Neville–Neville feud
Fifteenth-century feud within an English noble family / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Neville–Neville feud was an inheritance dispute in the north of England during the early fifteenth century between two branches of the noble Neville family. The inheritance in question was that of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, a prominent northern nobleman who had issue from two marriages. Westmorland favoured as his heirs the children of his second wife, Joan Beaufort, closely related to the royal family, over those of his first wife, Margaret Stafford.
Neville family feud | |||||||
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Part of fifteenth-century England | |||||||
Neville family coat of arms; this was worn by the senior branch, whilst Salisbury's—as a younger son—would have been differenced. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Nevilles of Raby (senior branch) | Nevilles of Middleham (cadet branch) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Earl of Westmorland | Earl of Salisbury |
After Ralph Neville's death in 1425, many of the Neville family holdings were transferred through legal means to the children of Joan Beaufort (the Middleham cadet branch of the Neville family), in effect disinheriting the senior branch (the Nevilles of Raby). This led to more than a decade of rivalry between both branches of the family. Ralph Neville's eldest son, John Neville, had died before his father. John Neville's son, also named Ralph, became the 2nd earl of Westmorland. Though the title earl of Westmorland passed to the senior Nevilles, for legal reasons, many holdings, particularly those of the Neville patrimony in Yorkshire and Raby Castle in Durham were transferred to Joan and her children. The Beaufort Nevilles were also able to consolidate their control over the County Palatine of Durham after Robert Neville assumed the office of Bishop of Durham in 1437.
The senior branch disputed their disinheritance — both legally and by force of arms — but Joan Beaufort's eldest son, Richard Neville, prevailed due to his family's greater political connections. The feud continued through the 1430s, until an agreement was reached in 1443. This settlement was largely favourable to Salisbury, and both branches of the family remained at odds with each other. The dispute between the senior and junior branches of the Neville family continued into the Wars of the Roses. During the prolonged civil war, the senior branch sided with the Lancastrians, while their cousins sided with the Yorkists. Margaret Stafford's grandsons gave Salisbury no support during the conflict and he was captured fighting for Richard of York at the Battle of Wakefield. Rather than being ransomed according to the usual custom of the time, Salisbury was beheaded by the common people "who loved him not."