See also
| Husband: | Ralph +* of NEVILLE (1364-1425) | |
| Wife: | Margaret * of STAFFORD (1364-1396) | |
| Children: | Maud of NEVILLE (c. 1384- ) | |
| Philippa of NEVILLE (1386-1453) | ||
| Alice of NEVILLE (c. 1388- ) | ||
| John of NEVILLE (c. 1390- ) | ||
| Ralph of NEVILLE (c. 1392- ) | ||
| Elizabeth of NEVILLE (c. 1394- ) | ||
| Anne of NEVILLE (c. 1396- ) | ||
| Margaret * of NEVILLE (1396-1463) | ||
| Anastasia of NEVILLE (c. 1400- ) | ||
| Name: | Ralph +* of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | John +* of NEVILLE (1328-1388) | |
| Mother: | Maude +* of PERCY (1335-1378) | |
| Birth | 1364 | Castle Raby with Keverstone, Durham, England |
| Occupation | 1st Earl of Westmoreland | |
| Death | 24 Oct 1425 (age 60-61) | Castle Raby with Keverstone, Durham, England1 |
| Name: | Margaret * of STAFFORD | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Hugh * of STAFFORD (1334-1386) | |
| Mother: | Philippa + of BEAUCHAMP (c. 1334-1386) | |
| Birth | 1364 | |
| Occupation | Countess of Westmoreland | |
| Death | 18 Oct 1396 (age 31-32) | |
| Burial | Brancepeth Castle, Durham, England | |
| Name: | Maud of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1384 (est) | |
| Death | "10/1438" | |
| Name: | Philippa of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Spouse: | Thomas DACRE (c. 1380- ) | |
| Birth | 1386 | Raby Castle, Durham, England |
| Occupation | Baroness of Dacre | |
| Death | 8 Jul 1453 (age 66-67) | |
| Name: | Alice of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1388 (est) | |
| Name: | John of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1390 (est) | |
| Name: | Ralph of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1392 (est) | |
| Name: | Elizabeth of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1394 (est) | |
| Name: | Anne of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1396 (est) | |
| Name: | Margaret * of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Spouse: | Richard * of SCROPE (1393-1420) | |
| Birth | Jun 1396 | Castle Raby with Keverstone, Durham, England |
| Death | 1463 (age 66-67) | Raby, Durham, England |
| Burial | Church of Astn Friar | |
| Claire, Suffolk, England | ||
| Name: | Anastasia of NEVILLE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1400 (est) | |
Sir Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, 4th Baron Neville de Raby, Lord of Richmond, Earl Marshal, KG, PC (ca. 1364 – 21 October 1425), was an English nobleman of the House of Neville. He was born in Raby Castle, County Durham, England, the son of John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby and Lady Maud Percy.[1]
He was knighted by Thomas of Woodstock, during the French expedition of 1380. In 1388, following the death of his father, he became the fourth Baron Neville de Raby. In 1391, Neville was put on the commission that undertook the duties of Constable in place of Gloucester and was repeatedly engaged in negotiations with the Scots. On 29 September 1397, due to his support towards Richard II, against the Lords Appellant, Neville was created the 1st Earl of Westmorland. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor before 4 December 1399.[2] In 1403, he was made a Knight of the Garter, taking the place left vacant by the death of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. Neville was a supporter of King Henry IV who endowed him with the honour and lordship of Richmond for life. Like the first lords of Richmond and Peter II of Savoy before him, Ralph was endowed with Richmond, but without the title.[1]
The Neville family were natural rivals of the Percy family. In 1403, the power of the Percy's had fallen at the Battle of Shrewsbury. Both marches had been in their hands, but the west marches was now assigned to Neville, who's influence in the east was also paramount. Neville had prevented Northumberland from marching to reinforce Hotspur before embarking on a new revolt to secure his enemy, Northumberland. In May 1403, while the Percy's were in revolt with Thomas de Mowbray, 4th Earl of Norfolk, and Archbishop Scrope, Neville met them at Skipton Moor, near York, and suggested a parley between the leaders. Scrope and Mowbray were seized after Mowbray let his followers disperse and handed over to Northumberland at Pontefract Castle. It is believed by some historians that the two had voluntarily surrendered. If Neville had betrayed them, he certainly shared no part in their execution.[1]
In the later part of his career, Neville was mainly engaged with defense of the northern border in his capacity as warden of the west march. In 1415, for example, he decisively defeated an invading Scottish army at the Battle of Yeavering.[1] In 1422, he was a member of the Council of Regency during the minority of King Henry VI.[2]
Neville was a great church builder, 'curious flat headed windows being peculiar to the churches on the Neville manors'. Neville died on the 21st of October 1425, and a fine alabaster tomb was erected to his memory in St. Mary's Staindrop Church, close by Raby Castle, where his effigy in armour between his two wives remains the finest sepulchral monument in the north of England.[1][2] When he died, he left money to complete the College of Staindrop which he founded near Raby.[2] His first wife, Lady Margaret de Stafford was buried at Brancepeth Castle.[3] His second wife, Lady Joan Beaufort, was buried with her mother, Katherine Roet, under a carved-stone canopy in the sanctuary of Lincoln Cathedral.[4] Joan's is the smaller of the two tombs; both were decorated with brass plates — full-length representations of them on the tops, and small shields bearing coats of arms around the sides and on the top — which were damaged or destroyed in 1644 during the English Civil War. He was survived by most of his 23 children. As his eldest son, Sir John de Neville by Margaret de Stafford pre-deceased him, he was succeeded in his titles by his grandson, Ralph Neville, 2nd Earl of Westmorland.[5]
[edit] ShakespeareThe character of Westmorland in William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V is based on Neville. Neville did not play the part that was assigned to him in Shakespeare's Henry V. During Henry V's absence he remained in charge of the north and was a member of the Council of Regency in 1415, during King Henry V's absence.[1] It has been claimed by Brenda James and Professor William Rubinstein that Neville's great-great-grandson, Sir Henry Neville wrote the works of William Shakespeare.
