William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Encyclopedia
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, KG
(16 October 1396 at Cotton, Suffolk
, – 2 May 1450), nicknamed Jack Napes (whence the word "jackanapes"), was an important English soldier and commander in the Hundred Years' War
, and later Lord Chamberlain
of England.
He also appears prominently in William Shakespeare
's Henry VI, part 1
and Henry VI, part 2
and other literature.
and Katherine de Stafford
, daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford
, KG
, and Philippa de Beauchamp
.
Almost continually engaged in the wars in France, he was seriously wounded during the siege of Harfleur
(1415), where his father was killed. Later that year his older brother Michael de la Pole, 3rd Earl of Suffolk
was killed at the Battle of Agincourt
, and William succeeded as 4th Earl. He became co-commander of the English forces at the siege of Orléans
(1429), after the death of Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury
. When that city was relieved by Joan of Arc
in 1429, he managed a retreat to Jargeau
where he was forced to surrender on 12 June. He remained a prisoner of Charles VII of France
for three years, and was ransomed in 1431.
After his return to the Kingdom of England
in 1434 he was made Constable of Wallingford Castle
. He became a courtier and close ally of Cardinal
Henry Beaufort. His most notable accomplishment in this period was negotiating the marriage of King Henry VI
with Margaret of Anjou
(1444). This earned him elevation to Marquess of Suffolk that year but a secret clause was put in the agreement which gave Maine and Anjou back to France which was partly to cause his downfall. His own marriage took place on 11 November 1430, (date of licence), to (as her third husband) Alice
(1404–1475), daughter of Thomas Chaucer
of Ewelme
, Oxfordshire, and granddaughter of the notable poet Geoffrey Chaucer
and his wife Philippa (de) Roet
.
With the deaths in 1447 of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
and Cardinal Beaufort, Suffolk became the principal power behind the throne
of the weak and compliant Henry VI. In short order he was appointed Chamberlain, Admiral of England, and to several other important offices. He was created Earl of Pembroke
in 1447 and Duke of Suffolk
in 1448.
The following three years saw the near-complete loss of the English possessions in northern France, and Suffolk could not avoid taking the blame for these failures, partly because of the loss of Maine and Anjou through his marriage negotiations regarding Henry VI. On 28 January 1450 he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London
. He was banished for five years, but on his journey to France his ship was intercepted, and he was executed. It was suspected that his archenemy the Duke of York
was responsible for his beheading on the gunwales of a boat and his body was thrown overboard. He was later found on the seashore near Dover and the body was brought to a Church in Suffolk, possibly Wingfield
, for burial, seemingly at the wishes of his wife Alice.
The body of de la Pole was returned to the Collegiate Church at Wingfield, Suffolk
, where it was buried beneath a purfled arch.
in 1463.
De la Pole also fathered an illegitimate daughter named Jane de la Pole, with a nun
, Malyne de Cay. "The nighte before that he was yolden [yielded himself up in surrender to the Franco-Scottish forces of Joan of Arc
on 12 June 1429] he laye in bed with a Nonne
whom he toke oute of holy profession and defouled, whose name was Malyne de Cay, by whom he gate a daughter, now married to Stonard of Oxonfordshire". (Historic MSS Commission, 3rd Report, pps.279–280). Jane de la Pole (d. 28 February 1494) was married before 1450 to Thomas Stonor (1423–1474), of Stonor
, Oxfordshire. Their son Sir William Stonor, KB
, was married to Anne Neville, daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
and had two children: John Neville, married to Mary Fortesque, daughter of Sir John Fortesque of Punsburn, Hereford
, but died without issue; and Anne Neville, married to Sir Adrian Fortesque, who distinguished himself at Bosworth Field and at the Battle of the Spurs; he was beheaded in 1539. Thomas Stonor and Jane de la Pole's two other sons were Edward and Thomas. Thomas Stoner married Savilla Brecknock, daughter of Sir David Brecknock. His great-great-grandson Thomas Stoner (18 December 1626 – 2 September 1683) married in 1651 Elizabeth Nevill (b. 1641), daughter of Sir Henry Nevill, 9th Baron Bergavenny
and his second wife Katherine Vaux, daughter of The Hon. George Vaux and sister of Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden
. Thomas's son John Stoner (22 March 1654 – 19 November 1689) married on 8 July 1675 Lady Mary Talbot, daughter of Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury
and wife Jane Conyers, daughter of Sir John Conyers.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(16 October 1396 at Cotton, Suffolk
Cotton, Suffolk
Cotton is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located to the east of the Great Eastern Main Line, the parish also includes the hamlet of Dandy Corner. In 2005 its population was 510....
