Born Jane Parker, a distant relative of Henry VIII, she became a lady-in-waiting to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and to quite a few of those that followed. Married Anne Boleyn’s brother, George, and later, when Anne was an unwanted wife and George and Anne were accused of incest, Jane gave evidence against her husband. Consequently George was beheaded on Tower Hill along with four other men also accused of adultery with Anne. A few years later when Henry needed to get rid of another wife, Anne of Cleves, Jane again provided useful evidence. When Catherine Howard (number 5) needed a go-between to facilitate her liaisons with Thomas Culpeper Jane stepped into the role. But the affair was discovered and all involved and some that weren't, were imprisoned. Jane appeared to suffer a nervous breakdown and was declared insane which ought to have saved her life but Henry changed the law to allow the execution of the insane and so Jane was beheaded at Tower Green, immediately after Catherine.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
Commemorated ati
Tower of London execution site
Catling wrote the poem as well as creating the sculpture. Doesn't that cushio...
Other Subjects
Agnes George
Burnt at the stake in Bow (or possibly Stratford) for her Protestant beliefs.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lutheran pastor and theologian. 1933 - 35 he was a pastor at two German speaking London churches: German Evangelical Church - Sydenham and the German Reformed Church of St Paul's - Whitechapel. Bo...
John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford
Born in Essex. Caught supporting the wrong side when Edward IV assumed the throne, he was arrested and convicted of high treason which led to the loss of his head at Tower Hill.
Sir William Stanley
Soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses. Born Lancashire. Originally a Yorkist, he switched sides and in 1485 fought at Bosworth Field for Tudor Henry VII, for which he was appointed Lord Cha...
John Rogers
Protestant martyr burned at Smithfield. The first of the 'Marian Martyrs'.
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Thomas Thornycroft
Sculptor. born Cheshire. Came to London in 1835 where he was apprenticed to John Francis and worked alongside another of Francis's apprentices, his daughter Mary, whom he married on 29 February 184...