Sir Francis Weston (1511 – 1536)
The story so far…
Week 7: Entirely Beloved Cromwell (Part 2)
One of the foot-devils carrying Wolsey at the farce held at Hampton Court after the cardinal’s death. Cromwell makes a mental note.
Week 9: Arrange Your Face (Part 2)
The young Francis Weston is there that night when Thomas Cromwell holds up the weary king. “Weston, who is young and lightly built, is showing signs of buckling at the knees.”
At Advent, Cromwell eats with Anne Boleyn. Afterwards, Henry Norris says Weston is jealous of everyone Anne looks at it. Even the fat butcher, Thomas Cromwell. “To Francis, one tradesman’s the same as the next.”
Week 18: Falcons
The king favours Weston. He is at Wolf Hall and goads Thomas Cromwell, “the shearsman.” He says Cromwell’s daughters must have been “a shrewd hand with a poleaxe.”
He knows that in Henry’s presence I will not give him a check; he imagines what form that check may take, when he delivers it.
Weston says that Cromwell obtained More’s guilty verdict with a hatchet and a leg of mutton. Later, Gregory and Rafe take revenge in a play-act:
‘This is Francis Weston. You think he is helping put the king to bed, but in fact we have him here in ghostly form. We stood around a corner and waited for him with a magic net.’
Week 19: Crows (Part 1)
Stephen Gardiner calls Weston “that chattering coxcomb.” He is one of the new men “whom Henry has taken up because he thinks they keep him young.”
When Cromwell re-routes the court’s progress to Elvetham, Rafe asks why they don’t stay at the Westons.
Drown or hang the Westons, he thinks. The Westons are no part of this plan.
Week 21: Angels
At Greenwich, someone is dressed as a dragon.
Norris snorts. 'Francis Weston.' He pushes back his wooly wig to reveal his noble forehead. 'Said dragon is going to waggle waggle to the queen's apartments to beg for sweatmeats.'
‘She will play with him and pat his little rump. She’s fond of puppy dogs.’
Week 24: The Black Book (Part 3)
Rafe overhears Weston making fun of the king in Anne’s chambers: ‘Has she not the wettest cunt you ever groped?’
Week 25: Master of Phantoms (Part 1/5)
Mary Shelton tells Cromwell of Weston professing his love for Anne.
Week 26: Master of Phantoms (Part 2/5)
Mark Smeaton names Weston as one of Anne’s lovers.
Week 27: Master of Phantoms (Part 3/5)
Francis Weston’s family have already tried to buy Cromwell off. They even approach the king. But Henry will not relent. Bribery fails, so Weston abases himself. He talks about his wife and son and how he has not lived. ‘I know how I have undone myself.’
Francis is on the brink of denouncing Norris. But, ‘impelled by something’, Cromwell breaks off the interrogation and leaves the room.
Week 28: Master of Phantoms (Part 4/5)
The order goes to the Tower, ‘Bring up the bodies.’
Weston, Brereton, Smeaton and Norris are tried to together in Westminster Hall on 12 May. The three gentlemen try to keep apart from Mark, but this brings them too close together for their liking. They know their fate now, and all express contrition, ‘thought none but Mark has said for what.’
Week 29: The Book of Phantoms (Part 5/5) / Spoils
He is executed on 17 May 1536 at Tower Hill. With the others, he said he was a sinner and deserved to die. Afterwards, his body is stripped, and the headless bodies become anonymous corpses. This creates a problem when it comes to burying Rochford in the chapel.