Biography of Margaret "Madge" Shelton -1555
Paternal Family Tree: Shelton
Maternal Family Tree: Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury 1364-1424
Margaret "Madge" Shelton was born to John Shelton and Anne Boleyn.
In 1499 [her grandfather] John Shelton (age 48) died.
On 10 Oct 1505 [her grandfather] William Boleyn (age 54) died. His son [her uncle] Thomas Boleyn (age 28) inherited Hever Castle, Kent [Map].
On 12 Apr 1533, Saturday, Easter Eve, Queen Anne Boleyn of England (age 32) made her first appearance as Queen attending mass at the Queen's Closet at Greenwich Palace [Map]. She was accompanied by sixty ladies including Margaret "Madge" Shelton.
The Venetian Ambassdor reported ... "This morning of Easter Eve, the Marchioness Anne went with the King (age 41) to high mass, as Queen, and with all the pomp of a Queen, clad in cloth of gold, and loaded (carga) with the richest jewels; and she dined in public; although they have not yet proclaimed the decision of the Parliament.".
From Feb 1535 Margaret "Madge" Shelton was believed to have been a mistress of King Henry VIII of England and Ireland (age 43). Eustace Chapuys (age 45) refers to "Mistress Shelton". Others have suggested "Mistress Shelton" could be Madge's sister [her sister] Mary Shelton (age 25).
Letters and Papers 1535. 25 Feb 1535. 263. Today the Duke of Suffolk (age 51) leaves secretly for Suffolk, I know not for what purpose. Norfolk (age 62) withdrew to his house 15 days ago very ill-pleased. The day before he left he complained to lord Montague (age 43) that he was held in no esteem, "et par avant avoit nulle choses de la dame du Roy1." The Marquis has been [word omitted] and only regrets that he has no opportunity of shedding his blood in the service of the Queen and Princess; "sil estoit question de quelque chose il ne seroit des derniers, et unyroit petite suyte2." The young lady who was lately in the King's favor is so no longer. There has succeeded to her place a cousin german of the concubine (age 34), daughter [either Margaret "Madge" Shelton, [her sister] Anne Shelton or [her sister] Mary Shelton (age 25)] of the present [her mother] gouvernante (age 59) of the Princess. The Queen has been informed on good authority that the Waywode's man was seeking the marriage of the Princess with his master; but there is no great probability that he will succeed either in this or in obtaining money. I will inform your Majesty hereafter of whatever I may hear about this and about a gentleman lately come from the Duke of Holstein. I am informed letters have come from Gregory de Casale, who says the Pope told him that if the King would replace matters of the Church as they were, other things could be arranged; but all that is lost labor. So great is the obstinacy and avarice of the King, that he would sooner take back the Queen than restore what is due to the Church, from which he has taken, within the last month, 50,000 ducats, "emolument d'eslus"3.
Note 1. "and before had nothing of the King's lady."
Note 2. if it were a question of something it would not be among the last, and straight small continuation?
Note 3. first-fruits.
Letters 1536. 03 May 1536. Otho, C. x. 225. B. M. Ellis, i Ser. II. 53. Singer's Cavendish, ii. 217. 793. Sir William Kingston (age 60) to [Cromwell].