, – 2 May 1450), nicknamed Jack Napes (whence the word "jackanapes"), was an important English soldier and commander in the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
, and later Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
of England.
He also appears prominently in William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Henry VI, part 1
Henry VI, part 1
Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare, and possibly Thomas Nashe, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
and Henry VI, part 2
Henry VI, part 2
Henry VI, Part 2 or The Second Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
and other literature.
Biography
William was the second son of Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of SuffolkMichael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk was an English nobleman who supported Henry IV against Richard II. He died during the Siege of Harfleur in 1415....
and Katherine de Stafford
Katherine de Stafford
Katherine de Stafford, Countess of Suffolk was a daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and his wife Philippa de Beauchamp...
, daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford
Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford
Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford, KG was the eldest son of Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford and Margaret de Audley.Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford succeeded to the title of 3rd Lord Audley circa 1358...
, KG
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, and Philippa de Beauchamp
Philippa de Beauchamp
Philippa de Beauchamp was the daughter of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick and Katherine Mortimer.On or before 1 March 1350 she married Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford, son of Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford and Margaret Audley, Baroness Audley.Philippa and Hugh had seven...
.
Almost continually engaged in the wars in France, he was seriously wounded during the siege of Harfleur
Harfleur
-Population:-Places of interest:* The church of St-Martin, dating from the fourteenth century.* The seventeenth century Hôtel de Ville .* Medieval ramparts * The fifteenth century museums of fishing and of archaeology and history....
(1415), where his father was killed. Later that year his older brother Michael de la Pole, 3rd Earl of Suffolk
Michael de la Pole, 3rd Earl of Suffolk
Michael de la Pole, 3rd Earl of Suffolk was an English nobleman, the eldest son of Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk and Katherine de Stafford....
was killed at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
, and William succeeded as 4th Earl. He became co-commander of the English forces at the siege of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
(1429), after the death of Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury
Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury
Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury, 6th and 3rd Baron Montacute, 5th Baron Monthermer, and Count of Perche, KG was an English nobleman...
. When that city was relieved by Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
in 1429, he managed a retreat to Jargeau
Jargeau
Jargeau is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.It lies about south of Paris.-External links:*...
where he was forced to surrender on 12 June. He remained a prisoner of Charles VII of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
for three years, and was ransomed in 1431.
After his return to the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
in 1434 he was made Constable of Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
. He became a courtier and close ally 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...
Henry Beaufort. His most notable accomplishment in this period was negotiating the marriage of King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
with Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
(1444). This earned him elevation to Marquess of Suffolk that year but a secret clause was put in the agreement which gave Maine and Anjou back to France which was partly to cause his downfall. His own marriage took place on 11 November 1430, (date of licence), to (as her third husband) Alice
Alice de la Pole
Alice de la Pole, Duchess of Suffolk was an English Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.Alice was born Alice Chaucer, daughter to Thomas Chaucer and Matilda Burghersh. Her grandfather was the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. When she was 11 she married Sir John Philip. The couple lived briefly at...
