General Notes

REFN: 12632AN
K.B.
Baron of the Exchequer
?  Memorial Inscription plaque mounted in Trinity Church, Kingston Upon Hu
ll, Yorkshire East Riding, England.
Cokayne's Complete Peerage in Dave's Database.
Dave's Database. Utzinger, Dave, Rootsweb's WorldConnect, World Wide We
b: Available: [Online]: (http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?
db=utzing) [30 August 2002].
WILLIAM DE LA POLE, in 1319 with his brothers Richard and John obtain
ed an acknowledgment of a debt; in 1325 he was pardoned for acquiring t
he manor of Linby, Notts. In 1327 grants were made to his brother Richa
rd (King's butler) and himself towards the King's indebtedness to them, a
nd thereafter they constantly appear as advancing money to the King. In M
ay 1329, with his brother, he was appointed gauger of wines throughout t
he kingdom, but this appointment was vacated on the fall of Mortimer by t
he re-appointment in December 1330 of the previous holder, who had been re
moved without the King's consent; in the same month, however, the brother
s, described as King's serjeants, were granted that they should have for l
ife the custody of the town of Hull, on the death of the then warden, Robe
rt Hastang, and were subsequently appointed jointly with him. William w
as M.P. for Hull in 1328, 1332, 1334, 1335, 1336 and 1338. In July 1331, d
escribed as King's yeoman and merchant, he received a sum out of the custo
ms of Hull in return for paying the expenses of Queen Philippa's househol
d. In February 1332/3 Henry de Beaumont and Isabel de Beaumont, Lady of Ve
scy, were licensed to demise to him for ten years the manor of Barton, Lin
cs. In 1333 he was mayor of Hull, and in the same year, and again in 133
5, was appointed to treat with Lewis, Count of Flanders. On 23 Sep. 13
34 he had his writ de expensis for attending Parliament at Westminst
er on 2o September. On 7 October 1337 he was summoned to be at London on t
he morrow of St. Andrew to give counsel. In 1337 he was an executor of t
he will of John le Gras, who had been sheriff of Yorkshire. In 1338 he w
as three times summoned to be before the Council, in February and Novemb
er in London, in July at Northampton. In June 1338, for a sum of £6,000, t
he King enfeoffed him of certain manors for ten years. In August 1338, des
cribed as King's merchant, he was mayor of the staple in Antwerp. In Octob
er he was with the King overseas. On 26 September 1339 he was appointed 2
nd Baron of the Exchequer. From 1339-1349 he is described as "Lord of Hold
erness, knight and merchant." In July 1340 he had returned from Dordrech
t, and a commission was appointed to audit his accounts. He is styled knig
ht. In August he had licence to go beyond seas to sell wool, in return f
or one of his frequent loans to the King. In November 1340 the King cross
ed from Flanders to London, and had some of the judges and officers of sta
te arrested privily by night, among them William de la Pole. On 16 May 13
42 it was ordered that he should be released from the Fleet prison on bei
ng mainperned to be before the Treasurer and Barons from day to day to ren
der his accounts. In 1344 claims were made against him and another as rece
ivers of wool, and a commission was appointed to consider whether they mig
ht be relieved. In the same year it was ordered that he should have his o
wn lands, but not those which he had had from the King by gift or purchas
e. In July 1345 he was directed to go to London to treat with certain lieg
es on arduous affairs of the realm, and in February 1346/7 to attend a cou
ncil in London to speak on secret matters. In March 1348/9 he was collect
or of the custom of wool hides and wool fells in the port of Hull, and w
as ordered to be before the King and his council at Westminster on the d
ay after Low Sunday to speak upon certain matters touching the realm. In N
ovember 1354 he was licensed to found a hospital in Hull. In May 13
55 it is recorded that in r