Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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Around 1630 Lucy Walter was born to [her father] William Walter at Roch Castle [Map].
Around 1648 Colonel Robert Sidney [aged 22] took Lucy Walter [aged 18] as his mistress.
On 9th April 1649 [her illegitimate son] James Scott 1st Duke Monmouth 1st Duke Buccleuch was born illegitimately to King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 18] and Lucy Walter [aged 19] at Rotterdam. Some thought his father was Colonel Robert Sidney [aged 23] who Evelyn says "he most resembl'd".
In July 1649 Lucy Walter [aged 19] stayed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines.
John Evelyn's Diary. 18th August 1649. I went to St. Germains, to kiss his Majesty's [aged 19] hand; in the coach, which was my Lord Wilmot's [aged 36], went Mrs. Barlow [aged 19], the King's mistress and mother to the [her illegitimate son] Duke of Monmouth, a brown, beautiful, bold, but insipid creature.
Around 1650 Peter Lely [aged 31]. Portrait of Lucy Walter [aged 20].
In 1650 [her father] William Walter died.
On 6th May 1651 [her illegitimate daughter] Mary Walters was born illegitimately to King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 20] and Lucy Walter [aged 21] at The Hague. King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland didn't acknowledge her. Her father is some somewhat speculative; he may have been Theobald Taaffe 1st Earl Carlingford [aged 48] or Henry Bennet 1st Earl Arlington [aged 33].
In 1658 William Crofts 1st Baron Crofts [aged 47] was created 1st Baron Crofts of Saxham, probably as a consequence of having been given charge of Charle's illegitimate son James Scott 1st Duke Monmouth 1st Duke Buccleuch [aged 8] whose mother Lucy Walter [aged 28] had died.
In 1658 Lucy Walter [aged 28] died.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 7th September 1662. After I had talked an hour or two with her I went and gave Mr. Hunt a short visit, he being at home alone, and thence walked homewards, and meeting Mr. Pierce, the chyrurgeon, he took me into Somersett House [Map]; and there carried me into the Queen-Mother's [aged 52] presence-chamber, where she was with our own Queen [aged 23] sitting on her left hand (whom I did never see before); and though she be not very charming, yet she hath a good, modest, and innocent look, which is pleasing. Here I also saw Madam Castlemaine [aged 21], and, which pleased me most, [her illegitimate son] Mr. Crofts [aged 13], the King's [aged 32] bastard, a most pretty spark of about 15 years old, who, I perceive, do hang much upon my Baroness Castlemaine's, and is always with her; and, I hear, the Queens both of them are mighty kind to him1.
Note 1. James, the son of Charles II by Lucy Walter, daughter of [her father] William Walter, of Roch Castle [Map], co. Pembroke. He was born April 9th, 1649, and landed in England with the Queen-Mother, July 28th, 1662, when he bore the name of Crofts, after Lord Crofts [aged 51], his governor. He was created Duke of Monmouth, February 14th, 1663, and married [her future daughter-in-law] Lady Anne Scott [aged 11], daughter and heiress of Francis, second Earl of Buccleuch, on April 20th following. In 1673 he took the name of Scott, and was created Duke of Buccleuch.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 27th October 1662. He told me what great faction there is at Court; and above all, what is whispered, that young [her illegitimate son] Crofts [aged 13] is lawful son to the King [aged 32], the King being married to his mother1. How true this is, God knows; but I believe the Duke of York [aged 29] will not be fooled in this of three crowns.
Note 1. There has been much confusion as to the name and parentage of Charles's mistress. Lucy Walter was the daughter of William Walter of Roch Castle, co. Pembroke, and Mr. S. Steinman, in his "Althorp Memoirs" (privately printed, 1869), sets out her pedigree, which is a good one. Roch Castle was taken and burnt by the Parliamentary forces in 1644, and Lucy was in London in 1648, where she made the acquaintance of Colonel Algernon Sidney [aged 25]. She then fell into the possession of his brother, Colonel Robert Sidney2. In September of this same year she was taken up by Charles, Prince of Wales. Charles terminated his connection with her on October 30th, 1651, and she died in 1658, as appears by a document (administration entry in the Register of the Prerogative Court) met with by the late Colonel Chester. William Erskine, who had served Charles as cupbearer in his wanderings, and was appointed Master of the Charterhouse in December, 1677, had the care of Lucy Walter, and buried her in Paris. He declared that the King never had any intention of marrying her, and she did not deserve it. Thomas Ross, the tutor of her son, put the idea of this claim into his head, and asked Dr. Cosin to certify to a marriage. In consequence of this he was removed from his office, and Lord Crofts [aged 37] took his place (Steinman's "Althorp Memoirs"). Lucy Walter took the name of Barlow during her wanderings.
Note 2. Not clear who Colonel Robert Sidney is since Algernon Sidney didn't have a brother called Robert. Algernon's brothers were Philip Sidney 3rd Earl of Leicester [aged 43] and Henry Sidney 1st Earl Romney [aged 21].
