Arthur Pole (courtier) facts for kids
Sir Arthur Pole (born 1494, died August 1528) was an English knight. He lived near Horsted Keynes in Sussex.
Life
Arthur was the second son of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury. She was even the godmother to Queen Mary I of England! His father was Sir Richard Pole. Arthur had an older brother, Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu. His younger brother, Reginald Pole, later became a very important church leader, the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury under Queen Mary I.
Arthur began working at the royal court in 1514. He traveled to France with King Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, when she married King Louis XII of France. Arthur was very good at jousting, a knight's sport. He showed his skills in 1516 and soon became a squire for the king.
In 1518, Arthur became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber for King Henry VIII. This was a close and important role. Arthur was also among the courtiers who went to France for the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold event in May 1520. There, he won prizes as part of Henry Courtney, Earl of Devon's team.
Arthur became a knight in 1523. He was knighted by Charles Brandon. This happened while Arthur and his brother, Lord Montagu, were fighting against the French. Arthur was also the Lord of the Manor of Broadhurst in Sussex.
Marriage and Family
Arthur married Jane Lewkenor before October 24, 1522. Jane had been married before to Sir Christopher Pickering. Jane was the daughter of Sir Roger Lewkenor of Trotton, Sussex.
Arthur and Jane had at least four children together. Their children were Henry, Mary, Jane, and Margaret. Mary was born in 1529 and later married Sir John Stanley. Margaret was born in 1527 and married Sir John Fitz-Herbert.
Historians believe Arthur might have died from a sickness called "sweating sickness" in 1528. He passed away before August 1532. Arthur was buried at Bisham Abbey.
After Arthur died, his mother, Lady Salisbury, and his brother, Lord Montagu, did not want Jane to remarry. They wanted to keep her money and property for Arthur's children and the Pole family. They tried to make Jane become a nun.
However, Jane was later released from her vows. This happened with the help of William Barlow, who was a new bishop. He told her that as a novice (someone new to being a nun), she could choose to leave. Jane then married Sir William Barentyne. She died before March 12, 1563.
