William de la Pole (1478–1539)

Sir William de la Pole (1478 - sometime between October and November 1539), was an English lord, and Knight of Wingfield Castle in Wingfield, Suffolk. He was the son of John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1442 - 1492) and Elizabeth Plantagenet (Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk) (1444 - 1504).

Around 1497, he married Katherine Stourton, daughter of William Stourton, 2nd Baron Stourton and Margaret Chidiocke, but they had no issue. Katherine, twice widowed and aged about 42, was more than 20 years older than William, so the motive for the marriage was probably financial as her second husband, Lord Grey, had left her much of his property.

He was brother to John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln, Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk and Richard de la Pole. As nephews of Edward IV the de la Poles had a much stronger hereditary claim to the throne than Henry VII who was descended from an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt. Even if William, unlike his brothers, had no personal ambition to the throne, his ancestry would have made it impossible for Henry to trust him.

He was held prisoner in Tower of London for 37 years till his death, longer than anyone else in history, for allegedly plotting against King Henry VII with his brothers Edmund and Richard, who fled the country in 1501, apparently after their conspiracy was detected.