Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford

Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford was a sisterinlaw of King Henry VIII of England. She was the wife of George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford, brother of Henrys second wife, Anne Boleyn. Jane was a member of the household of Henrys first wife, had a role in the judgements and subsequent executions of her husband and his sister, was ladyinwaiting to Henrys third and fourth wives, and also served as ladyinwaiting to her cousininlaw, Henrys fifth wife, Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed.

Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley, and Alice St John, the eldest daughter of Sir John St John and wife Sybil Verch Morgan, granddaughter of Sir John St John and wife Alice Bradshaigh, and greatgranddaughter of Sir Oliver St John and wife Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso. Through the Beaufort family, Jane was a distant cousin of King Henry VIII. She was born in Norfolk around the year 1505, and her family were wealthy, wellconnected, politically active and respected members of the English upper classes. Her father was an intellectual, with a great interest in culture and education. She was sent to Court in her early teens, certainly before her fifteenth birthday, where she joined the household of King Henry VIIIs wife, Catherine of Aragon. She is recorded as having accompanied the royal party on the famous state visit to France in 1520, The Field of the Cloth of Gold.

Source: Wikipedia