Viscount Rochford is a title that has been created twice in the

Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in t ...

. The first creation was made in favour of

Sir Thomas Boleyn Thomas Bolina, Earl of Wiltshire, 1st Earl of Ormond, 1st Viscount Rochford KG KB (c. 1477 – 12 March 1539), of Hever Castle in Kent, was an English diplomat and politician who was the father of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry ...

in 1525 by

King 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 disag ...

. The title was taken from Boleyn's

Rochford Rochford is a town in Essex, England, north of Southend-on-Sea, from London and from Chelmsford, the county town. At the 2011 census, the Civil parishes in England, civil parish, which includes the town and London Southend Airport, had a popu ...

country estate in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

. In 1529, Thomas was promoted even further when the King created him ''

Earl of Wiltshire The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess. The earldom was fi ...

''. In that same year, Thomas also inherited the wealth and title of his mother's ancestors, the ''

Earls of Ormond Earldom of Ormond may refer to: *Earl of Ormond (Scotland), created twice in the Peerage of Scotland for the House of Douglas *Earl of Ormond (Ireland) The peerage title Earl of Ormond and the related titles Duke of Ormonde and Marquess of Orm ...

''. Thus, Thomas's only son,

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

became known by the courtesy title of ''Viscount Rochford''. The title fell out of use as a courtesy title in 1536 when

George Boleyn George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. 1504 – 17 May 1536) was an English courtier and nobleman who played a prominent role in the politics of the early 1530s. He was the brother of Anne Boleyn, from 1533 the second wife of King Hen ...

was executed on false charges of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. It became extinct when Thomas died in 1539. In 1542,

Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (''née'' Jane Parker; c. 1505 – 13 February 1542), was an English noblewoman. Her husband, George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, was the brother of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Jane had been ...

, George's widow, was also executed after she was implicated in the fall of Queen

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 ...

. The title was recreated in 1619 for Thomas Boleyn's great-great-grandson Henry Carey, 4th Baron Hunsdon, who was created

Earl of Dover The title Earl of Dover has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Jacobite Peerage. The creation in the Peerage of England occurred in 1628 when Henry Carey, 1st Viscount Rochford, was created Earl of Dover, in the ...

in 1628. Both titles became extinct on the death of the second Earl in 1677.

Viscounts Rochford, 1st creation (1525)

* Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormond (c. 1477-1539) *

George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. 1504 – 17 May 1536) was an English courtier and nobleman who played a prominent role in the politics of the early 1530s. He was the brother of Anne Boleyn, from 1533 the second wife of King Hen ...

(1503/1504–1536)

Viscounts Rochford, 2nd creation (1619)

Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover (ca. 158013 April 1666) of Hunsdon, Hertfordshire was an English peer and Member of Parliament. Life Carey was the son of John Carey, 3rd Baron Hunsdon. Cambridge University awarded him an honorary MA in 1607. He wa ...

(c. 1580–1666) *

John Carey, 2nd Earl of Dover John Carey, 2nd Earl of Dover (1608 – 26 May 1677), styled Viscount Rochford from 1628 to 1666, was an English peer. He was the eldest son of Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover, and Judith, daughter of Sir Thomas Pelham, 1st Baronet. He was educated ...

(1608-1677) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rochford Extinct viscountcies in the Peerage of England 1525 establishments in England Noble titles created in 1525 Noble titles created in 1619