Sir Richard Page (died 1548) was an English courtier. He was a gentleman of the

Privy Chamber A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...

at the court of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, and Vice-Chamberlain in the household of Henry VIII's illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy. Page was imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

in 1536 during the downfall of

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

. He married

Elizabeth Bourchier Elizabeth Cromwell (née Bourchier; 1598 –1665) was the wife of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the mother of Richard Cromwell, the second Lord Protector. Family and marriage Eli ...

, the mother-in-law of the

Protector Somerset Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp (150022 January 1552) was an English nobleman and politician who served as Lord Protector of England from 1547 to 1549 during the minority of his nephew King Ed ...

Family

Richard Page's parentage is unknown. It is thought that he likely came from Surrey or Middlesex.

Career

Page began his climb to prominence in the service

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling fi ...

, becoming Wolsey's chamberlain. By 1516 he had been knighted, and was a Gentleman of Henry VIII's

. In 1522 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, and in 1524 for

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

. In 1525 Page was in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

, where he was a member of the

Council of the North The Council of the North was an administrative body first set up in 1484 by King Richard III of England, to improve access to conciliar justice in Northern England. This built upon steps by King Edward IV of England in delegating authority in th ...

and vice-chamberlain, at £20 wages, in the household of Henry FitzRoy, illegitimate son of King Henry VIII. While in Henry Fitzroy's service, Page devised armorial bearings for the boy. Page was a close associate of

. He was appointed to the Privy Chamber in 1527, after publicly taking Anne's side against

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling f ...

, then the King's chief minister. He afterwards served as Captain of the King's Bodyguards, whilst enjoying the favours of the court, as a letter from

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

to Wolsey describes:

Mr. Page received your letter directed to my Lady Ann Boleyn and will deliver the same. She gave him kind words, but will not promise to speak to the King for you.

From 1527 to 1533 Page was Recorder of York. During his tenure as Recorder he was knighted on 3 November 1529 at the

Palace of Whitehall The Palace of Whitehall – also spelled White Hall – at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, ...

, and received a gift of crest and arms quarterly on 1 February 1530 from

Thomas Benolt Thomas Benolt (died 8 May 1534) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. As part of his service, he was also a diplomat. He appears to have been born at Rouen, though his family had stronger links with Calais. Benolt ...

. On 8 May 1536, Page was arrested for treason and adultery with Queen Anne. Seven men were arrested and taken to the

, including Page. The others were Thomas Wyatt, Henry Norris, William Brereton,

Francis Weston Sir Francis Weston (1511 – 17 May 1536) was a gentleman of the Privy Chamber at the court of King Henry VIII of England. He became a friend of the king but was later accused of high treason and adultery with Anne Boleyn, the king's second wi ...

Mark Smeaton Mark Smeaton ( – 17 May 1536) was a musician at the court of Henry VIII of England, in the household of Queen Anne Boleyn. Smeaton – together with the Queen's brother George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford; Henry Norris, Francis Weston, and Wi ...

and

George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford ( – 17 May 1536) was an English courtier and nobleman who played a prominent role in the politics of the early 1530s as the brother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII. George was the mate ...

. All except Page and Wyatt were found guilty and executed. In a letter to Lord Lisle on 12 May 1536

John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford (sometimes spelled Hosey, Husey, Hussie, Huse; 1465/1466 – 29 June 1537) was Chief Butler of England from 1521 until his death. He was a member of the House of Lords, and a Chamberlain to King Henry ...

describes the event:

Mr. Payge and Mr. W t are in the tower, but it is thought without danger of life, though Mr. Payge is banished the King's court for ever.

Both Page and Wyatt were released from the Tower in June 1536 on the advice of Cromwell. Though Page had been banished from court in disgrace, the King summoned him back, and he was made

High Sheriff of Surrey The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066. At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex (1229–1231, 1232–1240, 1242–1567, 1571–1635). 1066–1228 (High Sheriffs of Surrey only) 1229– ...

in 1537. During the same year the King bestowed on Page the office of Chamberlain to his son, Prince Edward.

Marriage and issue

In 1512 Page married

, daughter of

Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin (25 October 1445 – 18 September 1479) was the son and heir of William Bourchier, 9th Baron FitzWarin (1407–1470) and the father of John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath. He was feudal baron of Bampton in Devo ...

and Elizabeth Dynham, by whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth Page (1516–1573), who married Sir William Skipwith (d. 17 October 1586) of Ormesby, only son and heir of Sir William Skipwith (d. 7 July 1547) by his first wife, Elizabeth Tyrwhit (died c.1515). Before her marriage to Richard Page, Elizabeth Bourchier (d. 8 August 1557) had been the wife firstly of Henry Beaumont; secondly of a husband surnamed Verney, by whom she had a daughter, Katherine Verney; and thirdly of Sir Edward Stanhope (d. 6 June 1511), by whom she had a daughter, Anne Stanhope, who married

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp (150022 January 1552) was an English nobleman and politician who served as Lord Protector of England from 1547 to 1549 during the minority of his nephew King E ...

, uncle of

King Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

. Elizabeth Bourchier died 8 August 1557, and was buried at

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell ( ) is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...

, as noted in Machyn's diary.Burial of Lady Page, ''A London Provisioner's Chronicle, 1550–1563'', by Henry Machyn: Manuscript, Transcription, and Modernization
Retrieved 4 April 2013. After Page's death she married for the fifth and final time to Nicholas Pigot.

Notes

References

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External links

Will of Sir Richard Page of Flamsted, Hertfordshire, proved 14 April 1551
Retrieved 4 April 2013
'The Fortunate Sir Richard Page', ''History Refreshed'' by Susan Higginbotham, 5 May 2012
Retrieved 4 April 2013
Skipwith, Sir William (by 1510–1586), History of Parliament
Retrieved 4 April 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Page, Richard 1548 deaths Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Prisoners in the Tower of London 16th-century English knights High sheriffs of Surrey Year of birth unknown Court of Henry VIII