Individual Details
Sir William De La Pole
(1302 - 21 Jun 1366)
WILLIAM DE LA POLE (d), in 1319 with his brothers Richard and John obtained an acknowledgment of a debt; in 1325 he was pardoned for acquiring the manor of Linby, Notts. In 1327 grants were made to his brother Richard (King's butler) and himself towards the King's indebtedness to them, and thereafter they constantly appear as advancing money to the King. In May 1329, with his brother, he was appointed gauger of wines throughout the kingdom, but this appointment was vacated on the fall of Mortimer by the re-appointment in December 1330 of the previous holder, who had been removed without the King's consent; in the same month, however, the brothers, described as King's serjeants, were granted that they should have for life the custody of the town of Hull, on the death of the then warden, Robert Hastang, and were subsequently appointed jointly with him. William was M.P. for Hull in 1328, 1332, 1334, 1335, 1336 and 1338. In July 1331, described as King's yeoman and merchant, he received a sum out of the customs of Hull in return for paying the expenses of Queen Philippa's household. In February 1332/3 Henry de Beaumont and Isabel de Beaumont, Lady of Vescy, were licensed to demise to him for ten years the manor of Barton, Lincs. In 1333 he was mayor of Hull, and in the same year, and again in 1335, was appointed to treat with Lewis, Count of Flanders. On 23 Sep. 1334 he had his writ de expensis for attending Parliament at Westminster on 2o September.
On 7 October 1337 he was summoned to be at London on the morrow of St. Andrew to give counsel. In 1337 he was an executor of the will of John le Gras, who had been sheriff of Yorkshire. In 1338 he was three times summoned to be before the Council, in February and November in London, in July at Northampton. In June 1338, for a sum of £6,000, the King enfeoffed him of certain manors for ten years. In August 1338, described as King's merchant, he was mayor of the staple in Antwerp. In October he was with the King overseas. On 26 September 1339 he was appointed 2nd Baron of the Exchequer. From 1339-1349 he is described as "Lord of Holderness, knight and merchant." In July 1340 he had returned from Dordrecht, and a commission was appointed to audit his accounts. He is styled knight. In August he had licence to go beyond seas to sell wool, in return for one of his frequent loans to the King. In November 1340 the King crossed from Flanders to London, and had some of the judges and officers of state arrested privily by night, among them William de la Pole. On 16 May 1342 it was ordered that he should be released from the Fleet prison on being mainperned to be before the Treasurer and Barons from day to day to render his accounts (a). In 1344 claims were made against him and another as receivers of wool, and a commission was appointed to consider whether they might be relieved. In the same year it was ordered that he should have his own lands, but not those which he had had from the King by gift or purchase. In July 1345 he was directed to go to London to treat with certain lieges on arduous affairs of the realm, and in February 1346/7 to attend a council in London to speak on secret matters. In March 1348/9 he was collector of the custom of wool hides and wool fells in the port of Hull, and was ordered to be before the King and his council at Westminster on the day after Low Sunday to speak upon certain matters touching the realm. In November 1354 he was licensed to found a hospital in Hull. In May 1355 it is recorded that in return for his great services in lending money to the King, he had been made knight and banneret; but in the preceding February there were proceedings pending against him in the Exchequer, and he had apparently been imprisoned, because the Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer were directed to let him go free until after Easter without mainprise. In March he surrendered certain manors, and on 6 August executed a release to the King from all debts up to the preceding 20 November. In 1360 he was in France, and in June he and his wife had a grant of escheated land in Yorkshire, in consideration of his great services to the King and the great place which he held in many ways in his necessities. In October 1362 he was going beyond seas, and in May 1363, styled 'chivaler,' he was pardoned for selling wool intended for export.
He married Katharine (m). He died 21 June 1366, and was buried at Trinity Church, Kingston-upon-Hull. M.I. Will dated 18 Aug 1365. Katherine survived him and died 28 January 1381/2.
