General Notes

The "Kingmaker's" grandfather, the 1st Earl of Westmorland settled about half the original Neville estates on the children of his second marriage, whereas the subsequent Earls of Westmorland were the product of his first.  It thus came about that the 2nd-6th Earls of Westmorland were actually less well-endowed territorially than their ancestors who had been mere barons.  The pre-eminence of that branch of the family represented by the Earls of Salisbury/Warwick, who stemmed from the second marriage, was made correspondingly easier.

The 1st Earl of Westmorland had multiplicity of children: nine by the first wife, fourteen by his second.  Of his 23 in all, four were peers, three were duchesses and another four daughters the wives of lesser peers; moreover of those three duchesses one was mother of two kings. Between 1450 and 1455 no fewer than 13 members of the family had seats in the House of Lords.  This very fecundity like that of Edward III, engendered quarrels.  There was rivalry between the two branches of the family, which grew from a dispute about family estates into a difference as to dynastic loyalties.  It thus served as an overture to the Wars of the Roses, one which was made even more ominous by a dispute between the Nevilles, represented by the 1st Marquess of Montagu and the Percys. [Burke's Peerage]

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Sir Ralph de Neville, KG, b. c 1346, d. Raby 21 Oct 1425, created 1st Earl of Westmorland 1397; m. (1) Margaret Stafford, d. 9 June 1396; m. (2) before 29 Nov 1396 Joan Beaufort, d. Howden 13 Nov 1440, widow of Robert Ferrers, daughter of John, Duke of Lancaster and Katharine (Roet) Swynford.  [Magna Charta Sureties]

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Sixth Baron Neville of Raby, became a Knight of the Garter and 1st Earl Westmoreland September 29, 1397. As a Lancasterian, he opposed Richard II in 1399 and conveyed Richard's resignation to the convention. He assisted in the coronation of Henry IV and was a member of the council of regency appointed to rule in the infancy of King Henry V. With his second marriage to Joan Beaufort, a widowed daughter of John Of Gaunt, fourth son of Edward III, this favorably affected Joan and Ralph's wealth and social prestige, making possible brilliant marriages for their children. In 1450, five of Ralph's sons, five sons-in-law and several grandsons were in Parliament.

Held many offices, among them Constable of the Tower of London and in 1399, Marshall of England the year he was created Earl of Richmond. He was a member of Richards II's privy council, saw service at Agincourt on October 25, 1415 where Henry won a victory over the superior numbers of French owing to his superior generalship.

He married his first wife Margaret, daughter of Hugh, Earl of Stafford by special dispensation from Pope Urban V, because of their close relationship.

The marriage to Joan, his second wife, was a much more distinguished one as the line now descends through the royal house of England. summoned to Parliament from December 6, 1389 to November 30, 1396.

Some say he is the son of Elizabeth Latimer

Was created Earl of Westmorland by Richard II on 9-29-1397

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Ralph de Nevill, 4th baron, summoned to parliament from 6 December, 1389, to 30 November, 1396. This nobleman took a leading part in the political drama of his day and sustained it with more than ordinary ability. In the lifetime of his father (9th Richard II), he was joined with Thomas Clifford, son of Lord Clifford, and was appointed a commissionership for the guardianship of the West Marches. In three years after this he succeeded to the title, and in two years subsequently he was one of the commissioners appointed to treat with the Kings of France and Scotland, touching a truce made by them with the King of England. In the 21st Richard II [1378], he was made constable of the Tower of London and shortly afterwards advanced in full parliament to the dignity of Earl of Westmoreland. His lordship was of the privy council to King Richard and had much favour from that monarch, yet he was one of the most active in raising Henry, of Lancaster, to the throne as Henry IV, and was rewarded by the new king in the first year of his reign with a grant of the county and honour of Richmond for his life, and with the great office of Earl Marshal of England. Soon after this, he stoutly resisted the Earl of Northumberland in his rebellion and forced the Percies, who had advanced as far as Durham, to fall back upon Prudhoe, when the battle of Shrewsbury ensued, in which the gallant Hotspur sustained so signal a defeat, and closed his impetuous career. The earl was afterwards governor of the town and castle of Carlisle, warden of the West Marches towards Scotland, and governor of Roxborough. He was also a knight of the Garter. His lordship m. 1st, Lady Margaret Stafford, dau. of Hugh, Earl Stafford, K.G., for which marriage a dispensation was obtained from Pope Urban V, the earl and his bride being within the third and fourth degrees of consanguinity; by this lady he had issue, John, Lord Nevill; Ralph; Maud; Phillippa; Alice; Margaret; Anne; Margery; and Elizabeth. The earl m. 2ndly, Joan de Beaufort, dau. of John of Gaunt, by Katherine Swynford, and widow of Robert, Lord Ferrers, of Wem, by whom he had issue, Richard; William; George; Edward; Cuthbert; Henry; Thomas; Catherine; Eleanor; Anne; Jane; and Cicely. This great earl d. in 1425 and was s. by his grandson, Ralph Nevill, 5th Baron Nevill, of Raby. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, England, 1883, pp. 393-4, Nevill, Barons Nevill, of Raby, Earls of Westmoreland]