nicholas grimald was born to a modest yeoman family of farmers in 1519–20. his parents are unknown, despite the popular belief that his father was giovanni baptista grimaldi. the poem "a funeral song, upon the death of annes his moother", accounts for his mother's death. grimald's mother has been speculated to be agnes gyrmbold, who dies in 1555. the poem mentions his hardworking father, but focuses upon the fondness that he had for his mother. grimald saw his parents love and devotion for each other and expressed that in the poem. he was the only boy out of many girls.