William Atte Wode

Who was William Atte Wode?

'Sir William Atte Wode was Captain of the King's Guard at the Palace of Westminster under King Edward III of England.

He was probably born sometime before 1300 in Coulsdon, Surrey, England. He was the son-in-law of Peter Atte Wode and Alice, who owned both Hooley House and Wood Place in Surrey. Sir William married Juliana Att Wode, and they had at least three children: Geoffrey Atte Wode, Richard Atte Wode, and William Atte Wode.

While we do not know when he was knighted, it was at least by 1341, because by that time he is referred to as Sir William and is Captain of the King's Guard at the Palace of Westminster, the King's royal residence in London; members of parliament also met at Westminster Palace at this time. As a Sergeant at Arms, Sir William was part of the royal body guard that was composed of about thirty men at that time. It is not known what events occurred to bring William to King Edward III's attention for this position, but he must have had some connection through either friendship or family relations to the royal family.

An interesting anecdote about Sir William's life is recorded in John Heneage Jesse's Memorials of London:

"In the 14th year of the reign of Edward III, John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury, with a great number of London bishops, clergy, soldiers, came to the gate of Westminster Palace and demanded admittance to the chamber where Parliament was assembled. He was forbidden to enter in the King's name by Sir William Atwood, Captain of the King's Guard. The Archbishop was stopped because the followers were not members. The Archbishop was a member, but the King commended Sir William."²