Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Ralph Neville | |
---|---|
1st Collar of Esses; detail of his effigy at Staindrop Church, County Durham | |
Born | c. 1364 |
Died | 21 October 1425 (aged c. 61) |
Buried | 1425 Staindrop Church, County Durham |
Family | House of Neville |
Spouse(s) | Margaret Stafford (m. 1383; d. 1396) Joan Beaufort (m. 1396) |
Issue more... |
|
Father | John, 3rd Baron Neville |
Mother | Maud Percy |
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Origins
Ralph Neville was born about 1364, the son of
- Thomas Neville, 5th Baron Furnivall, who married Joan Furnival. Father of Maud Neville, 6th Baroness Furnivall, wife of John Talbot, 7th Baron Talbot.
- Lady Alice Neville, who married William Deincourt, 3rd Lord Deincourt
- Lady Maud Neville, who married Sir William le Scrope[citation needed]
- Lady Idoine Neville
- Lady Eleanor Neville, who married Ralph Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley.
- Lady Elizabeth Neville, who became a nun.
Neville's father married secondly, before 9 October 1381, Elizabeth Latimer (died 5 November 1395), daughter of William Latimer, 4th Baron Latimer. By his father's second marriage Neville had a brother and sister of the half blood:[3]
- John Neville, 6th Baron Latimer (c. 1382 – 10 December 1430), who married firstly, Maud Clifford (died c. 26 August 1446), daughter of Thomas Clifford, 6th Baron Clifford, whom he divorced before 1413–17, and by whom he had no issue. She married secondly, Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, beheaded on 5 August 1415 for his part in the Southampton Plot.[4]
- Lady Elizabeth Neville, who married Sir Thomas Willoughby.
Career
Neville's first military service was in
Neville inherited the title at the age of 24 after his father's death on 17 October 1388, and was summoned to Parliament from 6 December 1389 to 30 November 1396 by writs directed to Radulpho de Nevyll de Raby. On 25 October 1388, he was appointed, with others, to survey the fortifications on the Scottish border, and on 24 May 1389 was made keeper for life of the royal forests north of the Trent. In 1393 and 1394 he was employed in peace negotiations with Scotland.[6]
In 1397 Neville supported King Richard's proceedings against Thomas of Woodstock and the
For his support of the new King, Westmorland was rewarded with a lifetime appointment as
According to Tuck, Westmorland had little influence on the Scottish borders in the first years of Henry IV's reign, where the wardenships of the marches were monopolised by the Percys, leading to a growing rivalry between the two families. However, in 1403 the Percys, spurred on by various grievances, took up arms against the King, and suffered defeat at the
Two years later Northumberland, joined by
After the death of Henry IV Westmorland was mainly engaged in the defence of the northern border in his capacity as
According to Tait, Westmorland was "no inconsiderable builder", citing his rebuilding of
Marriages and issue
Ralph Neville married twice and had 22 children:
First marriage
He married firstly
- Maud Neville (died October 1438), who married Peter Mauley, 5th Baron Mauley.[15]
- Alice Neville, who married firstly Sir Thomas Grey, beheaded on 2 August 1415 for his part in the Southampton Plot, and secondly Sir Gilbert Lancaster.[16]
- Philippa Neville, who married, before 20 July 1399, Thomas Dacre, 6th Baron Dacre of Gilsland (died 5 January 1458).[17]
- Sir John Neville (c. 1387 – before 20 May 1420), who predeceased his father. He married Elizabeth Holland, fifth daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Alice FitzAlan, and by her had three sons and a daughter:
- Ralph Neville, 2nd Earl of Westmorland (1406–1484), heir to his grandfather;
- John Neville, Baron Neville;
- Sir Thomas Neville (before 20 May 1420 – 1459);
- Margaret Neville (c. 1408 – before 1434).[15]
- Elizabeth Neville, a nun.
- Anne Neville (died after March 1421), who married, before 3 February 1413, Sir Gilbert Umfraville (slain at the Battle of Baugé in Anjou on 22 March 1421[18]), son of Sir Thomas Umfraville (died 12 February 1391) and Agnes Grey (died 25 October 1420), a daughter of Sir Thomas Grey (d. before 22 October 1369) of Heaton.
- Sir Ralph Neville (died 25 February 1458), who married, before 1411, his step-sister, Mary Ferrers, daughter of Robert Ferrers of Wem and Joan Beaufort.[19]
- Margaret Neville (died 1463/4), who married firstly, before 31 December 1413, Richard Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Bolton, and secondly, William Cressener, Esquire.[20]
Second marriage
Neville married secondly, before 29 November 1396, at
- John de Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, secondly to Sir Thomas Strangways, thirdly to John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont, fourthly to Sir John Woodville(died 12 August 1469).
- Richard le Despencer, 4th Baron Burghersh, secondly to Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland.
- Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), who married Alice Montacute, suo jure 5th Countess of Salisbury. Their son was Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428–1471), "The Kingmaker".
- Henry Neville (c. 1402).
- Robert Neville (1404–1457), Bishop of Salisbury and Bishop of Durham.
- William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent(c. 1405–1463).
- John Neville (c. 1406).
- George Neville, 1st Baron Latimer (c. 1407–1469).
- Anne Neville (c. 1408–1480), married firstly to Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, secondly to Walter Blount, 1st Baron Mountjoy.
- Thomas Neville (c. 1410).
- Cuthbert Neville (c. 1411).
- Joan Neville (c. 1412 – 1453), a nun.
