FWIW,
Faris' Plantagenet Ancestry, 2nd Edition, p. 382, states that Joan's
father (John de la Pole) died "shortly before 20 Aug 1367", which
would more or less require her to be born in or before 1368.
[snip]
It
is unclear which of the indicated sources were used for the two
conflicting pieces of information. Nigel Saul's date of 1380 for John
de la Pole's death might solve the conflict.
I replied (on 12-07-2003):
I don't know what Faris's source was for John de la Pole's death as
"shortly before 20 Aug. 1367".
Unfortunately, the volume of the Calendar of Fine Rolls covering the
year 1380 was not on the shelf at the UCLA Library, so I could not see
if there was a writ of diem clausit extremum issued for Sir John de la
Pole that year.
**********
I was able to take a look at the relevant Fine Rolls volume while at
the National Archives. Nigel Saul was correct in placing the death of
Sir John de la Pole of Crishall, husband of Joan de Cobham, in 1380.
On 9 March 1380, writs of diem clausit extremum were issued to the
escheators of Northampton and Rutland regarding "John de la Pole,
knight", and to the escheators of Essex, Oxford, Huntingdon, Bedford,
Norfolk and Suffolk regarding "John de la Pole, 'chivaler'".
These counties match to the lands that were inherited by Joan, Lady
Cobham, only daughter and heiress of Sir John de la Pole.
I don't know if the writs resulted in any IPMs that survive, which
would give us a clearer date of death for John de la Pole and a better
estimate of the birthdate of Joan (de la Pole), Lady Cobham, but I
still believe 1370 is a fairly good estimate for her birth.
As for the John de la Pole who died in 1367 - he may have been a
relative, but he definitely was not the husband of Joan de Cobham.
Cheers, ----Brad