John Bolle facts for kids
Sir John Bolle (born 1560, died 1606) was an English landowner and adventurer from the 1500s. He is famous for being part of one of England's oldest ghost stories.
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Sir John Bolle's Early Life
Sir John Bolle was born in 1560 at Thorpe Hall in Lincolnshire, England. His father was Charles Bolle. John came from a very old English family called Bolle. Thorpe Hall was rebuilt in 1584. It was first built for the Chapman family. We don't know exactly when the Bolle family took ownership.
Adventures and Knighthood
In 1596, Sir John Bolle joined Sir Walter Raleigh in a battle. They helped capture the city of Cadiz in Spain. After this victory, Sir John was made a knight by the Queen.
Following the attack, Sir John was asked to look after a Spanish noblewoman. Her name was Donna Leonora Oviedo. On the way back to England, she told him she loved him. She asked him to take her back to Spain and marry her. But Sir John told her he was already married. Donna Leonora gave him all her jewelry and gold plates. She also gave him a painting of herself in a green dress. Sir John then dropped her off on the Spanish coast. When he returned home, Queen Elizabeth confirmed his knighthood.
Military Service in Ireland
In 1600, Sir John Bolle was praised for leading the English army. He commanded attacks on both Donolong and Lifford in Ireland. The Earl of Essex then made Sir John the governor of Kinsale. Kinsale is a town on the south coast of Ireland.
The Green Lady of Thorpe Hall
Sir John hung the painting of Donna Leonora in her green dress at Thorpe Hall. It is said that he would set a place for her at the dinner table every night. People believe that her spirit, still in love, haunts the garden of the house at midnight. She is often called "The Green Lady."
A song was written about this story. It was called "The Spanish Ladye's Love For An Englishman." Also, William Shenstone wrote a poem about the same event. He named the lady "Elvira" in his poem, which was called "Love and Honour."
Sir John's oldest son, Sir Charles Bolle (1592-1661), continued this tradition. He also left a space at the dinner table for the Green Lady.
Sir John Bolle's Family
Sir John Bolle was the third husband of Elizabeth Waters.
Death
Sir John Bolle died on November 3, 1606. He was buried in his family's burial place at Haugh, Lincolnshire.
Thorpe Hall's Later Years
The Bolle family sold Thorpe Hall to the Birch family in 1759. In 1825, Rev William Chaplin bought the hall. Later, it passed to John Lewis Fytche.
The 20-acre garden of Thorpe Hall was redesigned in 1906. This work was done by a famous garden designer named Gertrude Jekyll.
