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The
fifth and youngest son of Ralph Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort,
Edward was like his elder brothers a supporter of his brother-in-law
Richard of York. Edward’s first documented appearance in the conflict
of the Wars of the Roses was in 1460 when he joined his brothers, Salisbury
and Fauconberg, and his nephews, Edward of March and Richard of Warwick,
at Sandwich on their return from exile. Edward was present at the battle
of Northampton. In 1461 he was again present fighting with his young
nephew Edward of March at the battle of Mortimer’s Cross. After Edward
of March was proclaimed king, Abergavenny supported him at the battle
of Towton. The battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury saw Edward once again
by the King’s side, even though at Barnet it meant that he took sides
against his other nephews, Warwick and Montagu. During
his lifetime Abergavenny held office under both Lancaster and York.
He was appointed several times commissioner of array for Kent, being
chief commissioner in 1471. He was also a privy councillor in York’s
protectorate in 1454. He died in 1476. The
daughter of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, Eleanor’s
first marriage was to Richard le Despenser, Baron Burghersh. Her second
husband was Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, the son of Harry
Hotspur. This marriage gave Eleanor a son who was to become the 3rd
Earl. Her husband was killed fighting for Lancaster at the 1st battle
of St Albans and her son was killed at the battle of Towton. Eleanor
lived to see her grandson deprived of the earldom and regain it in 1470.
The
third son of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, George fought
against the Scots and perhaps in France, possibly under Richard of York.
But before 1461 he had been declared mentally infirm, and the care of
his estates was in the hands of his nephew Warwick. It was probably
for this reason that George took no active part in the conflict. He
died in 1469. NEVILLE,
George, Archbishop
of York (d. 1479). The
fourth and youngest son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, he was principally
a supporter of his brother Warwick. George became Bishop of Exeter in
1455 and was translated to York in 1464 under his cousin Edward IV,
for whom he served as Chancellor of England. This office he again filled
under Warwick in 1470-1471 at the time of Henry VI`s readeption as king.
As a supporter of Warwick he had taken Edward into custody at Olney
in 1469 and officiated at the wedding of George of Clarence to Isabel
Neville. After
the battle of Barnet he was confined for a time to the Tower of London. Following his release, in 1472 he was once more involved in a plot,
this time with the Earl of Oxford, one of his brothers-in-law. This
led to his imprisonment at the castle of Hammes near Calais, where he
remained a while before he was
released on the representations of Richard of Gloucester. By this time
George was a sick man and died in June 1475. He is buried in York Minster.
St William’s College, close to York Minster, was built under his direction. The
eldest son of George, Lord Latimer, he fought for the Yorkists at the
battles of Hedgeley Moor and Hexham in 1464, but later as a supporter
of his cousin the Earl of Warwick he took part in many of the risings
against Edward IV. He was present at the battle of Edgecote, where he
lost his life. The
third son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, John was by far the most able
commander of the Neville brothers. A more reliable and less showy character
than his brother Warwick, John was present at his father`s victory at
the battle of Blore Heath in 1459, when he was captured and imprisoned.
