called two stout young fellows of […]
Claire | April 30, 2015
On 30th April 1536, court musician Mark Smeaton was taken to Thomas Cromwell’s house in Stepney where he was interrogated. Within 24 hours he had confessed to making love three times to the Queen. It is likely that the note that Henry VIII received at the May Day joust, the next day, contained details of […]
Claire | April 29, 2015
On 29th April 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn had two encounters with male courtiers which she later worried about when imprisoned in the Tower. The first involved court musician Mark Smeaton and the second involved Sir Henry Norris, her husband’s Groom of the Stool and a man who was courting Anne’s cousin, Madge Shelton. Both were […]
Claire | April 30, 2011
More breaking news! Sir Tim Ridgway has just sent The Anne Boleyn Files an urgent message saying that Mark Smeaton has been seized and taken to Thomas Cromwell’s house in Stepney. Nothing more is known but court gossip is that someone told Cromwell of Queen Anne Boleyn’s conversation with Smeaton yesterday – see “29th April […]
Claire | April 29, 2011
You may well have seen the latest news from “The Spanish Chronicle” regarding Queen Anne hiding her musician, Mark Smeaton, in her marmalade cupboard and then spending the night with him, but here at The Anne Boleyn Files we would just like to point out that there is absolutely no evidence to back up this […]
