Richard Page (courtier) facts for kids
Sir Richard Page (died 1548) was an important English courtier who lived during the time of Henry VIII of England. He worked closely with the King as a gentleman of the Privy Chamber, which was a group of trusted advisors and servants. He also served as Vice-Chamberlain in the household of Henry FitzRoy, who was King Henry VIII's son. Sir Richard Page was held in the Tower of London in 1536 during a difficult time for Anne Boleyn, the King's wife. He was married to Elizabeth Bourchier, whose daughter later married Protector Somerset.
Who Was Sir Richard Page?
We don't know much about where Richard Page came from or who his parents were. It's thought that his family might have been from areas in England called Surrey or Middlesex.
Working for the King
Richard Page started his career working for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who was a very powerful person at the time. Page became Wolsey's chamberlain, a high-ranking household official.
By 1516, he had been made a knight, which meant he was given the title "Sir." He then became a Gentleman of King Henry VIII's Privy Chamber. This was a special group of people who had direct access to the King and helped him with many tasks.
In 1522, Sir Richard was made a Justice of the Peace for Surrey, and in 1524, for Middlesex. A Justice of the Peace was a local official who helped keep law and order.
In 1525, Sir Richard Page was in Yorkshire. There, he was part of the Council of the North, a group that helped govern the northern parts of England. He also worked as a vice-chamberlain for Henry FitzRoy, King Henry VIII's son. While working for Henry FitzRoy, Page even designed a special family crest for the young boy.
Sir Richard Page was known to be a close friend and supporter of Anne Boleyn. In 1527, he was appointed to the Privy Chamber again after he publicly supported Anne against Cardinal Wolsey, who was then the King's main advisor.
From 1527 to 1533, Page served as the Recorder of York. A Recorder was a legal officer who helped with court matters. During this time, he was officially knighted on 3 November 1529 at the Palace of Whitehall. He also received a special gift of a crest and family arms on 1 February 1530.
A Difficult Time
In 1536, during a period of big changes at court, Sir Richard Page was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Six other men were also arrested at the same time, including Thomas Wyatt, Henry Norris, William Brereton, Francis Weston, Mark Smeaton, and George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford. All of them, except for Page and Wyatt, were found guilty and faced serious consequences.
Luckily, both Sir Richard Page and Thomas Wyatt were released from the Tower in June 1536. This happened on the advice of Thomas Cromwell, another powerful figure in the King's government.
Even though Sir Richard had been in trouble, the King called him back to court. In 1537, he was made High Sheriff of Surrey. A High Sheriff was a very important local official responsible for enforcing laws. In the same year, the King gave Sir Richard the job of Chamberlain to his son, Prince Edward.
Family Life
In 1512, Sir Richard Page married Elizabeth Bourchier. Elizabeth was the daughter of Fulk Bourchier and Elizabeth Dynham. Sir Richard and Elizabeth had one daughter named Elizabeth Page (1516–1573). Their daughter Elizabeth later married Sir William Skipwith.
Before she married Sir Richard Page, Elizabeth Bourchier had been married four other times. Her first husband was Henry Beaumont. Her second husband was named Verney, and they had a daughter named Katherine Verney. Her third husband was Sir Edward Stanhope, and they had a daughter named Anne Stanhope. This Anne Stanhope later married Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who was the uncle of King Edward VI.
Elizabeth Bourchier passed away on 8 August 1557 and was buried in a place called Clerkenwell. After Sir Richard Page died, Elizabeth married for the fifth and final time to Nicholas Pigot.