(1404–1475), daughter of Thomas Chaucer
Thomas Chaucer
Thomas Chaucer was the Speaker of the English House of Commons and son of Geoffrey Chaucer and Philippa Roet.-Life:...
of Ewelme
Ewelme
Ewelme is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, northeast of the market town of Wallingford.To the east of the village is Cow Common and to the west, Benson Airfield, the north-eastern corner of which is within the parish boundary.The solid geology is chalk...
, Oxfordshire, and granddaughter of the notable poet Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
and his wife Philippa (de) Roet
Philippa (de) Roet
Philippa Roet - also known as Philippa Pan or Philippa Chaucer - was the sister of Katherine Swynford and the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer.-Early life:...
.
With the deaths in 1447 of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Pembroke, KG , also known as Humphrey Plantagenet, was "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of king Henry IV of England by his first wife, Mary de Bohun, brother to king Henry V of England, and uncle to the...
and Cardinal Beaufort, Suffolk became the principal power behind the throne
Power behind the throne
The phrase power behind the throne refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of an office. In politics, it most commonly refers to a spouse, aide, or advisor of a political leader who serves as de facto leader, setting policy through influence or manipulation.The...
of the weak and compliant Henry VI. In short order he was appointed Chamberlain, Admiral of England, and to several other important offices. He was created Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
in 1447 and Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in British history, all three times in the Peerage of England.The third creation of the dukedom of Suffolk was for Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, in 1551. The duke also held the title Baron Ferrers of Groby...
in 1448.
The following three years saw the near-complete loss of the English possessions in northern France, and Suffolk could not avoid taking the blame for these failures, partly because of the loss of Maine and Anjou through his marriage negotiations regarding Henry VI. On 28 January 1450 he was arrested and imprisoned in 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...
. He was banished for five years, but on his journey to France his ship was intercepted, and he was executed. It was suspected that his archenemy the Duke of York
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
was responsible for his beheading on the gunwales of a boat and his body was thrown overboard. He was later found on the seashore near Dover and the body was brought to a Church in Suffolk, possibly Wingfield
Wingfield, Suffolk
Wingfield is a village in the English county of Suffolk. It is found east of Diss, signposted off B1118, near Eye.Wingfield Castle, which is now a private house, was for many centuries the home of the Wingfield family and their heirs, the De La Poles, Earls and Dukes of Suffolk...
, for burial, seemingly at the wishes of his wife Alice.
The body of de la Pole was returned to the Collegiate Church at Wingfield, Suffolk
Wingfield, Suffolk
Wingfield is a village in the English county of Suffolk. It is found east of Diss, signposted off B1118, near Eye.Wingfield Castle, which is now a private house, was for many centuries the home of the Wingfield family and their heirs, the De La Poles, Earls and Dukes of Suffolk...
, where it was buried beneath a purfled arch.
Descendants
William de la Pole's only known legitimate son, John, became 2nd Duke of SuffolkJohn de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, KG , known as "the Trimming Duke". He was the son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Alice Chaucer, daughter of Thomas Chaucer.-Life:...
in 1463.
De la Pole also fathered an illegitimate daughter named Jane de la Pole, with 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...
, Malyne de Cay. "The nighte before that he was yolden [yielded himself up in surrender to the Franco-Scottish forces of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
on 12 June 1429] he laye in bed with a Nonne
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...
whom he toke oute of holy profession and defouled, whose name was Malyne de Cay, by whom he gate a daughter, now married to Stonard of Oxonfordshire". (Historic MSS Commission, 3rd Report, pps.279–280). Jane de la Pole (d. 28 February 1494) was married before 1450 to Thomas Stonor (1423–1474), of Stonor
Stonor
Stonor Park is a private park and historic country house at Stonor, about north of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England, close to the county boundary with Buckinghamshire.-Setting:...
