Joan Larke facts for kids

Joan Larke (born around 1490 – died 1532) was known for her connection to Thomas Wolsey. He was a very powerful English leader and churchman during the Tudor period. Joan was the mother of his two children.

Joan Larke's Early Life and Children

Joan Larke was born around 1490 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Her father was Peter Larke. Her brother, Thomas Larke, was a chaplain (a priest who serves a specific person or group) for Thomas Wolsey.

Around 1509, Joan began living with Thomas Wolsey at Bridewell Palace. At this time, Wolsey was an almoner for the new king, Henry VIII of England. An almoner was someone who gave out money or help to the poor for the king.

Joan and Wolsey had two children together:

• Thomas Wynter (born 1510 – died 1542), who later became a dean (a church leader).
• Dorothy Clancey (born 1512), who became a nun (a woman who dedicates her life to religious service).

Their son, Thomas, lived with a family in Willesden. Their daughter, Dorothy, was adopted by John Clancey, an alderman (a local government official) from Worcester. Dorothy later joined Shaftesbury Abbey as a nun. She received money from Sir Thomas Cromwell when her abbey was later closed down by the King.

After Thomas Wolsey died in 1530, Thomas Wynter went to study at the University of Padua in Italy. King Henry VIII paid for his studies. When Thomas Wynter returned to England in 1535 without money, Queen Anne Boleyn helped him financially.

Marriages and Family Life

As Thomas Wolsey became more and more important in the Church and government, his relationship with Joan became a bit awkward for him. In 1519, he arranged for Joan to marry George Legh. George was a squire (a country gentleman) from Adlington Hall in Cheshire. Wolsey helped Joan with her dowry (money or property a bride brings to her marriage). He also helped the Legh family with a land problem later on.

Joan and George Legh had four children:

• Elizabeth or Isabel Legh (1525–1583), who married Sir Alexander Barlow.
• Thomas Legh (1527–1599), who inherited his father's estate. He married Maria Grosvenor.
• Mary Legh
• Ellen Legh

George Legh died in 1529. The next year, Joan married Sir George Paulet. He was the younger brother of a very important nobleman, the 1st Marquess of Winchester.

Joan Paulet (who was born Larke) died about two years later during childbirth.

See also

• Blessed John Larke (Joan's uncle)
• Leghs of Adlington