Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford

Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, born Jane Parker, was an English noblewoman who married George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, the brother of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife. She served in the household of Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and was later a lady-in-waiting to his third, fourth, and fifth wives. Jane’s involvement in the downfall of her husband and Anne Boleyn is debated, and she was executed alongside Catherine Howard.

Jane was born into the wealthy and well-connected Parker family, and she was a distant relative of King Henry VIII. She married George Boleyn in the early 1520s and received Grimston Manor as a wedding present from the King. Their marriage has been portrayed as unhappy, though evidence is inconclusive. Jane’s role in the political events of the time is unclear, but her later actions contributed to her execution and a tarnished historical reputation.