Catherine Howard:
Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII
Overview
Catherine was one of 10 children of Joyce Culpeper and Lord Edmund Howard
(1480-1539).
King Henry VIII first became attracted to the young girl Catherine in 1540, when he was seeking to end
his politically motivated marriage to Anne of Cleves, to whom Catherine was a maid of
honour. He had his marriage to Anne annulled on July 9, and on July 28 Henry and
Catherine were privately married. He publicly acknowledged her as queen on August 8.
For the next 14 months Henry appeared to be much enamored of his young bride. But
shortly thereafter, based on charges of infidelity, Henry beheaded Catherine and her two accused lovers, including her distant
cousin, Thomas Culpeper.
Additional Information Sources
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"I die a Queen, but I would rather
die the wife of
Culpeper."
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Genealogy
Catherine Howard and her lover, Thomas Culpeper, as
well as Diana Princess of Wales and the modern day Culpeppers, are all apparently descended from
Sir Thomas Culpeper of Brenchley and Bayhall (1230-1309). This Thomas was the grandson of the
earliest Culpepper of whom we have record: Sir Thomas Culpeper (born abt. 1170).
In the table below, each line of boxes represents a
different generation, and contains the child or children of the person
in the box immediately above it.
Sir Thomas
Culpeper
b 1170 |
John
Culpeper
b 1200 |
Sir Thomas
Culpeper of Brenchley and
Bayhall
1230-aft. 1309 |
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Walter Culpeper of
Preston Hall, 1266-1321
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Sir Thomas Culpeper of
Bayhall
1260-1321 |
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Sir Geoffrey Culpeper
of Preston Hall, 1317-1390 |
Sir John Culpeper of Hardreshull and
Bayhall
1305-1370 |
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William
Culpeper of Preston Hall, 1342-1402 |
Sir Thomas Culpeper of
Bayhall,
Hardreshull and Exton, 1356-1428 |
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Sir John Culpeper of
Oxen Hoath, Knight, 1366-1414 |
Walter Culpeper of
Goudhurst
1400-1462 |
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Sir William Culpeper of
Preston Hall,
Knight, 1387-1457 |
Sir John Culpeper of
Bayhall,
Hardreshull and Bedgebury
1430-1480 |
Sir Richard Culpeper of
Oxenhoath
1413-1484 |
Sir Alexander Culpeper of Bedgebury and Hardreshull
1454-1541 |
Walter Culpeper of
Calais and Wigsell
1475-1515 |
Joyce Culpeper,
1480-1525
(& Lord Edmund Howard) |
Thomas
Culpeper, d 1542, lover of Catherine Howard.
No Descendants |
William Culpeper of Wigsell
1509-1559 |
Catherine, 1521-1542, fifth Queen of
King Henry VIII
No Descendants |
John Culpepper of Wigsell
1531-1612 |
Thomas Culpeper of
Wigsell
1561-1613 |
John Culpepper
of Feckenham
1565-1635 |
John Lord Culpeper, 1st Baron of Thoresway
1599-1660 |
John Culpepper,
the Merchant
1606-a1633 |
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Elizabeth Culpeper
1637-1709
(Married James Hamilton,
Groom of the Chamber to Charles II)
Ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales |
Henry
Culpeper of Lower Norfolk, VA*
c1633-1675+
Progenitor of the modern-day
American Culpeppers |
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* DNA testing has now raised doubts about the
ancestry of Henry Culpepper of Lower Norfolk. |
Thus, it appears, that the lovers, Catherine and Thomas were 6th
cousins, once removed.
It is believed by most Culpepper researchers that most American Culpeppers are
descended from the Wigsell line, which started with Walter Culpeper of Calais and Wigsell.
Thus, the relationship of these American Culpeppers
to Catherine Howard and Thomas Culpeper is as follows:
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Thomas Culpepper is a first cousin, a dozen or more times removed, and |
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Catherine Howard is a seventh cousin, a dozen or more times removed. |
Catherine's ancestry as
depicted in chart form in the Culpepper Family Tree
Catherine was also a first cousin of Anne Boleyn, Second
Queen of Henry VIII, with both being granddaughters of Thomas Howard, 2nd
Duke of Norfolk.
Last Revised:
22 Oct 2008
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