John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk

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Sir John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, 2nd Marquess of Suffolk, 5th Earl of Suffolk, K.G., (27 September 1442 – d. between 29 October 1491 and 27 October 1492), known as "the Trimming Duke", he was the son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (executed in 1450) and Alice Chaucer, daughter of Thomas Chaucer.

He was married to Lady Margaret Beaufort on 7 February 1450, (the Papal Dispensation to marry was not signed until 18th August 1450), but the marriage was annulled by the authority of Henry VI of England in February 1453.

Before February 1458, John married Elizabeth of York, (b.22 April 1444 at Rouen, Normandy, d. between January 1503 - May 1504), the second surviving daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville. She was also a younger sister to Edward IV of England and Edmund, Earl of Rutland as well as an older sister to Margaret of York, George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Richard III of England. The Duke of Suffolk was therefore brother-in-law to two Kings of England, Edward IV and Richard III.

On 23 March 1463 he was created Duke of Suffolk, by Letters Patent. He was Constable of Wallingford Castle and held the honour of Wallingford. In 1472 he was made a Knight of the Garter and appointed High Steward of Oxford University. He was also sometime Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

He was buried at Wingfield, Suffolk.

[edit] Children

In 1460, he and Elizabeth of York were parents to eleven known children:

• John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln (c.1462 - June 16 1487). Designated heir to his maternal uncle Richard III of England. He married Lady Margaret FitzAlan. No issue.
• Geoffrey de la Pole (b. 1464), died young.
• Edward de la Pole (1466-1485). Archdeacon of Richmond.
• Elizabeth de la Pole (c.1468 - 1489), married to Henry Lovel, Lord Morley.
• Edmund de la Pole, 6th Earl of Suffolk, (1471 - April 30 1513), (beheaded).
• Dorothy de la Pole (b.1472), died young.
• Humphrey de la Pole (1474-1513), in Holy Orders.
• Anne de la Pole (1476-1495), Nun.
• Catherine de la Pole (c.1477 - 1513), married to William, 5th Lord Stourton.
• William de la Pole, Knt., of Wingfield, (1478-after January 1504).
• Richard de la Pole (1480-February 24 1525), at the battle of Pavia, 'Pretender' for the English Crown.

[edit] References

• Burke's General Amorie, London, 1844, gives the Duke's arms as: "Az. a fesse between three leopards or."
• Burke, John, and John Bernard, The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales, with their Descendants, Sovereigns and Subjects, London, 1851, vol. 2, pedigrees CLXIX and CCI.
• Burke, Sir Bernard, Ulster King of Arms, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire, London, 1883, p. 441.
• Richardson, Douglas, Plantagenet Ancestry, Baltimore, Md., 2004, p. 690.
• Richardson, Douglas, Magna Carta Ancestry, Baltimore, Md., 2005, p. 268-9.

Peerage of England
Preceded by William de la Pole	Duke of Suffolk	Succeeded by Edmund de la Pole