As one can imagine, the shame, embarrassment, and utter disgrace must have fallen heavily upon Thomas as May 1536 came to a close. Two of his children had died as traitors against the Crown, he was stripped of his own honors and status, and certainly left court for a time following that traumatic period. However, within a year he is recorded as being back in the king's service and assisting to squash the rebels taking part in the Pilgrimage of Grace between late 1536 and early 1537. This shows that, at the earliest, he was back in action within five months of Anne and George's executions - and at the latest, within nine months. Why or how he was brought back into service and relative favor remains unclear, but it's striking to me that a man who experienced so much trauma at Henry VIII's court, and who's family was irreparably damaged, continued to serve the Crown within such a short period of time.
In April 1538, Thomas's wife Elizabeth passed away, and later that year he is recorded to have been fully back at court - less than two years after his family's fall. When March 1539 came and Thomas himself died at the family home of Hever Castle, King Henry VIII reportedly ordered masses to be celebrated throughout the country for the deliverance of his soul. For the king to request such a thing was no small matter - it is a sure sign that Sir Thomas Boleyn was firmly back in favor, and that his death touched the king.
Upon his death, Thomas ensured that his only surviving child, Mary (now the wife of William Stafford) would be able to inherit and reside in Rochford Hall in Essex. This might serve as some evidence that he - still haunted and traumatized from the events of 1536 regarding two of his children - was making an attempt to care for his third.
He was buried in St. Peter's Church in the village of Hever, with a monumental brass commemorating him - depicting him finely dressed and wearing the insignia of a Knight of the Garter. The brass plate reads:
This post felt necessary in order to shed some light on a little-known time in Sir Thomas Boleyn's life, when it is often thought that he never stepped foot back in court or showed his face to Henry VIII after his daughter's execution. The truth of the matter is surprising to me on an emotional level - that he chose to return to the court that butchered two of his children (which he took an active role in). But given the context of the time period, we must understand that serving the king as a member of the peerage was likely Thomas's only option to maintain any ounce of dignity and respect for his family name. It may not have worked for long, but can we really blame him for trying?
- Wikipedia (Thomas Boleyn)
- Bevan, Richard, "Anne Boleyn and the Downfall of her Family" (BBC History).
- Ridgway, Claire, "12 March 1539 - Death of Thomas Boleyn" (The Anne Boleyn Files).