[Complete Peerage XII/1:434-7, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]
(d) There is a full account of this family in Napier, "Hist. Notices of Swyncombe and Ewelme, passim." According to Frost, "Notices relating to the Early History of the Town and Port of Hull", p. 31, he was son of a certain Elena by her 1st husband. She m. 2ndly John Rotenheryng, a prosperous inhabitant of Hull, who had been Warden of the town in 1311-12, and who made his will in Dec 1328, appointing William to be one of his executors, and describing him as Elena's son. Frost and Napier, apparently following Dugdale, who relies on the Collections of Robert Glover, Somerset, says that Elena's 1st husband was William de la Pole, an active merchant in Hull. In support the Pipe Roll of 26 Edward I is cited, with no mention of the county or the nature of the entry. The name occurs occasionally as "atte Pole." The brothers were all wool-merchants. In the index of personal names to de Lettenhove's edition of Froissart it is alleged that William was cousin german to Sir William de la Pole of Powysland, but no evidence is cited and none is known.
On 7 October 1337 he was summoned to be at London on the morrow of St. Andrew to give counsel. In 1337 he was an executor of the will of John le Gras, who had been sheriff of Yorkshire. In 1338 he was three times summoned to be before the Council, in February and November in London, in July at Northampton. In June 1338, for a sum of £6,000, the King enfeoffed him of certain manors for ten years. In August 1338, described as King's merchant, he was mayor of the staple in Antwerp. In October he was with the King overseas. On 26 September 1339 he was appointed 2nd Baron of the Exchequer. From 1339-1349 he is described as "Lord of Holderness, knight and merchant." In July 1340 he had returned from Dordrecht, and a commission was appointed to audit his accounts. He is styled knight. In August he had licence to go beyond seas to sell wool, in return for one of his frequent loans to the King. In November 1340 the King crossed from Flanders to London, and had some of the judges and officers of state arrested privily by night, among them William de la Pole. On 16 May 1342 it was ordered that he should be released from the Fleet prison on being mainperned to be before the Treasurer and Barons from day to day to render his accounts (a). In 1344 claims were made against him and another as receivers of wool, and a commission was appointed to consider whether they might be relieved. In the same year it was ordered that he should have his own lands, but not those which he had had from the King by gift or purchase. In July 1345 he was directed to go to London to treat with certain lieges on arduous affairs of the realm, and in February 1346/7 to attend a council in London to speak on secret matters. In March 1348/9 he was collector of the custom of wool hides and wool fells in the port of Hull, and was ordered to be before the King and his council at Westminster on the day after Low Sunday to speak upon certain matters touching the realm. In November 1354 he was licensed to found a hospital in Hull. In May 1355 it is recorded that in return for his great services in lending money to the King, he had been made knight and banneret; but in the preceding February there were proceedings pending against him in the Exchequer, and he had apparently been imprisoned, because the Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer were directed to let him go free until after Easter without mainprise. In March he surrendered certain manors, and on 6 August executed a release to the King from all debts up to the preceding 20 November. In 1360 he was in France, and in June he and his wife had a grant of escheated land in Yorkshire, in consideration of his great services to the King and the great place which he held in many ways in his necessities. In October 1362 he was going beyond seas, and in May 1363, styled 'chivaler,' he was pardoned for selling wool intended for export.
He married Katharine (m). He died 21 June 1366, and was buried at Trinity Church, Kingston-upon-Hull. M.I. Will dated 18 Aug 1365. Katherine survived him and died 28 January 1381/2.
[Complete Peerage XII/1:434-7, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]
(d) There is a full account of this family in Napier, "Hist. Notices of Swyncombe and Ewelme, passim." According to Frost, "Notices relating to the Early History of the Town and Port of Hull", p. 31, he was son of a certain Elena by her 1st husband. She m. 2ndly John Rotenheryng, a prosperous inhabitant of Hull, who had been Warden of the town in 1311-12, and who made his will in Dec 1328, appointing William to be one of his executors, and describing him as Elena's son. Frost and Napier, apparently following Dugdale, who relies on the Collections of Robert Glover, Somerset, says that Elena's 1st husband was William de la Pole, an active merchant in Hull. In support the Pipe Roll of 26 Edward I is cited, with no mention of the county or the nature of the entry. The name occurs occasionally as "atte Pole." The brothers were all wool-merchants. In the index of personal names to de Lettenhove's edition of Froissart it is alleged that William was cousin german to Sir William de la Pole of Powysland, but no evidence is cited and none is known.
Events
| Birth | 1302 | Ravenser Odd, Yorkshire, England | |||
| Death | 21 Jun 1366 | Hull, Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England | |||
| Burial | Trinity Church, Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire, England | ||||
| Title (Nobility) | Baron of the Exchecker |
Families
| Child | Michael De La Pole (1329 - 1389) |
| Father | William Ap Gruffydd De La Pole (1275 - 1328) |