Joan Bulmer – Lady-in-waiting and close friend to Catherine Howard

Joan Bulmer – Lady-in-waiting and close friend to Catherine Howard

Joan was born in 1519, the daughter of George Acworth and Margaret Wilberforce.

Joan was very young when she was married to William Bulmer.
The marriage was short lived, however, as she left his house to enter into the service of Agnes Tilney, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.

While in service to the duchess, Joan met and became friends with Catherine Howard – the future fifth wife of King Henry VIII.

Joan became an accessory to Catharine’s affairs, she wrote letters for Catharine to one of her lovers, Francis Dereham.

Also at this time, Joan had a love affair with Edward Waldergrave – who later became her second husband.

Joan slept in the same room as Catharine, and
Francis Dereham and Edward Waldergrave would visit them both in the chamber at night…..

When Catherine Howard married Henry VIII, Joan requested that Catherine offer her a place in her household, due to their previous association.

Joan acted as Catherine Howard’s lady-in-waiting, companion and secretary, composing her correspondence.

Life was good in the Royal Court during the first year.
The king was happy with his new queen who was thirty or so years younger than him, and brought him renewed vigor!

In the summer of 1541, King Henry and his court went on a Progress, and the queen and her ladies, including Joan, accompanied him.

It is reported that during the Progress at Pontefract Castle, Queen Catharine renewed an acquaintance with Sir Thomas Culpeper.

Upon return to London, King Henry was made aware of the rumors of his queen’s indiscretions.
He refused to give credence to them, but he did instigate an investigation into the matters.

On 22nd November 1541, an indictment was brought against Queen Catherine for committing adultery with two different men, Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpeper.

Two days later, another indictment added Henry Mannox, Catharine’s music teacher while in the Dowager Duchess’ care, to the list of adulterers.

Thus, Queen Catharine had been indicted both for acts committed before and after her marriage, and Joan had been close to Catherine during both episodes….

Joan, and several other persons who had been in the queen’s company, were also arrested and placed in the Tower of London.

Joan remembered the sexual indiscretions that Catherine Howard had during their stay at Agnes Howard – Duchess of Norfolk’s estate, and when Catherine was arrested, Joan was called upon to testify against the Queen.
Joan recalled the details of Catherine’s early life.

After Catherine’s trial and exEcution, Joan was released from the Tower.
Upon the death of her first husband, Joan married Edward Waldegrave.

Edward and Joan had known each other for more than fifteen years before their marriage, but their relationship in their pre-marriage years is currently undocumented.

Although they started their family rather late in life, Joan was about 37 years old at the time of their marriage, they had four daughters and one son.

Joan died on 10th December 1590, around 70 years old.
She was buried alongside her husband in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, in Lawford, Essex.

A marble memorial with Edward and Joan facing each other in prayer, was constructed on the north wall inside the church.

? Catherine Steadman as Joan Bulmer in ‘The Tudors’