Several posters are quite right about Jane Parker, the daughter of Lord Morely and wife of George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford. She did indeed testify against her husband on the charge of incest with the queen his sister. Her motives for doing so remain mysterious. It is true that most writers have assumed that her marriage was unhappy, although it has recently been claimed that it did produce one son, George Boleyn, who died as Dean of Lichfield in the reign of James I.
Lady Rochford continued her habit of spying on Henry's later wives, but became close to Katherine Howard and assisted her by making the arrangements for her 'conversations' with Culpepper. Again, her possible motivation is obscure apart from the fact that she and the young queen were related. Professor Starkey is convinced that no actual act of adultery took place between Katherine and Thomas Culpepper and indeed there is no documentray evidence to support the idea. Lady Rochford is said to have become insane before her execution on the same day as Katherine Howard and there appears to have been some hesitation as to whether or not it was legal to execute a mad person. Norfolk's step-mother, the old Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, was imprisoned in the Tower as was her daughter Lady Bridgewater and a number of other Howards. They were all charged with "misprision of Treason" i.e. knowing all about it, but saying nothing. Within a relatively short time, however, they were all released. Norfolk was not imprisoned until the very end of Henry VIII's reign when his son, the poet Earl of Surrey was arrested for Treason and executed. The Duke his father was due to follow him to the block, but Henry VIII died the night before the sentence was to be carried out. In the power struggles which followed over the next three days, no-one felt strong enough to give the final order. Norfolk survived until released by Mary I and died in his bed.