On my Lord of Norfolk (age 63) and the King's Council departing from the Tower, I went before the Queen (age 35) into her lodging. She said unto me, "Mr. Kingston, shall I go into a dungeon?" I said, "No, Madam. You shall go into the lodging you lay in at your coronation." "It is too g[ood] for me, she said; Jesu have mercy on me;" and kneeled down, weeping a [good] pace, and in the same sorrow fell into a great laughing, as she has done many times since. "She desyred me to move the Kynges hynes that she [might] have the sacarment in the closet by hyr chamber, that she my[ght pray] for mercy, for I am as clere from the company of man as for s[in as I] am clear from you, and am the Kynges trew wedded wyf. And then s[he said], Mr. Kynston, do you know wher for I am here? and I sayd, Nay. And th[en she asked me], When saw you the Kynge? and I sayd I saw hym not syns I saw [him in] the Tylte Yerde. And then, Mr. K., I pray you to telle me wher my [Lord, my fa]der [[her uncle] Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 59)], ys? And I told hyr I saw hym afore dyner in the Cort. O[where is m]y sweet broder (age 33)? I sayd I left hym at York Place; and so I dyd. I [hear say, sai]d she, that I shuld be accused with iij. men; and I can say [no more but] nay, withyowt I shuld oppen my body. And ther with opynd her gown. O, No[res] (age 54), hast thow accused me? Thow ar in the Towre with me, [and thow and I shall] dy together; and, Marke (age 24), thow art here to. O, my mother (age 56), [thou wilt die with] sorow; and myche lamented my lady of Worceter (age 34), for by c[ause that her child di]d not store in hyre body. And my wyf sayd, what shuld [be the cause? And she sai]d, for the sorow she toke for me. And then she sayd, Mr. [Kyngston, shall I die with]yowt justes? And I sayd, the porest sugett the Ky[ng hath, hath justice. And t]her with she lawed. Alle thys sayinges was yesterny[ght] .... and thys mornyng dyd talke with Mestrys Co[fyn. And she said, Mr. Norr]es Henry Norreys dyd say on Sunday last unto the Quenes am[ner that he would s]vere for the Quene that she was a gud woman. [And then said Mrs.] Cofyn (age 36), Madam, Why shuld ther be hony seche maters [spoken of? Marry,] sayd she, I bad hym do so: for I asked hym why he [did not go through with] hys maryage, and he made ansure he wold tary [a time. Then I said, Y]ou loke for ded men's showys, for yf owth ca[m to the King but good], you would loke to have me. And he sayd yf he [should have any such thought] he wold hys hed war of. And then she sayd [she could undo him if she wou]ld; and ther with thay felle yowt, bot .... and sayd on Wysson Twysday last .... that Nores cam more .. age and further ....
"Wher I was commaunded to charge the gentelwomen that gyfes thayr atendans apon the Quene, that ys to say thay shuld have now (i.e., no) commynycasion with hyr in lese my wyf (age 60) ware present; and so I dyd hit, notwithstandynge it canot be so, for my Lady Bolen and Mestrys Cofyn lyes on the Quenes palet, and I and my wyf at the dore with yowt, so at thay must nedes talke at be within; bot I have every thynge told me by Mestrys Cofyn that she thinkes met for you to know, and tother ij. gentelweymen lyes withyowt me, and as I may knowe t[he] Kynges plesure in the premysses I shalle folow. From the Towre, thys morny[ng].
"Sir, syns the makynge of thys letter the Quene spake of Wes[ton [Francis Weston (age 25)], saying that she] had spoke to hym bycause he did love hyr kynswoman [Mrs. Skelton, and] sayd he loved not hys wyf (age 22), and he made ansere to hyr [again that h]e loved wone in hyr howse better then them bothe. And [the Queen said, Who is] that? It ys yourself. And then she defyed hym, as [she said to me]. William Kyngston."
Hol.
In 1537 [her grandmother] Margaret Butler (age 83) died.
Before 1555 (probably) Margaret "Madge" Shelton died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 11 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 17 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 12 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 7 Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 14 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 11 Grand Daughter of Louis VII King Franks
Kings France: Great x 14 Grand Daughter of Robert "Pious" II King France
Great x 1 Grandfather: Ralph Shelton
GrandFather: John Shelton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Clere
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Clere
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Uvedale
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Uvedale
Father: John Shelton
Margaret "Madge" Shelton 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Boleyn
Great x 2 Grandfather: Geoffrey Boleyn
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Bracton
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Jane Bracton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Geoffrey Boleyn
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Bracton
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Bracton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Alice Bracton
GrandFather: William Boleyn 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Hoo
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Hoo
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Hoo 1st Baron Hoo and Hastings 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Felton 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor Felton 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Ann Hoo 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Wychingham
Great x 3 Grandfather: Nicholas Wychingham of Norfolk 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Braose 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Wychingham 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Mother: Anne Boleyn 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Butler 2nd Earl Ormonde Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Butler 3rd Earl Ormonde 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Darcy Countess Ormonde
Great x 2 Grandfather: James "White Earl" Butler 4th Earl Ormonde 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Welles 4th Baron Welles
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Welles Countess Ormonde 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Maud Ros Baroness Welles 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Butler 7th Earl Ormonde 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Beauchamp 11th Earl Warwick 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Beauchamp 1st Baron Bergavenny 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Mortimer Countess Warwick 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Beauchamp Countess Ormonde 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Fitzalan 9th Earl of Surrey 11th Earl of Arundel 2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Fitzalan Baroness Bergavenny 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandMother: Margaret Butler 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Hankford
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Hankford
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cristina Unknown
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Hankford
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Hankford Countess Ormonde 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Montagu 1st Baron Montagu, Baron Monthermer
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Montagu Duchess Exeter 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Adam Francis
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury