Nicholas Pok

Nicholas Pok
The Pok dominion among other oligarchs
Voivode of Transylvania
Reign	1277(–1278) 1315–1316
Predecessor	Matthew Csák (1st term) Ladislaus Kán (2nd term)
Successor	Finta Aba (1st term) Dózsa Debreczeni (2nd term)
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Dárói Catherine Kaplon
Issue Maurice IV Stephen II Nicholas II
Noble family	gens Pok
Father	Maurice II Pok
Mother	N. Rátót
Born	c. 1245
Died	after 19 August 1319

Nicholas from the kindred Pok (Hungarian: Pok nembeli Miklós; c. 1245 – after 19 August 1319; fl. 1270–1319) was a Hungarian influential lord in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. He was among the so-called oligarchs, who ruled de facto independently their dominion during the era of feudal anarchy. He was also ancestor of the Meggyesi noble family, thus later charters also referred to him as Nicholas Meggyesi.

He was born into the wealthy Pok kindred, which originated from Győr County. He belonged to the Mórichida branch, which erected a Premonstratensian monastery in 1251 at Mórichida. The branch was founded by Maurice I, Nicholas' grandfather, who served King Andrew II as his Master of the stewards from 1233 to 1235. His only known son was Maurice II, Nicholas' father, who held several positions (most notably Master of the treasury) in the court of King Béla IV at least until 1269. He married a daughter of Dominic I Rátót (she died before 1267) whom Nicholas was born around 1245. He had three younger brothers, Maurice III, Stephen I and Dominic, who were mentioned only once in 1280 when they were excommunicated due "tyrannical behaviour".

Nicholas appeared first in contemporary records in 1270. According to the sources he married twice; his first wife was Elizabeth, a daughter of Mojs (II) Dárói, Palatine of Hungary between 1270 and 1272. She died before 1280. They had at least three sons: Maurice IV, the ispán of Győr County from 1337 to 1338, Stephen II, the ispán of Máramaros County between 1326 and 1327, and magister Nicholas II. Maurice's son was Simon Meggyesi, Ban of Croatia, thus Nicholas was also an ancestor of the influential Meggyesi family. After Elizabeth's death, he married for the second time to Catherine, daughter of Andrew from the Kaplon kindred. She survived her husband and died sometime after 1331.