Henry Parker, Lord Morley, father of Jane Boleyn

Jane Boleyn’s father was Henry Parker. He was the 10th Baron Morley, a nobleman, a diplomat and a translator. Lord Morley grew up in the household of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. He was a prominent courtier and is remembered for his literary translations from Latin and Italian, which he gave to Henry VIII and Mary I as New Year's gifts. His translations include Petrarch's “Trionfi”, the “Life of Thesius” and the “Lyfe of Paulus Emelius”.

Nearly a year after Jane’s execution in 1542, as part of his New Year gift to Henry VIII in 1543, he presented to the King a decorated manuscript describing the sacrifice of Polyxena, the daughter of Hecuba and Priam, at the fall of Troy. However, even though the translation of the manuscript was accurate, the way in which Lord Morley had described Polyxena’s sacrifice was a deliberate subtle reference to his own daughter’s fate.

Lord Morley died on the 27th November 1556 at his home, Hallingbury Place, Great Hallingbury, Essex. He was in his late seventies and was buried at St Giles's Church, Great Hallingbury.

Image - Henry Parker, Lord Morley.