, Oxfordshire. Their son Sir William Stonor, KB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, was married to Anne Neville, daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu KG was a Yorkist leader in the Wars of the Roses, best-known for eliminating Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV of England....
and had two children: John Neville, married to Mary Fortesque, daughter of Sir John Fortesque of Punsburn, Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, but died without issue; and Anne Neville, married to Sir Adrian Fortesque, who distinguished himself at Bosworth Field and at the Battle of the Spurs; he was beheaded in 1539. Thomas Stonor and Jane de la Pole's two other sons were Edward and Thomas. Thomas Stoner married Savilla Brecknock, daughter of Sir David Brecknock. His great-great-grandson Thomas Stoner (18 December 1626 – 2 September 1683) married in 1651 Elizabeth Nevill (b. 1641), daughter of Sir Henry Nevill, 9th Baron Bergavenny
Henry Nevill, 9th Baron Bergavenny
Sir Henry Nevill, de facto 9th Baron Bergavenny was an English Peer and MP.The son of Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny, he succeeded to the Barony upon the death of his father in 1622....
and his second wife Katherine Vaux, daughter of The Hon. George Vaux and sister of Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden
Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden
Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden was an English peer. He was the son of George Vaux and his wife Elizabeth Vaux , and the grandson and heir of William Vaux, 3rd Baron Vaux of Harrowden...
. Thomas's son John Stoner (22 March 1654 – 19 November 1689) married on 8 July 1675 Lady Mary Talbot, daughter of Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury
Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury
Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury, 11th Earl of Waterford was an English peer, the second son of the 10th Earl of Shrewsbury....
and wife Jane Conyers, daughter of Sir John Conyers.
Jackanapes
De la Pole's nickname "Jacknapes" comes from “Jack of Naples”, a slang term for a monkey at the time. The phrase “of Naples” was rendered “a Napes” in vernacular. It probably derives from *Jak a Napes, presumably circa 1400. Monkeys were one of many exotic goods from Naples exhibited in Britain, hence acquired the nickname Jack a Napes. It acquired the meaning "upstart person", from its use as de la Pole's nickname. He was one of first nouveau riche nobles, risen from the merchant class. The family used a collar and chain on their coat of arms, which was an unfortunate choice, as this was more associated with monkey leashes, leading to the derisive nickname Jack Napis for de la Pole, yielding the insult.Literature
- De la Pole is a major character in two Shakespeare plays. His negotiation of the marriage of Henry and Margaret is portrayed in Henry VI, Part 1Henry VI, part 1Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare, and possibly Thomas Nashe, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
. Shakespeare's version has de la Pole fall in love with Margaret. He negotiates the marriage so that he and she can be close to one another. His disgrace and death is depicted in Henry VI, part 2Henry VI, part 2Henry VI, Part 2 or The Second Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
.
- His murder is the subject of the traditional English folk ballad Six Dukes Went a-FishingSix Dukes Went a-Fishing"Six Dukes Went a-Fishing" is a traditional English folk ballad.-Synopsis:Six dukes go to the coast on a fishing trip but find the body of another duke, that of Grantham, washed up on the shore. They take him away, embalm his remains with sweet-smelling ointments and bury him...
(RoudRoud Folk Song IndexThe Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
# 78)
- De la Pole is the main protagonist in Susan Curran's historical novel A Heron's Catch, pub 1989, Fontana Press.
- A fictionalised version of William de la Pole plays an important role in many of the fourteen detective novels of Margaret FrazerMargaret FrazerMargaret Frazer is the pen name of an historical novelist known for more than twenty mystery novels and a variety of short stories. The pen name was originally used by Gail Frazer and Mary Monica Pulver Kuhfeld in their collaboration on The Novice's Tale, the first of the Sister Frevisse books...
, which take place in 1440s England.
- De la Pole is one of the three dedicatees of Geoffrey HillGeoffrey HillGeoffrey Hill is an English poet, professor emeritus of English literature and religion, and former co-director of the Editorial Institute, at Boston University. Hill has been considered to be among the most distinguished poets of his generation...
's sonnet sequence, "Funeral Music" (first published in Stand magazine; collected in King Log, Andre Deutsch 1968). Hill speculates about de la Pole in the essay appended to the poems.