Edmund De La POLE
(4th E. Suffolk)
Born: 1471, Wingfield, Suffolk, England
Died: 30 Apr 1513, beheaded
Buried: 4 May 1513, Church of the Minories, without Aldgate
Notes: Knight of the Garter.
Father: John De La POLE (2° D. Suffolk)
Mother: Elizabeth PLANTAGENET (D. Suffolk) BEF 10 Oct 1496, Bentley, Yorkshire, England
Married: Margaret SCROPE (C. Suffolk)
Children:
1. Anne De La POLE (Nun) (b. ABT 1497)
2. Elizabeth De La POLE (b. ABT 1498 - d. AFT 1513, plague)
Fifth son of John De La Pole, 2nd duke of Suffolk (1442-1491), and Elizabeth Plantagenet, second daughter of Richard, duke of York, and Cecily Neville.
Following the death of his older brother at the Battle of Stoke, Edmund became the leading Yorkist claimant to the throne. Nevertheless, Henry spared his life and allowed him to succeed as Duke of Suffolk in 1491, though at some time later, Edmund's title was demoted to the rank of Earl. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir Richard Scrope.
The headstrong Edmund did not have his father's pragmatism, and a title was not enough for him. He left the Kingdom of England in 1501, this time seeking the help of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. He drew others such as Sir James Tyrrell into his intrigue. In 1506, Phillip, Duke of Burgundy, the Emperor's son was blown off course while sailing, and reluctantly and unexpectedly became a guest of Henry VII. Needing to set sail again in order to claim his wife's inheritance (Castile), he was persuaded by Henry to hand over the Earl of Suffolk. Henry agreed to the proviso that Suffolk would not be harmed, and restricted himself to imprisoning the Earl.
The next king, Henry VIII, did not feel bound to this agreement, and had Suffolk executed in 1513, thus ridding himself of any threat to his throne during his absence for the invasion in France that year.
His younger brother Richard de la Pole declared himself Earl of Suffolk and was the leading Yorkist pretender until his death at the Battle of Pavia on 24 Feb 1525.
All the Suffolk estates, both those in the eastern counties and those at A life-interest in the Ewelme property was considerately granted by the King to Margaret, wife of Edmund; the remaining estates were conferred on Charles Brandon, who later on was created Duke of Suffolk, and who, it happened, was maternally descended from the Sir Edmund De la Pole who died in 1419. Edmund and Margaret left only one child, a daughter, who died a professed nun in a convent in the Minories in London; and with her perished at the last of the once powerful race of De la Pole.
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