Thomas Boleyn’s Tomb at Hever
St Peter & St Pauls, the church at Hever, has been a place of worship for over 875 years.
The church dates back to the 12th Century and was built to replace an earlier Norman church on the site.
The church is situated in the centre of Hever next to Hever Castle.
The church contains the tomb of Sir Thomas Bullen, father of Anne Boleyn and grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I.
Thomas’ chest tomb is made of purbeck marble with a brass inlaid in the top rather than a sculptural effigy.
The tomb is quite worn, and has been repaired with brick over the years.
Thomas died at Hever Castle on 12th March 1539, aged 70.
His death came three years after the ex3cution of his daughter Queen Anne Boleyn, and his son George Boleyn.
The inscription on Thomas Boleyn’s tomb says he died on 12th March 1538 rather than 12 March 1539.
Until the mid-18th century, the legal year in England began on 25th March, therefore, at the time Boleyn’s death was dated as 1538.
The inscription on top of his tomb reads:
Here lieth Sir Thomas Bullen,
Knight of the Order of the Garter,
Erle of Wilscher and Erle or Ormunde,
which decessed the 12th dai of Marche
in the iere of our Lorde 1538
When I visited today, the church was eerily silent, not a soul in sight.
It’s a must see for anyone visiting Hever Castle.
You are able to get right up close to the tomb, and touch almost 500 years of history under your hands!
An amazing moment
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