He was released after the battle of Northampton, and created
Lord Montagu in 1460. Present at the battle of Wakefield, where he managed
to escape, he was captured again when fighting at his brother Warwick’s
side at the 2nd battle of St Albans, but released immediately after
Towton from his imprisonment in York. He proved an able lieutenant for
his cousin Edward IV, commanding the Yorkist forces at the battles of
Hedgeley Moor and Hexham, both victories for York. John was given the
confiscated Percy earldom of Northumberland in 1464 as a reward for
his efforts and also made Warden of the East Marches, a post he filled
with distinction from 1463 to 1470. In
1469 when Warwick took Edward IV prisoner, John remained loyal to his
king and was one of those who escorted Edward back to London after his
release. In 1470 he was deprived of his Northumberland title and in
place of it was created Marquis Montagu This carried neither the lands
nor prestige of the forfeited earldom and was no reward for a lifetime
of faithful service. When
Warwick made his peace with Margaret of Anjou in 1471, and pledged her
his support, John had to make the choice between his brother and his
cousin. He chose his brother, but then refused to move to stop Edward’s
march south when he had the opportunity. Later, John commanded the centre for his brother
at the battle of Barnet where he was
found dead on the field afterwards, wearing the colours of York beneath
his armour - a sign of the divided loyalty in the mind of this most
honourable of men. John was buried at Bisham Abbey. Her
husband died in 1432 and Katherine went on to marry a further three
times - Sir Thomas Strangways, John, Viscount Beaumont and lastly Sir John
Woodville. It was this last marriage that caused such scandal as Katherine
was in her late sixties at the time, whilst her young husband was only
nineteen. Katherine outlived all her husbands and died in 1483. Although
playing no direct part in the Wars of the Roses, Ralph Neville was a
key character. Twice married, firstly to Margaret Stafford who gave
him nine children, and secondly to Joan Beaufort who produced another
thirteen, Ralph was the founder of the Neville dynasty. Created 1st
Earl of Westmorland by Richard II, he supported his second wife’s half-brother,
Henry IV, in his bid for the throne. After
Ralph’s death in 1425 his estates were split in two very unequal parts,
with the descendants of his first wife inheriting his title and the
lands in County Durham which included Raby Castle, and his second wife,
Joan Beaufort, receiving outright his estates in Yorkshire, which included
Middleham and Sheriff Hutton castles. Thus it was by far the larger
portion of his estate which was passed on to Joan Beaufort`s eldest
son after her death. It was only to be expected that this should cause
great dissension in the family and was undoubtedly a major factor in
the elder Westmorland branch of the family`s support for Lancaster,
whilst the younger branch was aligned with York. The
eldest son of Ralph of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, Richard made a
great marriage, his bride being Alice Montagu the only daughter and
heiress of Thomas Montagu, Earl of Salisbury. Richard became Earl of
Salisbury in right of his wife in 1428. After his mother’s death he
was involved in many disputes with his father’s elder family over the
Yorkshire estates. Salisbury was a fine military commander, serving
in France and Scotland. In 1420 he was appointed Warden of the Western
Scottish March, was captain of Berwick from 1434 to 1438, and under
his brother-in-law York’s protectorship he held the high office of Lord
Chancellor. At the 1st battle of St Albans he had joint command with
York and in 1459 fought and defeated the Lancastrian forces at the battle
of Blore Heath. After
the battle of Ludford Bridge, Salisbury had a spell in exile in Calais
with his son Warwick and his nephew Edward of March. Back in England
in 1460, he was one of the commanders at the battle of Northampton and
in December 1460 he accompanied York on his journey north.
He fought at his brother-in-law’s side at the battle of Wakefield
where he was wounded and captured. Beheaded later in Pontefract, his
head was taken to York where it was displayed over Micklegate Bar. His
body was buried in St Richard’s Priory, Pontefract until 1463, when
he was reburied with magnificent ceremony in Bisham Abbey. The
eldest son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, he married Anne Beauchamp,
in whose right he became Earl of Warwick in 1449. Warwick was a proud
man, much given to displays of magnificence.
One example of his pride in his lineage can be seen in his decision
to be known as Earl of Warwick and Salisbury, allowing his own father’s
title to take second place to that of Warwick, the premier earldom. A
privy councillor under the Duke of York, he was created captain of Calais
in 1455 and was present in the same year at the 1st battle of St Albans,
where he commanded the centre with Sir Robert Ogle. He was forced to
flee into exile in Calais in 1459 but returned to England in 1460 to
command the reserve at the battle of Northampton.
