Biography of William Stafford 1508-1556
Paternal Family Tree: Stafford
Maternal Family Tree: Joan Beauchamp 1370
In or before 1500 [his father] Humphrey Stafford (age 39) and [his mother] Margaret Fogge (age 29) were married at Blatherwycke, Northamptonshire.
Around 1508 William Stafford was born to Humphrey Stafford (age 47) and Margaret Fogge (age 38).
On 04 Feb 1520 William Carey (age 20) and [his future wife] Mary Boleyn (age 21) were married. Around the time, possibly shortly after, Mary Boleyn (age 21) became mistress to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland (age 28) leading to speculation one or both of her children were fathered by Henry (age 28). She the daughter of Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 43) and Elizabeth Howard Countess of Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 40). He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. 
The evidence for Mary being Henry's mistress:
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic. 20 Oct 1537. George Throckmorton letter relating to events around 1531 where Henry responds to an accusation that he had relationships with both Anne Boleyn's mother and sister "Never with the mother". Cromwell goes on the say never with the sister either.
Defense of the Unity of the Church Book III, 1536, letter from Cardinal Reginald Pole to King Henry VIII accusing him of double standards by attempting to annul his marriage with Queen Katherine on the basis of her having previously been married, albeit unconsummated, to Henry's brother Arthur, as a means to allow Henry to marry Anne Boleyn, with who sister Henry had had a carnal relationship.
1536 Letter from Ambassador Chapuys to the Emperor in which Chapuys writes "Others tell me that the said Archbishop had pronounced the marriage of the King and Concubine [Anne] invalid on account of the King having had connection with her sister [Mary].
Around 1525 [his future brother-in-law] George Boleyn (age 22) and Jane Parker (age 20) were married. He the son of Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 48) and Elizabeth Howard Countess of Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 45).
Around 1530 Richard Clifford (age 33) and [his future sister-in-law] Anne Stafford (age 13) were married at Bobbing Court, Kent. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. 
Before 1532 [his mother] Margaret Fogge (age 62) died.
On 11 Nov 1532 Henry VIII (age 41) and [his future sister-in-law] Queen Anne Boleyn of England (age 31) met with King Francis I of France (age 38) at Calais [Map]. Henry Howard (age 16) was present. 
Those listed as travelling with Henry and Anne include:
Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland (age 40) and Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland (age 37).
William Stafford (age 24); this may have been when he first met [his future wife] Mary Boleyn (age 33).
Mary Boleyn (age 33)
In 1534 William Stafford (age 26) and Mary Boleyn (age 35) were married in secret. The marriage was discovered when she, Mary, attended Court, when pregnant, angering both the King (age 42) and her sister the Queen (age 33). They was banished from Court. She the daughter of Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 57) and Elizabeth Howard Countess of Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 54).
After 1534 William Stafford (age 26) and [his wife] Mary Boleyn (age 35) lived at Rochford Hall.
On 17 May 1536 [his brother-in-law] George Boleyn Viscount Rochford (age 33), Henry Norreys (age 54), Francis Weston (age 25), William Brereton and Mark Smeaton (age 24) were beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. They were buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map].
On 26 Apr 1540 Francis Knollys (age 28) and [his step-daughter] Catherine Carey (age 16) were married. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. 
In 1541 William Stafford (age 33) was committed to the Fleet Prison [Map] together with Sir John Clere and others for eating meat on Good Friday. After his release and a rebuke from the Privy Council he served on the campaign of that year in the Netherlands.
On 19 Jul 1543 [his wife] Mary Boleyn (age 44) died. Her considerable wealth and properties were inherited by her two children from her first marriage [his step-daughter] Catherine Carey (age 19) and [his step-son] Henry Carey 1st Baron Hunsdon (age 17), and her second husband William Stafford (age 35).
In 1544 William Stafford (age 36) fought in France and in 1545 in Scotland, where he was knighted by Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford (age 4).
In Mar 1544 William Stafford (age 36) with his [his future wife] wife (age 17), children ([his daughter] Elizabeth Stafford, [his son] Edward Stafford, [his daughter] Ursula Stafford, [his son] William Stafford, [his son] John Stafford and [his daughter] Dorothy Stafford ), sister, cousin and servants settled in Geneva to avoid religious persecution.
