Marc Smeaton
|
|
Marc Smeaton (ex. 1536) A musician in the household of Queen Anne Boleyn, famed for his talents as a singer. Smeaton originally joined the choir of Henry VIII's chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey. However, possibly after his voice broke and Wolsey fell from grace, he was transferred from the Cardinal's household to Henry's, where his musical ability came to the notice of Henry's wife, Anne Boleyn, who was a great patron of the arts. Smeaton was possibly of Dutch extraction, and tradition has it that he was the son of a carpenter.
Perhaps because of his lowly social origin he was never part of the Queen's intimate circle of companions; which included her favourite ladies-in-waiting and courtiers. Nonetheless, sometime around 1536, young Smeaton fell passionately, violently and totally in love with the Queen and began to sulk around her chambers, apparently jealous of her friendships with various aristocratic lords, bishops and ambassadors who participated in the social life of the Queen's Circle. His unhappiness and misery caught Anne's attention one day and she asked him what was wrong. Smeaton's reply was non-committal and churlish, but by this point the musician's unrequieted obsession with the Queen was provoking malicious gossip around the palace. Anne snapped back that he should remember his place, and hers. Smeaton miserably replied that a look from her was good enough for him.
Unfortunately for Smeaton, this conversation was quickly reported to Anne's enemies who were busy formulating a plan to get rid of her. Smeaton was arrested on Thomas Cromwell's orders and tortured. Upon the rack, Smeaton cracked and "confessed" to being Anne's lover. He also supplied the names of certain of Anne's circle of allies, who were also arrested.
Smeaton was condemned to death on 12th May 1536, as were four other men wrongfully accused of being the Queen's lovers. Anne herself was condemned on the 15th. Two days later, the five men were beheaded. Smeaton was granted the "mercy" of a beheading, rather than the usual brutal quartering assigned to commoners. This is thought to have been due to his co-operation with Anne's enemies. When she heard that Smeaton had failed to withdraw his "confession" in fully explicit terms, Anne said sadly "I fear his soul shall pay for it."
Smeaton's body was buried in a common grave with the other men executed that day. He was the unwitting and hapless tool in a political intrigue designed to topple the proud Boleyn queen and her circle of political, religious and foreign allies.