17/09/2026
A brief overview of Rochford Hall and some of the iconic Tudors who owned it and resided there.
Rochford Hall had been in the Boleyn family since 1515 when Marguerite Butler - husband of Sir William Boleyn - inherited the property from her late father.
Their son, Thomas Boleyn, made Rochford Hall his primary residence in 1517, gaining the title Viscount of Rochford in 1525. In addition to the manor of Rochford he also owned the manors of Leigh as well as Rayleigh.
After his elevation to Earl of Ormond and Earl of Wiltshire in 1529 his son, the ill-fated George Boleyn, took the title Viscount Rochford.
However, in 1536, George and Anne Boleyn were executed for treason on dubious charges, and so the property was passed on to Mary - the last surviving child of Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn - and her husband William Stafford. It is not known if they lived there however it is believed that Mary died there in 1543, the Hall passing on to her son by her first marriage, Henry Carey.
Henry was popular with Elizabeth I; he was the last and closest relation that the Queen had as an adult. He was partly responsible for the enormous expansion of the site, using building materials from the recently demolished complex at Prittlewell Priory (see image 1).
He was also the last member of the Boleyn family to own Rochford Hall, as he sold the property to Lord Richard Rich in 1550.
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich, was a beneficiary of the dissolution of the monasteries as he was chancellor of the Court of Augmentations. He owned some 100 manors in Essex, including Rochford, Prittlewell, Southchurch and Milton.
He died at Rochford Hall in 1567 and is buried in Felsted Church, Essex.
Images:
1. Rochford Hall (www.rochfordhundredgolfclub.co.uk)
2. Rochford Hall, early twentieth century.
