Sir Francis Bryan

Sir Francis Bryan (about 1490 – 2 February 1550) was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always retained Henry's favour, achieving this by altering his opinions to conform to the king's. His rakish sexual life and his lack of principle at the time of his cousin Anne Boleyn's downfall led to his earning the nickname the Vicar of Hell.

About 1490, Francis Bryan was born in Buckinghamshire, England. He was the son of Sir Thomas Bryan and Margaret Bourchier, and came to court at a young age. There he became, along with his brother-in-law Nicholas Carew, one of "the King's minions", a group of young gentlemen of the Privy chamber who held much sway with Henry and were known for their intemperate behaviour. In 1519, Bryan and Sir Edward Neville disgraced themselves in the eyes of the minions' detractors when, during a diplomatic mission to Paris, they threw eggs and stones at the common people.

Under the influence of Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Francis was removed from the Privy chamber in 1519, and again in 1526 as part of the Eltham Ordinances. Shortly after this he lost an eye in a tournament at Greenwich, and had to wear an eyepatch from then on. Then in 1528, when Sir William Carey's death left a vacancy in the Privy chamber, Bryan returned to fill his place, possibly through the good offices of his cousin Anne Boleyn. From then on he was highly influential, becoming one of the king's most favoured companions, and a leading member of the faction who wished to break Wolsey's grip on power. He also sat in the Parliament of England as Member for Buckinghamshire probably in 1529 and certainly in the parliaments of 1539, 1542 and 1545.

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