[edit] Marriages1.Lady Margaret de Stafford, c.1382, daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp.
2.Lady Joan Beaufort, before 29 November 1396, at Château de Beaufort, Maine-et-Loire, Anjou, France.[6] Lady Joan was the daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his third wife, Katherine Roet, and half-sister of Henry IV of England.
[edit] Family and childrenHe had nine children by Lady Margaret de Stafford:
Lady Maud Neville (d. October 1438), married Piers de Mauley, 5th Baron Mauley
Lady Alice Neville, married first Sir Thomas Grey of Heton; married second Sir Gilbert Lancaster
Lady Philippa de Neville, married Thomas Dacre, 6th Baron Dacre
Sir John Neville, Baron Neville of Raby (c.1387-c.1420), married Lady Elizabeth de Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and Lady Alice FitzAlan. They were parents to Ralph Neville, 2nd Earl of Westmorland and John Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby.[7]
Sir Ralph Neville (c.1392-25 Feb 1458), married Mary Ferrers, daughter of Sir Robert Ferrers and had issue.
Lady Elizabeth Neville, a nun at Minories, London, England.
Lady Anne Neville (b. circa 1384), married Sir Gilbert Umfraville.
Lady Margaret Neville (d. ca. 1465), married first Richard Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Bolton; married second William Cressoner.
Lady Anastasia Neville
He had fourteen children by Lady Joan Beaufort:
Lady Katherine Neville, married first on 12 January 1411 John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk; married second Sir Thomas Strangways; married third John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont; married fourth Sir John Woodville (d. 12 August 1469).
Lady Eleanor Neville (1398–1472), married first Richard le Despencer, 4th Baron Burghersh, married second Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland.
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), married Alice Montacute, 5th Countess of Salisbury. Had issue. Their descendants include Queen Consort to Henry VIII, Catherine Parr and Richard Neville, the "Kingmaker".
Robert Neville (d. 1457), Bishop of Durham.
William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent (d. 1463).
Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny (d. 1476).
Lady Anne Neville (1414–1480), married Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham.
Lady Cecily Neville (1415–1495) ("Proud Cis"), married Richard, 3rd Duke of York; mother of Kings Edward IV of England and Richard III of England.
George Neville, 1st Baron Latymer (d. 1469)
John Neville (1407 - 20 March 1420).
Cuthbert Neville, died young.
Thomas Neville, died young.
Henry Neville, died young.
Lady Joan Neville, a nun.
Margaret de Stafford (1364 – 18 October 1396 in Brancepeth, County Durham, England) was the second daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp. She became the first wife of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland.
She was a maternal first cousin of the 1st Earl of Worcester and the 13th Earl of Warwick; as well as a maternal aunt of the soldier and commander William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and a paternal aunt of the military commander Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham.
Marriage and childrenIn 1382, Lady Margaret married Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland. They had nine children:
Maud de Neville (d. October 1438), married Piers de Mauley, 5th Baron Mauley
Alice de Neville, married first Sir Thomas Grey of Heton; married second Sir Gilbert Lancaster
Philippa de Neville, married Thomas Dacre, 6th Baron Dacre
John de Neville, Lord Neville (d. 1420)
Sir Ralph Neville (d. 25 February 1458), married Mary Ferrers, daughter of Sir Robert Ferrers and had issue
Elizabeth de Neville, a nun
Anne de Neville, married Sir Gilbert Umfraville
Margaret de Neville (d. c. 1465), married first Richard Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Bolton; married second William Cressoner
Anastasia de Neville
| 1 | "US and International Marriage Records, 1550-1900" (on-line, Yates Publishing, Provo, UT). |