Michael de la Pole was the son of Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk who had married Katherine de Wingfield, only daughter of Sir John de Wingfield.
The 2nd Earl married Katherine, daughter of Hugh, Earl of Stafford. He accompanied
Henry V on his expedition to France but died of a fever at the Siege of Harfleur
in 1415 just before the Battle of Agincourt where his eldest son, also Michael,
was killed. William, his brother became the 1st Duke of Suffolk.
The effigies are in wood, this is rare and no more wooden effigies were made
after the 14th century. Round it are thirteen niches, eight on the south side,
four at the west end and one on the north side, some of which formerly contained
images of their children. At one time their names could been seen over some
of the niches, An, Johane, Alexander, Thomas, Philippus, but the only one now
decipherable is Thoma.
Round the monument are the wings of the de la Poles and the Stafford knots.
The figures were originally coloured.