Henry Pole

Sir Henry Pole, Lord Montagu as played by Jake Maskall

born 1492 - executed January 9, 1539 by order of King Henry VIII
Character's backstory: Eldest son of Margaret Pole, Lady Salisbury ( A Plantagent) and Sir Richard Pole. He had been knighted by the King in 1513 and had accompanied the King & Queen Katherine of Aragon at the Field of Cloth of Gold.

He sat in the parliament of July 1530. He and his mother were seriously distressed that year about the book which his brotherReginald Pole sent to the king, and each wrote to him in reproachful terms, but it was apparently to satisfy the council by whom the letters were read and dispatched.

He was also one of the peers who convicted Anne Boleyn in May of 1536.
At the outbreak of the Lincolnshire rebellion in the beginning of October 1536, he received orders to be ready at a day's warning to serve against the insurgents with two hundred men But the musters were countermanded on the speedy suppression of the insurrection, and it is doubtful whether he was sent against the Yorkshire rebels afterwards.15 Oct. 1537 he took part in the ceremonial at the christening of Prince Edward Tudor On 12 Nov. following he and Lord Clifford attended Princess Mary Tudor as she rode from Hampton Court Palace to Windsor, as chief mourner at the funeral of Jane Seymour.

Although perfectly loyal to the King, he was a staunch Roman Catholic and disapproved of the dissolution of the Monasteries and the Protestant movement. He often said in private he wished he was overseas with the bishop of Liege, as his brother had been, and that knaves ruled about the king. Early in 1538 his wife died, and his interest in public affairs consequently decreased. But Henry VIII was not ignorant of his opinions, and obtained positive evidence of them by the examination of his brother, Sir Geoffrey Pole, in the Tower in October and November 1538.

He had been arrested for his sympathies along with his mother and younger brother Geoffrey Pole who was "examined" by Cromwell in the Tower and gave the evidence he needed to attainder his brother. In late November 1539, he and Henry Courtenay, Lord Exeter who had at times communicated on public affairs were tried. The indictments in each case were to the same effect. They had both expressed approval of Reginald Pole's proceedings, and Henry had said he expected civil war one day from the course things were taking, especially if the king were to die suddenly. 27 peers unanimously found them guilty of treason and both were beheaded on Tower Hill.

Gentility: Descended from the Plantagenets who had tenuous claim to the throne

Position: invested as a Knight in 1513.
He was created 1st Lord Montagu on 12 October 1514.
He held the office of Steward of Manors belonging to Tewkesbury Abbey in 1526 and he held the offices of Justice of the Peace for Somerset, Hampshire, Dorset and Sussex 1530 - 1538

Personality type:

Signature look:

Endearing trait(s):

Annoying trait(s):

Click EasyEdit to update this page!

(Don't see the EasyEdit button above? <a href="../#signin" target="_self">Sign in</a> or <a href="../accountnew" target="_self">Sign up</a>.)

"little offended save that he is of their kin."
- Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex

RE: Henry Pole's Son

The series shows Henry Pole, Lord Montagu's son Henry as a young child being arrested and being led off by the hand to an undisclosed fate by Edward Seymour. This character is possibly an amalgamation of two historical characters.

1. Along with the Poles, the Courtenays were also arrested, Father, Mother and son Edward Courtenay, Duke of Devon who was 11 years old at the time. He was imprisoned for 15 years and released on Mary Ist's accession, dying when he was 29 yrs old either of poisoning or syphilis.

2. Lord Montagu's son was named Henry and may have been attainted with his father and grandmother, Margaret Pole, Lady Salisbury but he was 18 years old and may have died in the tower as he disappears from documents soon after his father's execution.

Finally if anyone was involved in these arrests it would have been Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex and not Edward Seymour.

CHARACTER CONNECTIONS

Family members:
Grandfather: George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence brother of King Edward IV and played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses. He made the mistake of plotting against his brother Edward IV, was imprisoned in the Tower of London and put on trial for treason. Following his conviction, he was "privately executed" at the Tower on 18 Feb 1478
Mother: Margaret Plantagenet (Pole) Lady Salisbury
Father: Sir Richard Pole
Brother: Cardinal Reginald Pole
Brother: Sir Geoffrey Pole
Brother: Sir Arthur Pole
Sister: Ursula Pole who married Henry Stafford ( a courtier and servant of all the Tudors from King Henry VIII to Elizabeth I.
Lands and title were taken from him, then "restored in blood only" by Henry VIII in 1523. In 1548, Edward VI restored him to the title of Lord Stafford by an Act of Parliament, with seat and voice in parliament.

Marriage(s):
Jane Neville (daughter of George Neville, Lord Bergavenny) 1513.

Children:
Catherine, Countess of Huntingdon: 1508 - 1576. She married Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon. His mother was Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon who was apparently associated with King Henry VIII.
Thomas died before 1526
Henry Pole: 1521 - c.1542
Winifred: b. 1525
(Princess Mary Tudor at her accession to queen restored both daughters Catherine & Winnifred to full honour and property.)

Friends:

Enemies:

UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES