A SUFFOLK teenager will give a new meaning to keeping it in the family when he follows in the footsteps of his famous ancestor Anne Boleyn.

A SUFFOLK teenager will give a new meaning to keeping it in the family when he follows in the footsteps of his famous ancestor Anne Boleyn.

Jack Bullen, 16, will set off on a sponsored 300-mile bike ride on Sunday aiming to generate £10,000 to help disadvantaged orphans in eastern Europe and Africa.

The journey is based on a rough route of the life of the former Queen of England who was married to Henry VIII prior to being beheaded - and is also a distant relative of the Bildeston youngster.

Jack, a pupil at Framlingham College, is descended from one of Anne's uncles making him a collateral descendant. Over time the name Boleyn has become Bullen.

Jack, who is being partnered on the ride by a school friend, said: “I wanted to raise money but do something out of the ordinary at the same time.

“As a descendant of Anne Boleyn and a keen history buff, I decided that it would be a good idea to follow a rough route of her life.

“We are studying the Elizabethan period at the moment and this journey will give me a chance to learn more about historical places.”

Jack will start his bike ride from Blickling Hall in Norfolk, the supposed birthplace of Anne Boleyn, and finish at the Tower of London where she was executed in 1536. He is planning to stay the night at castles and houses she visited on route.

Jack is aiming to raise £10,000. Part of the money will go towards funding a school expedition to Chile and Bolivia next summer with the rest going to the charity Hope and Homes.

The charity helps find families for orphans and provides physiotherapy for children who often spend years in a small cot.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Jack is asked to call him on 01449 740497.

WEBLINK

www.hopeandhomes.org

Are you a descendant from someone famous? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

N The second wife of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn had a short life, marred by manipulation and misfortune.

N She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and her mother, Elizabeth Howard, was daughter of the Duke of Norfolk.

N Anne was popular had many suitors including the heir to the Earldom of Northumberland Henry Percy, but her father had bigger plans for her.

N Henry VIII had already had an affair with Anne's sister .

N Anne married Henry VIII in 1533 but after a public celebration of their union, Henry's interest in Anne cooled.

N Their relationship went even more sour with the birth of Princess Elizabeth - who the king wanted to be a boy - and then a stillborn male child.

N The queen was arrested, accused of adultery and sentenced to death in 1536.