Geoffrey Pole
Encyclopedia
Sir Geoffrey Pole of Lordington, Sussex
(c. 1501 or 1502 - November 1558) was an English knight who supported the Catholic Church in England and Wales when Henry VIII of England
was establishing the alternative Church of England
with himself as leader.
, and of Cardinal
Reginald Pole, being the youngest son of Sir Richard Pole
(d. 1505), by his wife Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
. He was one of the knight
s made by Henry VIII at York Place in 1529. Soon afterwards, or before 9 July 1528, he married Constance Pakenham, the elder of the two daughters and co-heirs of Sir Edmund Pakenham, Gentleman Usher
to Catherine of Aragon
, who died in 1528 and by whom he became possessed
of the Manors
of Eastcourt and Lordington at Racton
in West Sussex
, Sussex. From 1531 his name is met with in commissions of various kinds, both for Hampshire
and for Sussex
.
Like the rest of his family, he greatly disliked Henry VIII
's proceedings for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon
. In 1532, when the king went over to Calais
with Anne Boleyn
to meet Francis I of France
, he crossed the sea in disguise, and keeping himself unseen in the apartments of his brother, Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, who had gone over with the king, stole out at night to collect news. Montacute sent him back to England to inform Queen Catherine
that Henry had not succeeded in persuading Francis to countenance his proposed marriage with Anne Boleyn
. Next year, however, his name appears set down not with his own good will, we may be sure among the knights appointed 'to be servitors' at Anne Boleyn's coronation. But a week after, on Thursday, 5 June, he dined with the Princess Mary; and frequently, when Anne Boleyn was queen, he visited her imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys
, to assure him that the emperor would find the hearts of the English people with him if he invaded England to redress the wrong done to Queen Catherine
. He added that he himself wished to go to the emperor in Spain
, which Chapuys wisely dissuaded him from doing.
, against the northern rebels at Doncaster
; but his sympathies were really with the rebels, and he was determined beforehand not to act against them. Norfolk, however, was aware that the insurgents were too strong to be attacked, and Sir Geoffrey had no occasion to desert the royal standard. A letter of Lord De la Warr
, perhaps misplaced in the ' Calendar' in October 1536, speaks of his causing a riot by a forcible entry into Slindon
Park, which he was afterwards ordered in the king's name immediately to quit. In October 1537 when he came to court the king refused to see him; and a letter of his to the lord chancellor, dated at Lordington, 5 April, in which he hopes for a return of the king's favour, was probably written in 1538, though placed among the state papers of 1537. On 29 August 1538 he was arrested and sent to the Tower of London
.
This was a blow aimed at his whole family, whom the king had long meant to crush on account of the part taken by his brother Reginald the cardinal. For nearly two months Geoffrey lay in prison; on 26 October a set of interrogations was administered to him, first about words dropped by himself in private conversation, when he had expressed approval of his brother's proceedings, and next as to the letters and messages he or his mother, or others of his family, had received. On 4 December 1538 he pled guilty at his trial for treason, but was pardoned on 4 January 1539. In 1541 he fled abroad following his mother's execution.
to the bishop of Liege
, allowing him forty crowns a month to live upon. There he chiefly lived till the close of Edward VI's reign. His wife and family, however, were still at Lordington, and he had a strong desire to return to England. In 1550 he visited Sir John Mason at Poissy
, while on a journey to Rouen
. He explained that he was riding up and down that summer to see countries, and vainly begged Mason to procure leave for him to return to England. He was excepted from the general pardon granted at the end of the parliament in 1552. After Queen Mary's
accession in 1553 he returned to England.
. He was attended in his last illness by Father Peter de Soto. His widow Constance, who made her will
on 1 or 2 August 1570 and died after 12 August 1570, desired to be buried beside him. He left five sons (the eldest son Arthur) and six daughters, two of whom were married, and one a nun
of Syon Abbey
; one of the married daughters was the mother of John Fortescue, whose daughter Elizabeth Fortescue (died aft. 16 April 1652) married Sir John Beaumont, 1st Baronet:
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
(c. 1501 or 1502 - November 1558) was an English knight who supported the Catholic Church in England and Wales when Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
was establishing the alternative Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
with himself as leader.
