General Notes

Ralph, educated at Oxford, captured with his elder brother Robert, and his 2 younger brothers Alexander and John at the Scots victory at the Battle of Bannockburn 24 June 1314, was ransomed at crippling cost to his father.  Witnessed his elder brother "The Peacock of the North" Robert's death in June 1319 at the hands of  Sir James Douglas (known as "The Good" by the Scots, but also, especially by the English, as the "Black Douglas" from his dark complexion) outside the walls of Berwick Castle in single combat, a contest arranged in revenge for the killing by Neville and his brothers the previous Dec of Richard FitzMarmaduke.  [Burke's Peerage]

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Ralph de Neville, Lord Neville of Raby, age 40+ at father's death, b. c 1291, d. 5 Aug 1367; m. license 14 Jan 1326/7 Alice de Audley, d. 12 Jan 1373/4.  [Magna Charta Sureties]

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Fourth Baron of Raby, second Baron Neville. Ralph was captured in a battle with the Scots in 1318. He was ransomed and lived to command a division of English that soundly defeated the Scots at the Battle of Neville's Cross on October 17, 1346, when the Scots were defeated and King David captured. The battle was fought one-half mile west of Durham on the Brancepeth road near the old cross. After the battle, lord Neville replaced it with a much grander monument. It stood for 240 years in good condition until 1589 when it was vandalized. These remains still stand.

Constable of Warkworth Castle, keeper of peace in Yorkshire and Raby, assisted in truce with Robert Bruce, named warded on marches in Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland, named superior warden, steward of Kings household.
1350-with English fleet in battle with Spaniards off Calais.
1355-in France with battle of Poitiers

He was buried in the church of Durham, on the south side thereof, being the first layman that had sepulture there.

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Ralph de Nevill, 2nd baron, was summoned to parliament from 20 November, 1331, to 20 January, 1336. This nobleman, in the time of his father, was retained by indenture to serve the Lord Henry de Percy for life, in peace and war, against all men except the king, with twenty men-at-arms, whereof five to be knights receiving £100 sterling per annum. The dispute with the prior of Durham, regarding the presentation of the stag was revived and finally set to rest in the abandonment of his claim by this Lord Nevill. The matter is thus detailed by Dugdale: "In this year likewise, doing his fealty to William, prior of Durham, upon Lammas Day, for the manor of Raby, he told him, 'that he would offer the stag as his ancestors had done; saving that, whereas his father required that the prior's servants should be set aside at that time and his own serve in their stead, he would be content that his should attend together with those of the prior's; and, whereas his father insisted that his servants should only be admitted at dinner, he stood upon it that his should be there entertained the whole day and likewise the morrow at breakfast.' Whereupon the prior made answer, 'that none of his ancestors were ever so admitted and that he would rather quit the stag than suffer any new custom to the prejudice of their church.' But, to this Ralph replied, 'that he would perform the whole service or none and put the trial of his right upon the country.' The prior, therefore, knowing him to be so powerful and that the country could not displease him, declined the offer; howbeit, at length, to gain his favour, in regard he had no small interest at court and might do him a kindness or a displeasure, was content for that one time he should perform it as he pleased so that it might not be drawn into example afterwards; and, to the purpose proposed, that indentures should be made betwixt them. Whereupon the Lord Nevill brought but few with him and those more for the honour of the prior than a burthen; and so, shortly after dinner, took his leave, but left one of his servants to lodge there all night and to take his breakfast there on the next day; 'protesting that, being both a son and tenant to the church, he would not be burthensome to it, in respect it would be no advantage to himself but might much damnifie him if he should bring with him as great a train as he would, saying, 'what doth a breakfast signify to me? nothing. And likewise, that if the prior would shew that he had no right to what he so claimed, he would freely recede therefrom; and if he had a right, he would accept a composition for it rather than be burthensome to the convent; but if they should put him to get his right by law, then he would not abate anything thereof.' Whereupon inquiry being made amongst the eldest monks of the house, they affirmed that, being of eight years standing when his father was before repulsed, they had often seen the stag offered, and that he never staid dinner but when the prior invited him, and some ancient men of the country testified as much; also, that so soon as the stag was brought, they carried him to the kitchen, and those who brought him were taken into the hall to breakfast, as they that bring their rents used to be.

"Moreover, when it happened any of the Lords Nevill to be desired to stay dinner with the prior, his cook was admitted into the kitchen to prepare a dish for him; so, likewise, another servant in the cellar to choose his drink; and in like manner, some other at the gate who knew his servants and followers, merely to let them in and keep out others who, under pretence of being servants, might then intrude. But this was only done by the prior, as out of courtesy and respect, and not at all out of right."

In the 7th Edward III [1314], Lord Nevill was one of the commissioners sent into Scotland, there to see that the covenants between Edward de Baliol, King of Scots, and his royal master were ratified by the parliament of that kingdom; and the next year he was joined with Henry de Percy in the wardenship of the marches of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland. He had, subsequently, other high and confidential employments and was constantly engaged in the wars of Scotland and France. His lordship m. Alice, dau. of of Sir Hugh de Audley, and by her (who m 2ndly, Ralph, Lord Greystock, and d. 1374) had issue, John, Thomas, Robert, Alexander, Ralph, Euphemia, Catherine, Margaret, Isabel, and Eleanor.

He d. in 1367 and was buried in the church of Durham, on the south side thereof, being the first layman that had sepulture there, which favour he obtained from the prior and convent for a vestment of red velvet, richly embroidered with gold silk, great pearls, and images of the saints standing in tabernacles by him given to St Cuthbert. His body being brought in a chariot drawn by seven horses to the boundary of the churchyard and thence conveyed upon the shoulders of knights into the middle of the church where the abbot of St. Mary's in York (by reason of the bishop's absence and impotency of the dean), performed the office of the dead, and celebrated the morrow mass, at which were offered eight horses, viz., four for the war, with four men armed, and all their harness and habiliments; and four others for peace; as also three cloths of gold, of blue colour, interwoven with flowers. Four of those horses were redeemed after the funeral by Sir John, his son and heir, for 100 marks. His lordship was s. by his eldest son, Sir John de Nevill. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, England, 1883, p. 393, Nevill, Barons Nevill, of Raby, Earls of Westmoreland]