Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk

Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk (* 1330, † 1389 ) was the eldest son of William de la Pole and Catherine Norwich, daughter of Sir Walter Norwich.

His father was a wool merchant from Hull, the. During the reign of Edward III by the Bardi and Peruzzi became the main financier of the king. Michael fought in France under John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his brother Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. When Richard II ascended the throne in 1377, was Michael de la Pole one of the most important English diplomats and involved in the negotiations during the marriage of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, daughter of Emperor Charlemagne.

Through these negotiations seems to have de la Pole earned the trust of the king, in 1383 the Chancellor of England and in August 1385 the Earl of Suffolk appointed him, making him the lands of the last Earl was transferred. De la Pole is likely to have his office rather badly managed: Jean Froissart describes Michael de la Pole as a devious and weak consultants, Richard discouraged people to defeat the Scottish and French troops finally, and the king turned against his uncle John of Gaunt. Moreover, his position may have been too dependent on the favor of the king and so fell his star, together with the king in the late 80s of the 14th century. From the Wonderful Parliament in 1386 he was dismissed and imprisoned for embezzlement and negligence of his duties.

After the victory of the Lords Appellant in Radcot Bridge and also for fear of the " Merciless Parliament ", he fled to Paris and then escaped the execution. De la Pole remained for the rest of his life in France. In his absence he was sentenced and his title was taken from him. But de la Poles son Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk played, again a major role in England's political life.