Unpublished IPMs: Katherine, widow of Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, 1419
Posted by: mholford 10 years, 8 months ago
This inquisition, made pursuant to a writ of melius inquirendo, was the second to be made into the Suffolk lands of Katherine, widow of Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk. It ought to have appeared in CIPM xxi immediately after inquisition 290, which was the response from Norfolk to the same writ of melius inquirendo, enquiring whether the current earl was the male heir of Katherine's husband (a single writ had been sent to John Lancastre as escheator in both Norfolk and Suffolk). Its omission from CIPM xxi must have been accidental, as the two inquisitions are filed side by side in C 138/40.
The information supplied in the inquisition is the same as that given for other counties in inquisitions 287, 290, 292 and 294, all held in response to identical writs of melius inquirendo. Interestingly, the jurors here are identical to those in inquisition 290 for Norfolk, which was held on the previous day in Harleston, about 7 miles from Hoxne where this inquisition was taken. Holding this inquisition to provide a short answer to a simple question, which was probably common knowledge, can hardly have taken very long - having done it for Norfolk in Harleston did the escheator and the jurors really then troop 7 miles and delay a night before giving the same answer to the same question in Hoxne for Suffolk? One suspects that in reality both inquisitions were taken simultaneously in one place on one day (if indeed they took place physically at all).
KATHERINE, WIDOW OF MICHAEL DE LA POLE, EARL OF SUFFOLK
[Writ: see 290]
SUFFOLK. Inquisition [indented]. Hoxne. 10 November 1419. [Lancastre].
Jurors: Richard Gerard; Richard Syger; John Ony; John Skut; John Karyol; Richard Sheldrake; John Holmynge; William Seyve; John Mayn; William Bacoun; John Lytyll; and John Baker.
William de la Pole is the brother and heir male of Michael, son and heir of Michael de la Pole, late earl of Suffolk, by virtue of the grant specified in the writ [i.e., a grant by Richard II to Michael de la Pole (father of Michael the father of the present earl of Suffolk), to have and to hold to him and the heirs male of his body], because Michael the son died without heirs male of his body.
C138/40/62 mm. 10, 12 [to be calendared as CIPM xxi.290A]