In 1545 William Stafford (age 37) and Dorothy Stafford (age 18) were married. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 21 May 1545 [his former step-son] Henry Carey 1st Baron Hunsdon (age 19) and Anne Morgan Baroness Hunsdon (age 16) were married. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 22 Sep 1545 [his father] Humphrey Stafford (age 84) died.
In 1546 [his daughter] Elizabeth Stafford was born to William Stafford (age 38) and [his wife] Dorothy Stafford (age 19).
In 1547 William Stafford (age 39) was elected MP Hastings.
In 1550 William Stafford (age 42) was granted him an annuity of £100 for his services to Henry VIII and entrusted with the custody of three noble French hostages from Dover to London by the John Dudley 2nd Earl Warwick (age 23).
In 1551 William Stafford (age 43) accompanied the Edward Clinton 1st Earl Lincoln (age 39) to Paris for the christening of one of the future King Henry III of France (age 31). On his return he took part in the New Year's tournament at court.
In 1552 [his son] Edward Stafford was born to William Stafford (age 44) and [his wife] Dorothy Stafford (age 25).
In Nov 1552 William Stafford (age 44) was briefly committed to the Fleet Prison [Map] for having brawled with Adrian Poynings (age 40).
In 1553 [his daughter] Ursula Stafford was born to William Stafford (age 45) and [his wife] Dorothy Stafford (age 26).
On 01 Mar 1554 [his son] William Stafford was born to William Stafford (age 46) and [his wife] Dorothy Stafford (age 27).
On or before 04 Jan 1556 [his son] John Stafford was born to William Stafford (age 48) and [his wife] Dorothy Stafford (age 29). He was baptised on 04 Jan 1556; the first to be baptised as part of the English Congregation established in Geneva. John Calvin was his godfather,
On 05 May 1556 William Stafford (age 48) died at Geneva. Calvin claimed the custody of his son [his son] John and forbade his [his wife] widow (age 29) to leave with him. She appealed to Stafford's younger brother and the threat to invoke French aid persuaded Calvin to yield. She then moved to Basle, remaining there until January 1559.
On 22 Sep 1604 [his former wife] Dorothy Stafford (age 77) died. She was buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. Her effigy and monument are in the north aisle of the church. The inscription reads ... Here Lyeth the Lady Dorothy Stafford, Wife and Widow to Sir William Stafford, Knight, Daughter to Henry, Lord Stafford, the only son of Edward, the last Duke of Buckingham: Her mother was Ursula, Daughter to the Countesse of Salisbury, the only Daughter to George, Duke of Clarence, Brother to King Edward the Fourth. Shee continued a true Widow from the Age of 27 till her Death. She served Queen Elizabeth 40 Yeeres, lying in the Bedchamber, esteemed of her, loved of all, doing good, all she could, to every Body, never hurt any; a continual Remembrancer of the Suits of the Poor. As she Lived a religious Life, in great Reputation of Honour and Vertue in the World, so she ended in continual fervent Meditation, and hearty Prayer to God. At which Instant, as all her Life, so after her Death, she gave liberally to the Poore, and died aged 78, the 22 of September 1604. In whose Remembrance, Sir Edward Stafford (age 52), her sonne, hath caused this Memorial of her to be in the same Forme and Place as she herselfe long since required him.
[his daughter] Dorothy Stafford was born to William Stafford and Dorothy Stafford.
Kings Wessex: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 16 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 18 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 16 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings England: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Kings Scotland: Great x 13 Grand Son of Malcolm III King Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King Franks
Kings France: Great x 12 Grand Son of Louis "Fat" VI King France
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stafford
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ralph Stafford 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Stafford 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Humphrey Stafford 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Hastings
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Hastings
Great x 4 Grandmother: Maud Trussell
Great x 1 Grandfather: Humphrey Stafford 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Burdett
GrandFather: Humphrey Stafford 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Aylesbury
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Aylesbury
Father: Humphrey Stafford 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Fray
GrandMother: Catherine Fray
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Danvers
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Danvers
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Danvers
Great x 1 Grandmother: Agnes Danvers Baroness Wenlock
William Stafford 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: John Fogge
Mother: Margaret Fogge
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicholas Haute
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Haute
GrandMother: Alice Haute
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Woodville
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Woodville
Great x 1 Grandmother: Joan Woodville
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Bittelsgate
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Bittelsgate
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Beauchamp
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Beauchamp
