![]() ![]() Michael died of dystentary at Harfleur his heir Michael became 3rd Earl of Suffolk super briefly before he died not long afterwards at Agincourt, ‘as strong, as active and as daring as any member of the court’. He played little part in the early Lancastrian reigns, but in 1415 was part of Henry V’s campaign – a disastrous one for the de la Poles. ![]() Richard didn’t like the company he kept – but finally in 1398 was allowed to become the 2nd Earl of Suffolk. He kept close to the Lord Apellant, going on crusade to Lithuania with Thomas of Woodstock in 1391 for example and he petitioned Richard to restore all his lands and titles. Parliament however had not declared his lands forfeit t his heirs, just his titles – and so his son, also Michael de la Pole (1367-1415) was able to inherit some of his lands. Despite the height of his rise, de la Pole had not forgotten his roots in Hull, keeping a large house there and founding a house of the Poor Clares. In the Wonderful Parliament of 1386, he was impeached, but none the less remained in royal favour, and so fell with the king when the Merciless Parliament of 1388 convicted him of treason, he was banished. Michael was fiercely loyal to the royal cause, and the Lords Appellant fixed on de la Pole as a proxy for the king. But the war went from bad to worse and royal finances went with it. But it was under Edward III’s successor Richard II that Michael’s career really took off his appointment as Chancellor in 1383 seemed to be completely uncontroversial, and in 1385 he was made Earl of Suffolk. He campaigned with Henry of Lancaster and Edward the Black Prince through the glory days of the 100 Years War. Michael de la Pole (1330-1389) behaved like a knight, and put his merchant background behind But by the time of his death, William’s influence had seen the introduction of the staple and the royal and merchants monopolistic dominance of the wool trade while the family fortunes rode high William’s widow was living in comfort with over £200 a year, and his son William was called to parliament as a knight 5 months before William died, not doubt to his enormous satisfaction- the de la Poles had made the jump from Merchant to noble. As Edward III’s finances suffered, so did the de la Pole’s, and indeed king and de la Poles fell out badly. From there they became closely connected with the Royal court, lending large amounts of money which delivered interest as high as 22%. William de la Pole (c.1290-1366) and his brother Richard (d.1345) built a wool business in Hull, Yorkshire. The origins of the family are obscured by the destruction of their papers in the peasants revolt of 1381, but their fame was built on the foundations of the 14th century merchant class. ![]() Not until the last of them was dead could the Tudors rest easy on their throne. Their history is also evidence of the dangerous times in which they lived, and the curse of the blood of York. The story of the de la Pole family – from ‘rags to rags’ over 6 generations between 12, is evidence that there were ways to escape the rigidity of medieval society.
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