- Edward Neville, 3rd Baron Bergavenny (c. 1414–1476).
- Richard, 3rd Duke of York, by whom she was the mother of King Edward IV and King Richard III.
Death, burial, and succession
Westmorland died on 21 October 1425 and was buried in the choir of his Collegiate Church of St. Mary at Staindrop. The magnificent alabaster tomb with effigies of himself and his two wives there has been termed the finest sepulchral monument in the north of England.[1] Neither of his wives is buried with him. His first wife, Margaret Stafford, was buried at Brancepeth, County Durham, while his second wife, Joan Beaufort, was buried with her mother under a stone canopy in the sanctuary of Lincoln Cathedral.[23]
Westmorland was predeceased by his eldest son Sir
Shakespeare and Westmorland
Westmorland is portrayed in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V.
In the opening scene of Henry IV, Part 1, Westmorland is presented historically as an ally of King Henry IV against the Percys, and in the final scenes of the play as being dispatched to the north of England by the King after the Battle of Shrewsbury to intercept the Earl of Northumberland.[25]
In Act IV of Henry IV, Part 2, Westmorland is portrayed historically as having been principally responsible for quelling the Percy rebellion in 1405 by Archbishop Scrope almost without bloodshed by successfully parleying with the rebels on 29 May 1405 at Shipton Moor.[25]
However, in
The First Folio text of Henry V also unhistorically gives these lines to Westmorland on the eve of Agincourt:
O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work today. (Henry V, IV.iii)
Westmorland was not with
It has been claimed by Brenda James and Professor
Notes
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography uses a different numbering system and numbers him the 6th Baron Neville and his father the 5th etc. (Tuck 2008).
- ^ a b c d e Chisholm 1911, p. 552.
- ^ Cokayne 1936, p. 503; Richardson III 2011, pp. 244–6.
- ^ Cokayne 1936, p. 503; Richardson III 2011, pp. 242–6.
- ^ Richardson IV 2011, pp. 400–1.
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 544; Tait 1894, p. 275; Richardson I 2011, p. 506.
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 545; Tait 1894, p. 275; Richardson III 2011, p. 246.
- ^ Cokayne 1959, pp. 545–6; Tait 1894, p. 276; Richardson III 2011, p. 246; Tuck 2009.
- ^ a b c Cokayne 1959, p. 546; Tait 1894, p. 276; Tuck 2009.
- ^ According to contemporary writers, Westmorland tricked Scrope into surrendering; however, the later Otterbourne chronicler states that Scrope and his allies surrendered voluntarily (see Tait, 1894, p. 277).
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 546; Tait 1894, p. 277; Tuck 2009.
- ^ Tuck 2009.
- ^ a b c Tait 1894, p. 278.
- ^ Perriam, D.R., 'William Strickland's Tower in Penrith: Penrith Castle or Hutton Hall?' The English Heritage Historical Review, vol.3 no.1 (1 June 2008), p.41
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 547; Richardson III 2011, p. 246; Richardson IV 2011, p. 74.
- ^ a b Richardson III 2011, p. 249.
- ^ Richardson II 2011, p. 257.
- ^ Cokayne 1916, p. 18; Richardson II 2011, p. 16.
- ^ Richardson III 2011, pp. 118–19
- ^ Richardson II 2011, p. 244; Richardson IV 2011, p. 313.
- ^ Richardson IV 2011, p. 198.
- ^ Richardson IV 2011, p. 313; Weir 1999, p. 108.
- ^ Richardson III 2011, p. 246.
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 547; Richardson III 2011, pp. 246–7; Weir 1999, p. 109.
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 549.
- ^ a b c Tuck 2008.
- ^ Nicoll 1927, pp. 71–4.
- ^ Cokayne 1959, p. 546; Tuck 2008.
References
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 552–553.
- Cokayne, George Edward (1916). The Complete Peerage, edited by Vicary Gibbs. Vol. IV. London: St. Catherine Press.
- Cokayne, George Edward (1936). The Complete Peerage, edited by H.A Doubleday and Lord Howard de Walden. Vol. IX. London: St. Catherine Press.
- Cokayne, George Edward (1959). The Complete Peerage, edited by Geoffrey H. White. Vol. XII (Part II). London: St. Catherine Press.
- Mosley, Charles, ed. (1999). Burke's Peerage and Baronetage. Vol. I (106th ed.). Crans, Switzerland: Genealogical Books Ltd.
- Nicoll, Allardyce & Josephine Nicoll, eds. (1927). Holinshed's Chronicle as used in Shakespeare's Plays. London: Dent.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G. (ed.). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Vol. I (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 978-1449966379.)
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G. (ed.). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Vol. II (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 978-1449966386.)
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G. (ed.). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Vol. III (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 978-1449966393.)
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G. (ed.). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Vol. IV (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 978-1460992708.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Tait, James (1894). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 40. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 275–80.
- Tuck, Anthony (January 2008) [2004]. "Neville, Ralph, first earl of Westmorland (c.1364–1425)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19951. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Tuck, Anthony (2009) [2004]. "Richard II (1367–1400)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23499. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Weir, Alison (1999). Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy. London: The Bodley Head.
Further reading
- Harriss, Gerald (2006). Shaping the Nation: England 1360–1461. Oxford University Press.
- Neville, Cynthia J. (1998). Violence, Custom and the Law. Edinburgh University Press.
- Swallow, Henry J. (1885). De Nova Villa: or, The House of Nevill in Sunshine and Shade. Newcastle upon Tyne: Andrew Reid.