He became Earl of Salisbury in 1460 after his father’s death
at Wakefield and shortly after commanded a Yorkist army at the 2nd battle
of St Albans, where he was beaten by the Lancastrians. He now supported
his cousin Edward’s claim to the throne. Travelling north, he was wounded
at Ferrybridge, though not badly enough to prevent him from commanding
the reserve at Towton the day after. After
Edward IV’s coronation Warwick was given many great appointments, and
in the early days of Edward’s reign seems to have ordered things very
much as he pleased. It would appear that he considered himself the actual
ruler of the country and the king a mere figurehead. This was the situation
until 1464 when, after working hard to obtain a suitable bride for the
king, Warwick was informed by Edward that he had already married a lady
of his own choice. Warwick disapproved of the king’s marriage, hated
the new queen and all her family and this, along with Edward’s determination
to rule as well as reign, was the beginning of the end of their friendship. Warwick
was of the opinion that Edward owed his crown to him and should be content
to abide by his advice. Edward failed to fall in with this plan and
had formed around himself a court party which excluded Warwick, who
now began to court the King’s brothers, in an attempt to form marriage
alliances between them and his two daughters. Edward strictly forbade
these matches, but Warwick managed to bring off one of the marriages,
that of George of Clarence to his daughter Isabel. With this part of
his plan accomplished, he then began to foment rebellion in the north
where he had much support. In 1469 Warwick managed to take Edward prisoner,
keeping him first at Warwick Castle and later at Middleham. The government
of the country began to disintegrate into anarchy. A rising in the north
on behalf of the Lancastrians forced Warwick to release the king Edward
and by 1470 things had reached such a pass between the two, that Warwick
was forced to flee into exile. In France he hatched another plan. With
the help of King Louis of France he made a desperate bid for power,
by making his peace with his bitter enemy Margaret of Anjou. The pact
was to be sealed by the marriage of his younger daughter Anne to the
Lancastrian Prince of Wales, Edward. Warwick
returned from exile in September 1470. For a time his plan seemed successful
and now it was Edward who was forced into exile, but Edward’s return
in 1471 spelt the end for Warwick. As Edward gathered support Warwick
remained indecisive behind the walls of Coventry, refusing to move.
Eventually the two former allies met on a misty morning at Barnet on
Easter Day, 14 April, 1471, and in the resulting battle Warwick’s army
was routed. Warwick, who had been persuaded to fight on foot, was killed
as he tried to escape. He was buried at Bisham Abbey. The
second son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, Thomas, like his brothers
Warwick and Montagu was a Yorkist supporter. He fought in his father’s
victory at the battle of Blore Heath where he was wounded. In 1460 he
travelled north with York and Salisbury to Sandal castle and was killed
fighting in the battle of Wakefield. Thomas was buried in St Richard’s
Priory, Pontefract, soon after the battle, but his body was later reburied
in Bisham Abbey. The
second son of Ralph of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, he became Lord
Fauconberg in right of his wife in 1422. William served in France where
he was taken prisoner in 1449. By 1450 he was keeper of Roxburgh castle and
in 1454 the Duke of York made him a Privy Councillor. At
the 1st battle of St Albans he fought on the Yorkist side and in 1459
remained in Calais as his nephew Warwick’s deputy. William returned
to England with Warwick, Salisbury and March in 1460 and fought for
York at the battle of Northampton and also at the 2nd battle of St Albans.
He commanded the van on the march north in 1461 and
this campaign may have been his finest hour. There is no doubt
that his experience and ability were of great advantage to his nephew,
King Edward. He forced the crossing for him at the battle of Ferrybridge,
successfully clearing the way for the Yorkist advance. At the battle
of Towton, William commanded the archers at the outset of the battle,
inflicting great damage on the Lancastrian line. Edward IV created him
Earl of Kent soon after and made him steward of the royal household
and admiral of England in 1462. William died in 1463, whereupon his
title fell into abeyance as his wife had given him three daughters,
but no son. He was buried in Guisborough Priory. A
friend and retainer of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, he fought at the
1st battle of St Albans, where he was joint commander of the centre
with the Earl of Warwick. He fought at Salisbury’s side at the battle
of Blore Heath in 1459 and after Salisbury’s death at Wakefield became
a retainer of the Earl of Warwick, fighting with him at the 2nd battle
of St Albans and at Towton. He
transferred his allegiance to Edward IV in 1471, joining him after his
return from exile. William fought at the battle of Barnet against his
old friend Warwick, and afterwards at the battle of Tewkesbury against
the Lancastrians. He became comptroller of the royal household in the
same year. William served with the Duke of Gloucester in Scotland and
was a Knight of the Body to Edward IV, also serving in the king`s household
in France in 1475. William died in 1484 and was buried in Kendal. His
younger brother, Thomas, was a squire to the Duke of Gloucester, and
died at the Duke`s side at the battle of Barnet. William was the great-grandfather
of Henry VIII’s last Queen, Katherine Parr. The
son of the Henry Percy known to history as “Hotspur,” and grandson of
the 1st Earl, he became 2nd Earl in 1416. He was married to Eleanor,
a daughter of Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland.