Early life
He was brother of Henry Pole, 1st Baron MontaguHenry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu
Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu , the only holder of the title Baron Montagu under its 1514 creation, was most famous as one of the peers in the trial of Anne Boleyn.-Life:...
, and of Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Reginald Pole, being the youngest son of Sir Richard Pole
Sir Richard Pole
Sir Richard Pole, KG was a Welsh supporter of King Henry VII created Knight of the Garter and married to Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, a member of the Plantagenet dynasty, to reinforce the Tudor alliance between the houses of Lancaster and York.-Family:A descendant of an ancient Welsh...
(d. 1505), by his wife Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury was an English peeress, one of two women in sixteenth-century England to be a peeress in her own right with no titled husband, the daughter of George of Clarence, the brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III...
. He was one of the knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s made by Henry VIII at York Place in 1529. Soon afterwards, or before 9 July 1528, he married Constance Pakenham, the elder of the two daughters and co-heirs of Sir Edmund Pakenham, Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.-Historical:...
to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, who died in 1528 and by whom he became possessed
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of the Manors
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
of Eastcourt and Lordington at Racton
Racton
Racton is a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies on the B2147 road 2.1 miles northeast of Emsworth and within the civil parish of Stoughton. The hamlet lies along the River Ems. 0.4 miles north of the hamlet is the Racton Monument, constructed between 1766 and 1775...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, Sussex. From 1531 his name is met with in commissions of various kinds, both for Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and for Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
Like the rest of his family, he greatly disliked Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's proceedings for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
. In 1532, when the king went over to Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
with Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
to meet Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, he crossed the sea in disguise, and keeping himself unseen in the apartments of his brother, Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, who had gone over with the king, stole out at night to collect news. Montacute sent him back to England to inform Queen Catherine
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
that Henry had not succeeded in persuading Francis to countenance his proposed marriage with Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. Next year, however, his name appears set down not with his own good will, we may be sure among the knights appointed 'to be servitors' at Anne Boleyn's coronation. But a week after, on Thursday, 5 June, he dined with the Princess Mary; and frequently, when Anne Boleyn was queen, he visited her imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys was a Savoyard diplomat who served as the Imperial ambassador to England from 1529 until 1545 and is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence.-Life:...
, to assure him that the emperor would find the hearts of the English people with him if he invaded England to redress the wrong done to Queen Catherine
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
. He added that he himself wished to go to the emperor in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, which Chapuys wisely dissuaded him from doing.
Pilgrimage of Grace and imprisonment
In 1536, on the suppression of the smaller monasteries, he purchased from the commissioners such goods as then remained of the abbey of Dureford in Sussex, near Lordington. In the end of that year he is said to have commanded a company, under the Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
, against the northern rebels at Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
; but his sympathies were really with the rebels, and he was determined beforehand not to act against them. Norfolk, however, was aware that the insurgents were too strong to be attacked, and Sir Geoffrey had no occasion to desert the royal standard. A letter of Lord De la Warr
William West, 1st Baron De La Warr
William West, 1st Baron De La Warr, of the second creation was nephew and adopted heir of Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr. William West was the eldest son of Sir George West, the third of four brothers, and of Elizabeth Morton, daughter of Sir George Morton of Lechlade...
, perhaps misplaced in the ' Calendar' in October 1536, speaks of his causing a riot by a forcible entry into Slindon
Slindon
Slindon is a small village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, nestling in woodlands on the southern edge of the South Downs. Slindon lies approximately seven miles north-east of Chichester...
Park, which he was afterwards ordered in the king's name immediately to quit. In October 1537 when he came to court the king refused to see him; and a letter of his to the lord chancellor, dated at Lordington, 5 April, in which he hopes for a return of the king's favour, was probably written in 1538, though placed among the state papers of 1537. On 29 August 1538 he was arrested and sent to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
This was a blow aimed at his whole family, whom the king had long meant to crush on account of the part taken by his brother Reginald the cardinal. For nearly two months Geoffrey lay in prison; on 26 October a set of interrogations was administered to him, first about words dropped by himself in private conversation, when he had expressed approval of his brother's proceedings, and next as to the letters and messages he or his mother, or others of his family, had received. On 4 December 1538 he pled guilty at his trial for treason, but was pardoned on 4 January 1539. In 1541 he fled abroad following his mother's execution.