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 22nd February 1664. The [her illegitimate son] Duke of Monmouth's [aged 14] mother's brother hath a place at Court; and being a Welchman (I think he told me) will talk very broad of the King's being married to his sister.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 16th December 1666. Left them, and in the dark and cold home by water, and so to supper and to read and so to bed, my eyes being better to-day, and I cannot impute it to anything but by my being much in the dark to-night, for I plainly find that it is only excess of light that makes my eyes sore. This after noon I walked with Lord Bruncker [aged 46] into the Park and there talked of the times, and he do think that the King [aged 36] sees that he cannot never have much more money or good from this Parliament, and that therefore he may hereafter dissolve them, that as soon as he has the money settled he believes a peace will be clapped up, and that there are overtures of a peace, which if such as the Chancellor [aged 57] can excuse he will take. For it is the Chancellor's interest, he says, to bring peace again, for in peace he can do all and command all, but in war he cannot, because he understands not the nature of the war as to the management thereof. He tells me he do not believe the Duke of York [aged 33] will go to sea again, though there are a great many about the King that would be glad of any occasion to take him out of the world, he standing in their ways; and seemed to mean the [her illegitimate son] Duke of Monmouth [aged 17], who spends his time the most viciously and idly of any man, nor will be fit for any thing; yet bespeaks as if it were not impossible but the King would own him for his son, and that there was a marriage between his mother and him; which God forbid should be if it be not true, nor will the Duke of York easily be gulled in it. But this put to our other distractions makes things appear very sad, and likely to be the occasion of much confusion in a little time, and my Lord Bruncker seems to say that nothing can help us but the King's making a peace soon as he hath this money; and thereby putting himself out of debt, and so becoming a good husband, and then he will neither need this nor any other Parliament, till he can have one to his mind: for no Parliament can, as he says, be kept long good, but they will spoil one another, and that therefore it hath been the practice of kings to tell Parliaments what he hath for them to do, and give them so long time to do it in, and no longer. Harry Kembe, one of our messengers, is lately dead.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 6th September 1676. Supped at the Lord Chamberlain's [aged 58], where also supped the famous beauty and errant lady, the Duchess of Mazarine [aged 30] (all the world knows her story), the [her illegitimate son] Duke of Monmouth [aged 27], Countess of Sussex [aged 15] (both natural children of the King [aged 46] by the Duchess of Cleveland [aged 35]) [Note. A mistake by Evelyn. Jame's Scott's mother was Lucy Walter, Anne Fitzroy's mother was Barbara Villiers 1st Duchess of Cleveland], and the Countess of Derby [aged 16], a virtuous lady, daughter to my best friend, the Earl of Ossory [aged 42].
John Evelyn's Diary. 28th November 1679. Came over the [her illegitimate son] Duke of Monmouth [aged 30] from Holland unexpectedly to his Majesty [aged 49]; while the Duke of York [aged 46] was on his journey to Scotland, whither the King sent him to reside and govern. The bells and bonfires of the city at this arrival of the Duke of Monmouth publishing their joy, to the no small regret of some at Court. This Duke, whom for distinction they called the Protestant Duke (though the son of an abandoned woman), the people made their idol.
John Evelyn's Diary. 15th July 1685. Thus ended this quondam [her illegitimate son] Duke [aged 36], darling of his father and ye ladies, being extreamly handsome and adroit; an excellent souldier and dancer, a favourite of the people, of an easy nature, debauch'd by lust, seduc'd by crafty knaves who would have set him up only to make a property, and took the opportunity of the King being of another religion, to gather a party of discontented men. He fail'd, and perish'd. He was a lovely person, had a virtuous and excellent lady that brought him greate riches, and a second dukedom in Scotland. He was Master of the Horse, General of the King his father's Army, Gentleman of the Bedchamber, Knight of the Garter, Chancellor of Cambridge, in a word had accumulations without end. See what ambition and want of principles brought him to! He was beheaded on Tuesday 14th July [Note. Most sources quote 15th July 1685]. His mother, whose name was Barlow [Note. Lucy Walter is often spoken of incorrectly as Mrs. Walters or Waters, and during her career she seems to have adopted the alias of Mrs. Barlo or Barlow (the name of a family with which the Walters of Pembrokeshire had intermarried). From Dictionary of National Biography.], daughter of some very meane creatures, was a beautiful strumpet, whom I had often seene at Paris; she died miserably without any thing to bury her; yet this Perkin had ben made to believe that the King had married her; a monstrous and ridiculous forgerie; and to satisfy the world of the iniquity of the report, the King his father (If his father he really was, for he most resembl'd one Sidney, who was familiar with his mother) publickly and most solemnly renounc'd it, to be so enter'd in the Council Booke some yeares since, with all ye Privy Councellors at testation.