Eleanor Carey facts for kids
Dame Eleanor Carey was an English noblewoman and a nun who lived a long time ago. She was known because Anne Boleyn wanted her to become the leader, or abbess, of Wilton Abbey. However, some things from Eleanor's past were discovered, which caused problems.
Who Was Eleanor Carey?
Her Family and Early Years
Eleanor Carey was one of about eight children. Her father was Sir Thomas Carey, and her mother was Margaret Spencer. Through her mother, Eleanor was a great-granddaughter of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. This made her a distant cousin of Henry VIII, who was the King of England at the time.
Not much is known about Eleanor's childhood. One of her brothers, William Carey, worked for the King. In 1521, he married Mary Boleyn, who had been close to King Henry VIII.
Eleanor and at least one of her sisters became nuns at Saint Edith's Nunnery. This was part of the Wilton Abbey, a Benedictine convent near Salisbury in Wiltshire. About fifty nuns lived there. Eleanor Carey had a past that was later investigated. For a time, she even left the convent.
Anne Boleyn's Support
It seems Eleanor Carey's brother, Sir William, had a promise from Thomas Wolsey. Wolsey was a powerful Cardinal and the main advisor to King Henry VIII. The promise was that Eleanor Carey would become the prioress of Wilton when that position became available. A prioress is like a second-in-command to the abbess. Sir William probably also wanted her to become the abbess, which is the highest leader of a nunnery.
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On April 24, 1528, the Abbess of Wilton, Cecily Willoughby, passed away. Cardinal Wolsey suggested that the prioress, Dame Isabel Jordan, should become the new abbess. People said she was "ancient, wise and discreet." Her sister, Dame Agnes, was the abbess of another well-run abbey called Syon Abbey. It's possible that the nuns at Wilton also wanted Isabel Jordan to be their leader.
Eleanor Carey's brother, William, then asked his sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, for help. Anne Boleyn was planning to marry the King. Both Anne and the King supported Eleanor Carey. They thought Dame Isabel was too old and had a questionable reputation.
Sir William Carey died on June 22, 1528, from a serious illness called sweating sickness. Even after his death, Anne Boleyn continued to support Eleanor Carey or one of her sisters to lead the nunnery. This situation caused a disagreement between Anne Boleyn and Cardinal Wolsey.
The Cardinal personally looked into the nunnery. Eleanor Carey admitted to some things about her past life. When the King heard about this, he immediately told Wolsey to find a different person for the role. He withdrew his support for both Carey and Jordan.
Despite this, Wolsey confirmed Isabel Jordan as abbess when Anne Boleyn was not at the royal court. The King was upset with Wolsey for this, but Jordan remained abbess for some time. We don't know what happened to Eleanor Carey and her sisters after this time.
