English: St Mary's Church, Shelton, Norfolk, wall of north aisle - chest tomb of Sir John Shelton (b. in or before 1503, d. 1558), the eldest son of Sir John Shelton and Anne Boleyn, the aunt of Queen Anne Boleyn. John's sister, Mary Shelton, who married Sir John Heveningham, was possibly the mistress of Henry VIII of England during 1535. Inscribed: "Here lies buried Sir John Shelton, who married Margaret, the daughter of Lord Morley, and had issue Raphe, Anne, Airs, and Marie. He died .... November, Anno Dom 1558" (see: Blomefield, History of Norfolk, Vol.V, p.267, quoted by Farrer) (Farrer, Edmund, Church Heraldry of Norfolk, Vol 1 (1885), p.196 [1])

Marriage and issue

He married Margaret Parker, daughter of w:Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley, by whom he had issue:

• w:Sir Ralph Shelton, who succeeded his father and married Mary Woodhouse, a daughter of Sir William Woodhouse, a distant cousin of Sir John's wife. w:Audrey Walsingham was their daughter.
• Anne Shelton
• Alice Shelton
• Mary Shelton
• Thomas Shelton

Heraldry

Farrer (1885): I should think, from the appearance of the tombs in this church, that the shields thereon were repainted about fifty years ago, without any regard to tinctures. In every case the field of the Shelton coat is " vert," whereas it should be " azure." I have given them exactly as they are, and where it is evident what they ought to be, I have stated it.
7 shields:

• 1: Azure, a cross or (Shelton)
• 2: ..... impaling Shelton
• 3:Shelton impaling ....
• 4: Shelton impaling Woodhouse
• 5: .... impaling Shelton
• 6: Shelton impaling "Morley" (Parker?)
• 7: Shelton

Other information

St Mary's church > 1402294 - 1402300 is situated set back from a rural lane with the Old Rectory adjoining in the north. It is famed for its architecture, with its clerestory and high arcades > 1402307 and no discernible dividing feature between nave and chancel. The church as we see it today was built by Sir Ralph Shelton, High Sherriff of Norfolk in the mid-15th century. In the north-eastern corner there are several chest tombs to Shelton family members, the south-eastern corner is occupied by a tomb to Sir Robert Houghton > 1029370. The probably most noteworthy feature of the church are its stained glass windows, the east window > 1402317 and several of the aisle windows > 1402314 containing medieval glass.