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Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire

Hever, 1457 – Hever Castle, 22 Mar 1539

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1457, Hevernot verified1 source
  • Titleambassadoror Treasurer of the Household, 1521–1525 · Lord Privy Seal, 1530–1536not verified1 source
  • TitleTreasurer of the Household, 1521–1525or Lord Privy Seal, 1530–1536 · ambassadornot verified1 source
  • TitleLord Privy Seal, 1530–1536or Treasurer of the Household, 1521–1525 · ambassadornot verified1 source
  • Died22 Mar 1539, Hever Castlenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1457

    Born in Hever

  2. 1499–1501

    2 children are born

  3. 1521–1525

    Treasurer of the Household

  4. 1530–1536

    Lord Privy Seal

  5. 22 Mar 1539

    Dies in Hever Castle

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 2

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Hever.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1450s · Thomas is born in Hever

What people wore

Around 1500–1524

Limited wardrobes for the commoners

Many ordinary people owned only one set of clothes for daytime wear and lacked dedicated sleepwear, opting to sleep in their smocks and nightcaps.

Daily life

Around 1500–1524

Schooling for children

Children often started school at age seven, with some wealthy children beginning as early as four using prayer books called primers. Middle-class children sometimes attended school for ten to twelve hours a day to train for trade or administrative careers.

Work

Around 1500–1524

Workdays started before daybreak

The working day typically began before daybreak, often around 4 or 5 a.m., and lasted until sunset.

Music

Around 1500–1524

Paying Minstrels for Parish Festivals

Parish records show that minstrel hire for Whitsuntide festivities was common, with payments reaching up to 8s 4d for a single minstrel in 1533.

At the table

Around 1500–1524

Pottage was the staple daily dish

Pottage was the main daily dish for ordinary people, a thick soup made of cereals, pulses, vegetables, and occasionally meat that was cooked in a cauldron over an open fire.

Getting around

Around 1500–1524

Walking was the primary way to travel

Most ordinary people traveled on foot, as walking was the standard mode of transport and carriages were exclusive to the elite. A trip to the local market town often required an entire day to walk there and back.

What it cost

Around 1500–1524

Earnings of Workers and Servants

Unskilled laborers earned between £5 and £10 per year, while skilled workmen typically earned about 6d per day. Farm workers often earned no more than half a shilling (6d) per day, and many servants were paid as little as six shillings annually plus board.