The Anne Boleyn Collection II: Anne Boleyn & the Boleyn Family by Claire Ridgway
Authors: Claire Ridgway
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as generous as her mother.
Thomas Alwaye
Thomas Alwaye, who is described by historian Maria Dowling as "an otherwise obscure evangelical prosecuted by Wolsey and the bishops for buying English new testaments and other prohibited books", 13 petitioned Anne Boleyn in 1530 or 1531, seeking her help and intervention. In his letter, he wrote:
"But anon I remembered how many deeds of pity your goodness had done within these few years, and that without respect of any persons, as well to strangers and aliens as to many of this land, as well to poor as to rich."
He also made mention of Anne's "charity" and said that her "Christian mind is everywhere ready to help, succour and comfort them that be afflicted, troubled and vexed". He may well have been flattering Anne to gain her assistance but, as Dowling points out, for him to even turn to her in his hour of need shows that Anne was known for helping reformers. Would he have dared write to her otherwise?
George Wyatt
George Wyatt was the grandson of courtier and poet, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, and author of "The Life of the Virtuous Christian and Renowned Queen Anne Boleigne" which was written towards the end of the 16th century, during the reign of Elizabeth I. His account of Anne's life was based on information given to him by his family and by Anne Gainsford, former lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. Wyatt wrote of Anne:
"And yet far more rich and precious were those works in the sight of God which she caused her maids and those about her daily to work in shirts and smocks for the poor. But not staying here her eye of charity, her hand of bounty passed through the whole land." 14
He then concurred with Foxe over the sum of money which Anne gave as poor relief:
"Her ordinary amounted to fifteen hundred pounds at the least, yearly to be bestowed on the poor. Her provisions of stock for the poor in sundry needy parishes were very great. Out of her privy purse went not a little to like purposes. To scholars in exhibition very much: so as in three quarters of a year her alms was summed to fourteen or fifteen thousand pounds."
Foxe's book was first published in 1563, so perhaps Wyatt used that as a source; we just don't know. Historian Eric Ives believes that the regular amount of £1500, mentioned by Wyatt, would be more credible. According to Ives a sum of £14-15000 was "twelve times larger than the annual surplus on Anne's expenditure". In this case, the sum does not make sense unless it is a typo, a case of an extra 0 being added.
William Marshall
In 1535, William Marshall, a man who was enlisted by Cromwell to draft legislation for poor relief, dedicated to Anne his work The Form and manner of subvention or helping for poor people, devised and practised in the city of Ypres. Marshall wrote:
"My very mind, intent and meaning is (by putting of this honourable and charitable provision in mind) to occasion your grace (which at all times is ready to further all goodness) to be a mediatrix and mean unto our most dread sovereign lord... for the stablishing and practising of the same (if it shall seem so worthy) or of some other, as good or better, such as by his majesty or his most honourable council shall be devised."
Maria Dowling points out that it is "a telling indication of the distribution of political influence that Marshall, primarily a Cromwell protégé, should consider it more effective to present his work through Anne rather than through his own patron". 15 It shows that Anne had a reputation for being concerned with poor relief, that she had influence over the King and that she did play a part in the government's decision to provide poor relief.
Conclusion
Anne Boleyn is often portrayed as a woman who only thought about herself, as someone who was ambitious, greedy and power hungry. However, this is far removed from the truth. Evidence shows that she was a religious woman with a true and living personal faith, and that her faith led her to commit to doing good
Thomas Alwaye
Thomas Alwaye, who is described by historian Maria Dowling as "an otherwise obscure evangelical prosecuted by Wolsey and the bishops for buying English new testaments and other prohibited books", 13 petitioned Anne Boleyn in 1530 or 1531, seeking her help and intervention. In his letter, he wrote:
"But anon I remembered how many deeds of pity your goodness had done within these few years, and that without respect of any persons, as well to strangers and aliens as to many of this land, as well to poor as to rich."
He also made mention of Anne's "charity" and said that her "Christian mind is everywhere ready to help, succour and comfort them that be afflicted, troubled and vexed". He may well have been flattering Anne to gain her assistance but, as Dowling points out, for him to even turn to her in his hour of need shows that Anne was known for helping reformers. Would he have dared write to her otherwise?
George Wyatt
George Wyatt was the grandson of courtier and poet, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, and author of "The Life of the Virtuous Christian and Renowned Queen Anne Boleigne" which was written towards the end of the 16th century, during the reign of Elizabeth I. His account of Anne's life was based on information given to him by his family and by Anne Gainsford, former lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. Wyatt wrote of Anne:
"And yet far more rich and precious were those works in the sight of God which she caused her maids and those about her daily to work in shirts and smocks for the poor. But not staying here her eye of charity, her hand of bounty passed through the whole land." 14
He then concurred with Foxe over the sum of money which Anne gave as poor relief:
"Her ordinary amounted to fifteen hundred pounds at the least, yearly to be bestowed on the poor. Her provisions of stock for the poor in sundry needy parishes were very great. Out of her privy purse went not a little to like purposes. To scholars in exhibition very much: so as in three quarters of a year her alms was summed to fourteen or fifteen thousand pounds."
Foxe's book was first published in 1563, so perhaps Wyatt used that as a source; we just don't know. Historian Eric Ives believes that the regular amount of £1500, mentioned by Wyatt, would be more credible. According to Ives a sum of £14-15000 was "twelve times larger than the annual surplus on Anne's expenditure". In this case, the sum does not make sense unless it is a typo, a case of an extra 0 being added.
William Marshall
In 1535, William Marshall, a man who was enlisted by Cromwell to draft legislation for poor relief, dedicated to Anne his work The Form and manner of subvention or helping for poor people, devised and practised in the city of Ypres. Marshall wrote:
"My very mind, intent and meaning is (by putting of this honourable and charitable provision in mind) to occasion your grace (which at all times is ready to further all goodness) to be a mediatrix and mean unto our most dread sovereign lord... for the stablishing and practising of the same (if it shall seem so worthy) or of some other, as good or better, such as by his majesty or his most honourable council shall be devised."
Maria Dowling points out that it is "a telling indication of the distribution of political influence that Marshall, primarily a Cromwell protégé, should consider it more effective to present his work through Anne rather than through his own patron". 15 It shows that Anne had a reputation for being concerned with poor relief, that she had influence over the King and that she did play a part in the government's decision to provide poor relief.
Conclusion
Anne Boleyn is often portrayed as a woman who only thought about herself, as someone who was ambitious, greedy and power hungry. However, this is far removed from the truth. Evidence shows that she was a religious woman with a true and living personal faith, and that her faith led her to commit to doing good
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