Exile
He found his way to Rome, and threw himself at the feet of his brother the cardinal, saying he was unworthy to be called his brother for having caused another brother's death. The cardinal brought him to the pope for absolution, and afterwards sent him into FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
to the bishop of Liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
, allowing him forty crowns a month to live upon. There he chiefly lived till the close of Edward VI's reign. His wife and family, however, were still at Lordington, and he had a strong desire to return to England. In 1550 he visited Sir John Mason at Poissy
Poissy
Poissy is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.In 1561 it was the site of a fruitless Catholic-Huguenot conference, the Colloquy at Poissy...
, while on a journey to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. He explained that he was riding up and down that summer to see countries, and vainly begged Mason to procure leave for him to return to England. He was excepted from the general pardon granted at the end of the parliament in 1552. After Queen Mary's
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
accession in 1553 he returned to England.
Death and issue
He died in 1558, a few days before his brother the cardinal, and was buried at Stoughton ChurchStoughton, Leicestershire
Stoughton is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire.It is just east of Leicester, and sits in countryside between two protusions of the Leicester urban area . The closest part of the city of Leicester is Evington...
. He was attended in his last illness by Father Peter de Soto. His widow Constance, who made her will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
on 1 or 2 August 1570 and died after 12 August 1570, desired to be buried beside him. He left five sons (the eldest son Arthur) and six daughters, two of whom were married, and one a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
of Syon Abbey
Syon Abbey
Syon Monastery , was a monastery of the Bridgettine Order founded in 1415 which stood until its demolition in the 16th c. on the left bank of the River Thames within the parish of Isleworth, in the county of Middlesex on or near the site of the present Georgian mansion of Syon House...
; one of the married daughters was the mother of John Fortescue, whose daughter Elizabeth Fortescue (died aft. 16 April 1652) married Sir John Beaumont, 1st Baronet:
- Arthur Pole of Lordington, Sussex (1531 - bet. January 1570 and 12 August 1570)
- Thomas Pole of Lordington, Sussex, and of West Stoke, Sussex (between 1532 and 1540 - between 12 August 1570 and 2 November 1570), married to Mary, family unknown, who died around March 1576, widow of John Lewes and married thirdly to Francis Cotton, without issue
- Edmund Pole of Lordington, Sussex, and of West Stoke, Sussex (?) (1541 - after 12 August 1570), who was imprisoned with his brother Arthur before 12 August 1570 in the Tower of LondonTower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, after conspiring with him to advance his own or Mary, Queen of Scots' claims to the throne of England, in the Tower of LondonTower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
from October 1562 or 1563; on 26 February 1563 at the Tower of London, his brother was found guilty of treason, and imprisoned there, where he died. - Geoffrey Pole of Lordington, Sussex, and of West Stoke, Sussex (1546 - before 9 March 1590/1591), who was educated at Winchester CollegeWinchester CollegeWinchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, married before 1573 Catherine Dutton, who died after 1608, and had three sons:- Henry Pole (bef. 1570 - aft. 1570)
- Arthur Pole of Lordington, Sussex, and of West Stoke, Sussex (c. 1575 - murdered, Rome, 23 June 1605), who was educated at the Palazzo Farnese, in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, along with the son of Alexander Farnese, Duke of ParmaAlexander Farnese, Duke of ParmaAlexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
, and became Lord of the ManorLord of the ManorThe Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of WaldertonWaldertonWalderton is a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies on the B2146 road 4 miles northeast of Emsworth....
, Sussex, and a Member of the HouseholdHouseholdThe household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
of Cardinal Odoardo Farnese, unmarried and without issue - Geoffrey Pole of Lordington, Sussex, and of West Stoke, Sussex (c. 1577 - assassinated, Rome, bef. 7 January 1619), who was educated at the seminaries, in DouaiDouai-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and at the English College, in Rome, Italy, unmarried and without issue
- Henry Pole
- Catherine Pole
- Catherine Pole
- Elizabeth Pole
- Mary Pole
- Margaret Pole
- Ann Pole