Joan Bulmer

{{Short description|English courtier (1519–1590)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

Joan Bulmer (1519 – December 1590), born Joan Acworth, was an English gentlewoman and courtier.

The daughter of George Acworth and Margaret Wilberforce, Joan married William Bulmer at a young age. The marriage was short lived, however, as she left his house to enter into the service of Agnes Tilney, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. While in service to the duchess, Bulmer became acquainted with Katherine Howard, who would go on to become the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. It was during this time that Joan became involved in an affair with Edward Waldegrave.{{cite web|url=http://www.kateemersonhistoricals.com/TudorWomenA.htm|title=A Who's Who of Tudor Women (A)|work=kateemersonhistoricals.com|accessdate=9 February 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002211016/http://www.kateemersonhistoricals.com/TudorWomenA.htm|archivedate=2 October 2014}}

When Katherine Howard married Henry VIII, Joan requested that Katherine offer her a place in her household due to their previous association.{{cite web|url=http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/howard.html|title=Catherine Howard: Facts, Biography, Portraits & Information|author=Marilee Mongello|work=englishhistory.net|date=31 January 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2015}} When Katherine was arrested, Bulmer was called upon to testify against the Queen and detail the aspects of her early life.

After Katherine's trial and execution, Joan was released. She subsequently went on to marry Edward Waldegrave and resided at Lawford Hall in Essex.{{cite web|url=http://www.cloptonfamily.org/d_hist/wmmanors.html|title=English History|work=cloptonfamily.org|accessdate=9 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010306152522/http://www.cloptonfamily.org/d_hist/wmmanors.html|archive-date=6 March 2001|url-status=dead}}

A letter from her to Katherine has survived.{{Cite web |title=Henry VIII: July 1540, 11-20 {{!}} British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol15/pp436-445 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}