5^2 A. D. 1335. 



to be under the management of William de la Pole, who was to be ahf- 

 werable, for his deputies as well as for himfelf, to the exchequer for the 

 profits of the exchange. And he gave notice of the cftablifhment to the 

 magiflrates of 



Yarmouth, Chichefter, Southampton, 



Dover, Hertlepool, Norwich, 



London, Scarburgh, Lynne, 



Boflon, York, Ipfwich, 



Kingfton upon Hull. Ravenfrod, Sandwich, 



Newcaftle upon Tine, Lincoln, Winchelfea, 



and Briftol. [Fa-dera, V. iv, p. 668.] 



William de la Pole, now appointed commiflioner or manager-general 

 of the exchanges, was one of the moil illuftrious of the early merchants 

 of England. He was firfb a merchant at Ravenfrod, or Ravenfere, and 

 thence removed to Kingfton upon Hull, for which town his (apparently 

 elder) brother and he obtained a grant of the cuftoms from the king. 

 In the year 1336 he farmed fome of the cuftoms at a rent of £10 a-day. 

 Upon Kingfton being privileged to have a mayor, he was the firft who 

 was eleded to that office ; and he founded the monaftery of S^ Michael 

 near that town. He was efteemed the greateft merchant of England, 

 and with good reafon, for he lent King Edward the prodigious fum of 

 ;^i 8,500, when he was at Antwerp; in payment of which the king 

 made him chief baron of the exchequer, and gave him the lordftiip of 

 Holdernefs, with the rank of a banneret, and a promife of an eftate of 

 1 ,000 marks a-year in France, as foon as it ftiould be under his domi- 

 nion. He was frequently employed in embaflies along with the firft 

 men in the kingdom,, who were directed by his knowlege of bufinefs. 

 His fon Michael, alfo a merchant, was created earl of Suffolk by King 

 Richard II ; and his pofterity flouriflied as earls, marquifes, and dukes, 

 of Suffolk, till a royal marriage, and a promife of the fucceflion to -the 

 crown, brought the family to ruin *. 



November 20'' — Jobn of Cologne, who appears to bave been in the 

 king's fervice f, having purchafed thirty tuns or cartloads (' dolia i'eu 

 plauftratas') of choice Rhenifli wine in Germany, the king took fo 

 much intereft in the fafe conveyance of it, that he wrote to the arch- 

 bifliop of Cologne, the earl of Holland, and the earl of Gelder, requeft- 

 ing their good offices in its paflage through their territories, and exemp- 

 tion from cuftoms. [Fa'ikra,^. iv, p. 676.] 



This year a licence was granted for exporting ale, and another for 



• This brief account of William de la Pole nnj tcrl. 2S Er/tu. Ill, m. 9. — CaniJ. Bill. pp. 341, 

 Ilia family i^ extraflcd from Fadaa, V. v, pp. 91, 578. — S/oiv's j-lmi. p. 367. 



92, loi, 124, 125. — Rol. pat. prim. 3 Ed/w. Ill, f He is called tlie kinj^'s vale£t, and licenced 

 tn. I ; prim. 10 Ediu. Ill, m. 10 ; and fee, m, 17 ; to kernel (fortify) liis houfc on Cornliill in Lon- 

 don. \ Rot. pat. fee. II Edw. Ill, m. 2.] 



