Sir Francis Bryan (about 1490 – 2 February 1550) was an English

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official r ...

and diplomat during the reign of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. He was Chief Gentleman of the

Privy chamber A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...

and

Lord Justice of Ireland The Lords Justices (more formally the Lords Justices General and General Governors of Ireland) were deputies who acted collectively in the absence of the chief governor of Ireland (latterly the Lord Lieutenant) as head of the executive branch o ...

. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always retained Henry's favour, achieving this by altering his opinions to conform to the king's.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 183. His rakish sexual life and his lack of principle at the time of his cousin

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

's downfall led to his earning the nickname the Vicar of Hell.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 379.

Career

Francis Bryan was the son of

Sir Thomas Bryan Sir Thomas Bryan KS KB (died 14 August 1500) was a British justice of obscure origin. It is suggested by J.H. Baker (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography) that he descended from a John Bryan, fishmonger of London, whose son, also John (d. 14 ...

and

Margaret Bourchier Margaret Bryan, Baroness Bryan (c. 1468 – c. 1551/52) was lady governess to the children of King Henry VIII of England, the future monarchs Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI, as well as the illegitimate Henry FitzRoy.She was also Lady Govern ...

, and came to court at a young age. There he became, along with his brother-in-law Nicholas Carew, one of "the King's minions", a group of young gentlemen of the

who held much sway with Henry and were known for their intemperate behaviour.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 209. He was rewarded for his friendship with the king by a number of public offices, Master of the Toils (1518–48), Constable of the castles of

Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...

(1518–34),

Harlech Harlech () is a seaside resort and community in Gwynedd, north Wales and formerly in the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it belonged to the Meirionydd District of the 197 ...

(1521-death) and Wallingford (1536). He was also Joint Constable of

Warwick Castle Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...

from 1528, Cipherer of the Household (1520), Gentleman of the Privy Chamber (by 1521), and Esquire of the Body by 1522. He was knighted in 1522 for his courage during the capture of Morlaix in Brittany. In 1519, Bryan and Sir

Edward Neville Sir Edward Neville (died 8 December 1538) was an English courtier. He was born at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. He was the son of George Neville, 4th Baron Bergavenny and his wife Margaret, daughter of Hugh Fenn. He married Eleanor Windsor, daugh ...

disgraced themselves in the eyes of the minions' detractors when, during a diplomatic mission to Paris, they threw eggs and stones at the common people.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 217. Under the influence of

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

, Sir Francis was removed from the Privy chamber in 1519, and again in 1526 as part of the Eltham Ordinances.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 259. Shortly after this he lost an eye in a

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

, and had to wear an

eyepatch An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn ...

from then on.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 262. In 1528, when Sir William Carey's death left a vacancy in the Privy chamber, Bryan returned to fill his place, possibly through the good offices of his cousin

. From then on he was highly influential, becoming one of the king's most favoured companions,Weir, ''Henry VIII'', pp. 286–287. and a leading member of the faction who wished to break Wolsey's grip on power.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 289. He was employed on a number of important overseas diplomatic missions. He also sat in the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised t ...

as Member for

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

probably in 1529 and certainly in the parliaments of 1539, 1542 and 1545.Profile
History of Parliament Online. Accessed 7 January 2023. Bryan was a half cousin of both

and

Catherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542), also spelled Katheryn Howard, was Queen of England from 1540 until 1542 as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a cousin to Anne Boleyn (the s ...

as well as half second cousin to

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their Wives of Henry VIII, marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen followi ...

. He promoted the family of the latter, which was less well connected than the Boleyns and tried to find her a husband after her family had grown notorious because of the affair between

Catherine Fillol Catherine Fillol (or Filliol; c. 1507 – c. 1535) was the daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Fillol (1453 – 9 July 1527), of Woodlands, Horton, Dorset, and of Fillol's Hall, Essex. She became the first wife of Sir Edward Seymour, who we ...

and Jane's father. He remained a friend of the King, with Henry even ending his pursuit of a lady when he heard that Bryan was seriously interested in her. 'The Vicar of Hell', as Francis was known, was also a close ally of Nicholas Carew, the husband of Francis' sister,

Elizabeth Carew Elizabeth Carew (née Bryan; – 1546) was an English courtier and reputed mistress of King Henry VIII. A daughter of Sir Thomas Bryan and Margaret Bourchier, Elizabeth became the wife of Henry VIII's close friend Sir Nicholas Carew, an in ...

. However, by 1536, Bryan was working with

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charge ...

to bring about his cousin's downfall as queen.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 374. This moved Cromwell himself to coin Bryan's nickname, in a letter to the

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...

, referring to his abandonment of Anne. After Boleyn's death, Bryan became chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber,Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 382. but was removed from this post in 1539 when Cromwell turned against his former allies.Weir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 417. Sir Francis returned to favour following Cromwell's demise, becoming vice-admiral of the fleet, and then

during the reign of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

Character

Bryan was a distinguished diplomat, soldier, sailor, cipher, man of letters, and poet. However, he had a lifelong reputation as a rake and a libertine, and was a rumoured accomplice in the king's extramarital affairs. He was a trimmer, changing his views to suit Henry's current policy, but was also one of the few men who dared speak his mind to the king. No portrait of Sir Francis survives.

Marriage

Before 1522, he married Philippa Spice, who was the daughter of Humphrey Spice of Black Notley, Essex, and the widow of John Fortescue of Ponsbourne. In August 1548, he married

Lady Joan Fitzgerald Joan Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond, Countess of Desmond (Irish: ''Siobhán Nic Gearailt'') (died 1565), was an Irish noblewoman and heiress, a member of the Old English FitzGerald family, who were also known as the "Geraldines". She married ...

, the widow of

James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and 2nd Earl of Ossory ( – 1546), known as the Lame (Irish: ''Bacach''), was in 1541 confirmed as Earl of Ormond thereby ending the dispute over the Ormond earldom between his father, Piers Butler, 8th Earl o ...

, and the mother of seven sons. It is believed the marriage was a political manoeuvre to prevent Joan marrying her cousin, the 15th Earl of Desmond, and the union was not a happy one. After Bryan's death, Lady Joan married in 1551 her third husband,

Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond ( – 1583), also counted as 15th or 16th, owned large part of the Irish province of Munster. In 1565 he fought the private Battle of Affane against his neighbours, the Butlers. After this, he was for som ...

, who was many years her junior.

Portrayals in fiction

Bryan is a character in

Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, ''Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was releas ...

's novel ''

Wolf Hall ''Wolf Hall'' is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, ''Wolf Hall'' is a symp ...

''. Bryan is played by actor Alan van Sprang in Season 3 of the television series, ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

''. In the series, he arrives at Court in 1536 and wears an eye patch, much later than the actual Sir Francis, and so his family ties to the Boleyns are not mentioned, nor are his successes afterwards. In the 2003 two-part drama ''

'' starring

Ray Winstone Raymond Andrew Winstone (; born 19 February 1957) is an English television, stage and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perha ...

, a character named 'Sir Francis' who sports an eye patch and is a former soldier friend of Henry's, makes several appearances.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryan, Francis 1490s births 1550 deaths 16th-century English diplomats 16th-century Royal Navy personnel People from Aylesbury Vale Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber 15th-century English people Political office-holders in pre-partition Ireland Esquires of the Body English knights