William de la Pole (Chief Baron of the Exchequer)

William de la Pole
Born	between 1290 and 1295
Died	June 21, 1366(1366-06-21) (aged 76) Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)	Wool trader, royal financier, Chief Baron of the Exchequer
Known for	Founder of the de la Pole family; royal financier; first mayor of Kingston upon Hull; founder of Charterhouse Monastery in Hull

Sir William de la Pole (deceased 21 June 1366) was a prosperous wool trader based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. He evolved into a royal financier and briefly held the position of Chief Baron of the Exchequer. As the progenitor of the de la Pole lineage, he laid the foundation for a family that swiftly ascended through commerce and finance to achieve noble titles such as Earls and Dukes of Suffolk. By the late 1300s, he was regarded as unrivaled among English merchants. Additionally, he established the Charterhouse Monastery located in Kingston upon Hull.

Origins

William de la Pole is believed to have been the second eldest among three siblings, which included Richard de la Pole (who died in 1345), also engaged in commerce, and a younger brother named John. His birth likely occurred between 1290 and 1295. Details regarding his early years and parentage remain unclear, complicated by several contemporaneous individuals named William de la Pole residing in Hull. Historical inquiry has found no conclusive evidence about their parents; some accounts mention a father named William from Ravenser or Hull, but this remains unverified.

Earlier historians from the Victorian era and before identified his father as William de la Pole, described variously as either a merchant or a knight. Some tenuous associations exist with a merchant William de la Pole from Totnes, yet these lack firm proof. Multiple sources name Elena as his mother and widow of the elder William; however, this claim is contested and may originate from misread wills connected to related families. It is probable that the brothers were orphans from a notable family, with prominent merchants John and Robert Rotenhering serving as their guardians. The estate of John Rotenhering notably passed to the brothers following the death of his heir without issue.

Contemporary research concludes that neither the name nor occupation of William’s father can be definitively established. Some theories link them to knightly lineages such as descendants of Sir Griffin de la Pole, indicating a background blending mercantile apprenticeship with noble heritage—consistent with their rapid rise and royal affiliations.

Career

William and his brother Richard commenced their mercantile activities in Ravenser before relocating to Kingston upon Hull during the 1310s. By 1317, both held deputy roles under the Royal Chief Butler and acted as chamberlains of Hull between 1321 and 1324. Throughout the 1320s, William expanded his wool export operations from Hull and extended substantial loans to Edward II amid conflicts with France over Gascony, including sums of £1,800 and £1,000 in 1325. The brothers invested £306 towards strengthening Hull’s defenses, establishing their local prominence.

After Edward II’s deposition, their influence increased under Edward III’s regency. They financed military endeavors with loans surpassing £13,000 by 1329, rivaling prominent financiers like the Florentine Bardi family. The De la Poles gained privileges and rewards, including acquiring the manor of Myton in 1330. William became Hull’s inaugural mayor from 1332 until 1335 and represented the town in Parliament during that decade. The brothers ended their business partnership in 1331.

During the 1330s, William’s service to the crown intensified through provisioning and commissioning vessels for campaigns against Scotland and France during the early phases of the Hundred Years War. He co-administered the English Wool Company, created to finance royal wars via control over wool trade; nevertheless, smuggling activities undermined these efforts. Between June 1338 and October 1339, Edward III borrowed more than £100,000 from William, who purchased the king’s financially troubled estate at Burstwick for £22,650—an acquisition that caused royal dissatisfaction. In 1339, William settled a 50,000-florin loan from the Archbishop of Trier by pledging the king’s crown as security. That same year he was knighted as a Knight Banneret and appointed Baron of the Exchequer.

In 1340, both William and Richard were detained over failures related to the English Wool Company; William was confined at Devizes Castle and had properties confiscated until all accusations were dismissed in 1344. From 1343 to 1345 he restructured royal war financing through a newly formed company. During peacetime in the 1350s, renewed allegations regarding wool smuggling compelled him to surrender Burstwick; in 1354 he discharged all royal debts in exchange for a pardon.

In 1350, William founded Hull’s Maison Dieu hospital. Shortly before his demise, he obtained royal permission to establish a religious institution originally intended for the Order of Saint Clare, but it was completed by his son Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk as a Carthusian monastery dedicated to St. Michael (see Charterhouse, Kingston upon Hull).

Death and burial

William de la Pole passed away on 22 June 1366. Numerous accounts indicate his interment took place at the Holy Trinity Church, Hull within the tomb referred to as the de la Pole tomb. However, Fryde and other historians highlight that his ultimate resting place was alongside his wife Katherine (who died in 1382) at the Carthusian monastery church in Hull, which was founded in 1377.

Marriage and issue

He was wed to Katherine de Norwich, daughter of Sir Walter de Norwich. Katherine's date of death was 28 January 1382. Together, they had six children: four sons and two daughters:

• Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk
• Edmund de la Pole, who served as Captain of Calais in 1387
• Sir Walter de la Pole, Knight
• Sir Thomas de la Pole, Knight (deceased in 1361)
• Blanche de la Pole, spouse of Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton
• Margaret de la Pole, married to Robert Neville of Hornby

Notable descendants

For a century and a half, William de la Pole's lineage played influential roles within English history, including several holders of the title Duke of Suffolk, who participated prominently in the 'Hundred Years' War' against France. The family's prominence waned following the House of York's loss of the English crown during the late 15th century. Among distinguished male heirs were:

• John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln (circa 1462–1487), designated heir by Richard III; perished at the Battle of Stoke supporting Yorkist claimant Lambert Simnel;
• Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk (1471–1513), executed under Henry VIII for asserting a claim to the throne as a Yorkist successor;
• William de la Pole (1478–1539), confined in the Tower of London by Henry VII due to a potential royal claim; died after spending 37 years imprisoned;
• Richard de la Pole (1480–1525), Yorkist pretender who fell at the Battle of Pavia.