Exiled as a boy after the death of his father at the battle of
Shrewsbury, Henry was allowed by Henry V to return to England
in 1416. He served under that king as Warden of the East March
of Scotland, a traditional post of the Percy family. On the death of
Henry V he was one of the king’s executors and a member of the Regency
Council. In 1450 he became constable of England. At the 1st battle of
St Albans in 1455 Percy was one of the Lancastrian commanders killed
on the field. He was buried in St Alban’s cathedral. He
was the eldest son of the 2nd Earl. There was a long history of power
struggle and enmity between the Percys and the Nevilles, and notwithstanding
the fact that the Earl’s mother was a Neville, this animosity seems
to have reached a climax in 1453. On this occasion a private battle
took place between the earl and his brother Lord Egremont on one side,
and their uncle Lord Salisbury and his son Thomas, on the other. This
resulted in the imprisonment of Lord Egremont, which greatly increased
the antagonism. Henry,
like his father, served as Warden of the Marches of Scotland and of
the town of Berwick and, like his father, fought on the Lancastrian
side at the 1st battle of St Albans where his father was killed. He
was also present at the battles of Northampton, Wakefield, and the 2nd
battle of St Albans. At the battle of Towton, where he fought again
on the Lancastrian side, he was seriously wounded and died shortly afterwards
in York. Henry was buried, along with his brother Sir Richard Percy,
in the church of St Dennis, Walmgate, in York. He
was the son of the 3rd Earl. Though the title was confiscated after
the battle of Towton and bestowed for a time on John Neville, it was
restored to the Percys in 1469, by which time there was a Yorkist king.
Like his father and grandfather Henry was Warden of the East March of
Scotland, and also Warden of the Middle March. In 1475 he served in
Edward IV’s army in France and with Richard of Gloucester during his
campaign in Scotland in 1482. Percy
supported Richard III’s claim to the throne after Edward IV`s death.
It was he who presided over the execution of Earl Rivers, Sir Richard
Grey and Sir Thomas Vaughan. Percy was present with a northern contingent
at the battle of Bosworth where he shamefully failed to back up Richard
III’s last charge. He gave his support to Henry VII, fought for him
at the battle of Stoke Field, and for his pains was given the task of
collecting taxes for his new monarch in the north of England in 1489.
The people of the north had never forgiven Percy for his betrayal of
Richard III, and this may have been the reason for his death. He was
killed by an enraged mob at Topcliff in North Yorkshire whilst trying
to collect the taxes, as he had been instructed.
He was buried in Beverley Minster. PERCY,
Robert, kt.
K.B. (k.1485) One
of a cadet branch of the Percy family, Sir Robert Percy of Scotton was
a childhood friend of Richard III. The two were evidently trained together
in the Earl of Warwick’s household. His first marriage was to Elinor
Bewley, the mother of his son, and his second marriage was to Joyce
Washbourne. Robert
fought at the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury. Under Richard III he
was said to be captain of the royal guard, but there is some doubt that
such an office existed. He was certainly comptroller of the royal household
and a Privy Councillor. Sir Robert was also created a Knight of the
Bath by King Richard. In 1484 he was Sheriff of Hertfordshire. At the
battle of Bosworth, Percy was one of the King’s household knights and
was killed fighting beside his King. His son, also Robert, kept up the
service to the House of York, fighting beside Richard’s nephew John
of Lincoln at the battle of Stoke Field. The
eldest daughter of Richard Duke of York and Cecily Neville, she married
Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter. The marriage was not happy, but produced
one daughter, Anne, who died in 1475 after her marriage to Thomas Grey,
Lord Dorset. Anne obtained a divorce from Exeter in 1472. Her second
husband was Sir Thomas St Leger. This marriage too produced a daughter,
again confusingly called Anne, who grew up to marry George Manners,
Lord Roos. Their descendants are the Dukes of Rutland. Anne
died in 1476 and is buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The third daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, she was in sanctuary with her family in both 1470 and 1483. Before the Battle of Bosworth, Cecily and her elder sister Elizabeth, were in the north at Sheriff Hutton, but returned to London after the battle. Like those of her sisters, Cecily’s marriage was arranged by Henry VII in 1487 to men with Tudor loyalties, her husband being one of Henry’s relatives, John, Lord Welles. Welles died in 1498 and Cecily’s second marriage was to Thomas Kyme, a man of no particular importance, which leads one to imagine that on this occasion she married to please herself. Cecily died in 1507 and was buried in Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight.
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