Anne Shelton née Boleyn (28 November 1475 – 6 January 1555) was the elder sister of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and an aunt of his daughter, Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.
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Anne was born at Blickling, Norfolk, the daughter of Sir William Boleyn and his wife, Lady Margaret Butler. She married Sir John Shelton before 1503.[1]
In 1533 she and her sister, Lady Alice Clere,[2] were placed in charge of the household of the King's daughter, Princess Mary. There is some evidence that Lady Shelton was harsh towards the young Mary,[3] often taunting her with Elizabeth's higher status, but it is widely believed that she never resorted to actually hitting the young girl to chastise her, despite the encouragement of Anne Boleyn. She received letters from Queen Anne criticising Mary.[4]
By July 1536 Sir John Shelton was controller of the household established for Princess Mary and Queen Anne Boleyn's daughter, Princess Elizabeth.[5] In the same year five women were appointed to serve Queen Anne while she was imprisoned in the Tower and to report to Sir William Kingston, the Lieutenant of the Tower, and through him to the King's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, all that the Queen said. These women included Lady Shelton, who had perhaps fallen out with Queen Anne during Henry VIII's affair with Anne's first cousin, Lady Shelton's daughter Mary Shelton. The other women to attend Anne were Sir William Kingston's wife, Lady Mary Kingston; Lady Elizabeth Boleyn, Queen Anne's aunt by marriage; Lady Margaret Coffin, the wife of Queen Anne's Master of the Horse; and Elizabeth Stoner, wife of the King's Serjeant-at-Arms.[6] Sir William Kingston described the five as "honest and good women", but Queen Anne said that it was "a great unkindness in the King to set such about me as I have never loved".[7]
When Princess Elizabeth was so persecuted during her [sister Queen Mary's] reign, she fled to Sir John and Lady Shelton for protection. She was later secreted in the tower of Shelton Church when Sir John's mansion was not sufficient protection. When Elizabeth was crowned she summoned Sir John's family to the Palace where his descendants lived during her reign.{{citation needed}
Sir John Shelton died on 21 December 1539 at the age of 62, and was buried in the chancel of Shelton church. He was said to have been "a man of great possessions", which he sought to pass on to his heirs contrary to the Statute of Uses. When the stratagem came to light after Shelton's death, the lawyers involved were punished, and an Act of Parliament was passed annulling such "crafty conveyances".[8]
Shelton had at least six children. His son and heir, Sir John Shelton (b. in or before 1503, d. 1558), married Margaret, the daughter of Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley.[9] His daughter, Madge Shelton, is said to have been a mistress of King Henry VIII.[10]
Lady Shelton's will was proved 1-6-1556.
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret | unknown | bef.11 Sep 1583 | married Thomas Wodehouse (or Woodhouse) |
| John | 1500 | November 1558 | 22nd Lord of Shelton, married Margaret Parker, older sister to Jane, Viscountess Rochford |
| Mary | unknown | 8 Jan 1570/1 | firstly married Sir Anthony Heveningham; secondly married Philip Appleyard; mistress of Henry VIII during 1535[11] |
| Ralph | unknown | 26 Sep 1561 | married Amy Wodehouse or Woodhouse (sister of Thomas, who married Margaret Shelton) |
| Thomas | unknown | aft 1579 | married Anne Appleyard |
| Anne | unknown | 1563 | firstly married Sir Edmond Knevett, Knt.; secondly married Christopher Coote, Esq. |
| Gabriella | unknown | Oct 1558 | died without issue |
| Elizabeth | unknown | aft 1561 | died without issue |
| Amy | unknown | November 1579 | died without issue |
| Emma | unknown | aft.1556 | died without issue |