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From: Tim Powys-Lybbe <>
Subject: Re: CP Addition: Richard Pole's 1st marriage to Alice Stradling
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:57:01 +0100
References: <5cf47a19.0404052115.45e1f23@posting.google.com>


In message of 6 Apr, (Douglas Richardson) wrote:

> In answer to your request for information regarding the will of
> Geoffrey Pole/Poole, I can provide the following particulars. The
> will commences "In the name of God Amen ... I Geoffrey Poole of
> Northend in the parish of Medmenham in county Buckingham, Esquire."

Thanks. At least it confirms that Testamenta Vetusta got his Esquire
right.

> The will is dated 12 October 1478, and proved 21 March [year not given
> but 1478/9 is the correct date]. In his will, he refers to his wife,
> Bone; his daughter, Eleanor [Alianor]; and his two sons, Richard and
> Henry. The will is divided into two parts both with the same date,
> one written in Latin and one written in English. Neither the second
> part of the will, nor the probate clause mentions Geoffrey's social
> rank. The probate clause merely states that the above will was
> probated 21 March [1478/9] and that administration of the estate was
> granted to Richard Alfred, one of the executors named in the will.
> There is an indication that "power" was "reserved," presumably in
> favor of the other executor, Morgan Kidwelly.
>
> On the second page of the will (11-12 lines from the bottom), the
> testator specifically refers to his two sons as "Richard Pole" and
> "Henry Pole." This suggests that the names, Poole and Pole, were
> entirely interchangeable in this period.

Thanks for this transcript of the transcript of the original
(presumably now lost? These days they keep the originals but I wonder
if they kept them in those times?).

> There is nothing in this will which would preclude Geoffrey Pole from
> having been knighted between the date of the will and his death date.

Agreed. But there is nothing to say that he was so knighted,
particularly if he was on his death-bed, as his will-writing would
indicate.

> Consequently, if Macnamara has copied the Corston deeds correctly
> involving Geoffrey's widow, Bone, it would appear that Geoffrey Pole
> was knighted shortly before his death. I concur with you that the
> Corston deeds should be consulted.

I look forward to this.

Sounds like the jury is still out and the only evidence so far has him
to be plain Esquire.

> With respect to the spelling of the surname, all the records

Were these the records themselves or transcriptions or abstracts of the
records?

> I found which refer to Geoffrey Pole's son, Richard, in the period,
> 1484-1490, spell Richard's surname as Pole, not Poole. As such, I
> presume that the prevalent spelling of the surname after 1484 was
> Pole.

But not prevalent in the various visitation records of 80 to 120 years
later, that is the curious matter. It may be that people remote from
the family spelt the name differently to those close to the family?

Does anyone know of any documents written by cardinal Reginald Poole in
which he names himself? I have looked for his will but can't find it.
Nor can I find on the PRO site the wills of Richard, Reginald's father,
or of Richard's eldest son Henry.

--
Tim Powys-Lybbe
For a miscellany of bygones: http://powys.org

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