Ralph (Neville) de Neville (abt. 1291 - 1367)

Born about 1291 in Raby, Durham, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Alice (Audley) de Neville — married 14 Jan 1327 in England

Descendants

Died 5 Aug 1367 at about age 76 in Durham, England [uncertain]

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Biography

Ralph de Neville, Knt., 2nd Lord Neville of Raby, born about 1291 (aged 40 in 1331), was the second but first surviving son of Ranulph de Neville (or Ralph, Randolph), Knt., of Raby and Brancepeth, Durham, and Euphame de Clavering, daughter of Sir Robert Fitz Roger, Lord Fitz Roger.^[1][2][3][4] His father was also known as Ranulph Fitz Robert de Neville.^[1]

Ralph fought in Scotland in 1311, 1319, 1334 and 1335.^[1] In Berwick in 1318/9, the Scots killed his elder brother, Robert, and captured Ralph and his brothers Alexander and John, holding them for ransom.^[3][4] He was Keeper of Warkworth Castle by 1322 and in 1325 he was one of the commissioners to maintain the truce with the Scots.^[3][4] On 25 October 1330, Ralph was appointed Steward of the Royal Household, holding that position until 1336, and was an influential part of Edward III's court in the 1330's.^[3] Ralph's father died in 1331 and he had livery of his father's lands on 17 May 1331.^[4]

Ralph was Justice of the Forests North of the Trent^[1] about July 1332 with a grant of the Keepership for life in 1336.^[4] He was at the surrender of Berwick Castle in July 1333 and accompanied the king to Scotland again in 1334 and 1335.^[4] Ralph and Henry Percy were made Wardens of the Marches and of the king's lands in Scotland in August 1334,^[3] serving sometimes jointly and others solely.^[4] He was made banneret that fall and was granted custody of Bamburgh Castle for life^[4] on 29 August 1335.^[3] He served on the Councils of Regency in July 1338 and June 1340^[4] and took part in the campaigns in Scotland in 1338 and 1339.^[3]

On the outskirts of Durham, Ralph commanded the English Army at the Battle of Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346, his son, John, fighting at his side.^[1][3] King David of Scotland was taken prisoner during that battle.^[4] Ralph and Gilbert Unfraville, Earl of Angus, went on to invade Scotland and regained the lands between the border and the Firth of Forth.^[3] He took part in the naval victory over the Spaniards off Winchelsea on 29 August 1350.^[4] Ralph continued serving as Warden of the marches and, in 1355, he was made Governor of Berwick.^[3]

Marriage and Children

Ralph Neville and Alice de Audley were married by license dated 14 January 1326/7.^[1][3][4] Alice was the widow of Sir Ralph Greystoke, 1st Lord Greystoke, and the daughter of Hugh de Audley, Knt., Lord Audley,^[4] and his wife Iseult^[1][2][5] Alice had a son from her first marriage, William, Lord Greystoke, who became Ralph's ward.^[3] They had six sons and four daughters:^[6]

• John,^[3] K.G., 3rd Lord Neville of Raby,^[2] died 17 October 1388, married first Maud de Percy and second to Elizabeth le Latimer,^[4] having issue with both wives^[1]
• Robert,^[3] Knt.,^[1][2] died without issue^[4]
• Alexander, Archbishop of York^[2][4] from 1374-1388.^[3] He was born about 1332, died 16 May 1392.^[1]
• Thomas, Canon of York and Howden,^[2] born about 1332, died in France before 1361^[1] (not mentioned in ODNB)
• William,^[3][4] Knt.^[1][2]
• Ralph,^[3][4] Knt.,^[2] of Thornton Bridge, Yorkshire, married Elizabeth de Leeds^[1]
• Margaret,^[2] married first to Sir William de Roos, 3rd Lord Roos of Helmsley, and second to Henry de Percy, K.G., 4th Lord Percy;^[1] died 1372^[3]
• Katherine, wife of William de Dacre, 2nd Lord Dacre;^[1][2] died 1361^[3]
• Eleanor,^[2][4] wife of Geoffrey le Scrope, later became Abbess of the Minories in London^[1][3] after her husband's death in 1362^[7]
• Eupheme,^[2] married first Robert de Clifford, second to Reynold de Lucy, and third to Sir Walter de Heslarton;^[1] died in 1393^[3][4]

And perhaps two other daughters, not named by Richardson (more research needed):

• Elizabeth, mentioned as a Minoress in the will of her brother, John^[4]
• Isabel, daughter of Ralph and Alice, married Hugh Fitz Henry, son of Henry Fitz Henry^[8]

Death and Burial

Ralph de Neville died on 5 August 1367 and his wife Alice died 12 January 1373/4. They were both buried in the Durham Cathedral.^[1][2][3][4] In 1651 their tomb was completely defaced by Scots who were imprisoned there.^[1][2] An e-mail dated March 10, 2008 to Alton Rogers from Norman Emery, Durham Cathedral Archaeologist (durhamcathedral.co.uk) stated: "There are three Neville tombs in an area of the South Aisle of the Nave known as the Neville Chantry. Two are chest tombs, to John Neville and his wife Maud, circa 1386, and Ralph de Neville and his wife Alice, circa 1416."

An Inquisition Post Mortem for Ralph's lands was held 21 August 1367. Ralph's son John, aged 38 and more, was named as his heir.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18} Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 2nd edition, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham, (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011), vol. III, pages 242-243 NEVILLE 6, Ralph de Neville
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13} Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City, Utah: the author, 2013), vol. IV, pages 228-230. NEVILLE 11.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21} Tuck, Anthony. "Neville, Ralph, fourth Lord Neville (c. 1291–1367), soldier and administrator." in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 3 Jan 2008, Oxford University Press. Accessed online 9 Apr 2020 with subscription at ODNB.
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21} Cokayne, George Edward and H.A. Doubleday et. al eds. Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Vol. IX: Moels to Nuneham, 2nd edition. (London, 1936). Online at FamilySearch, pages 499-502: NEVILLE.
5. ↑ NOTE: Iseult's LNAB is not Mortimer, it is le Rus or Rous per Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 1: Audley of Stratton Audley
6. ↑ Cawley, Charles. Randolph Neville (see #3 RALPH) entry in "Medieval Lands": A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families © by Charles Cawley, hosted by Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (FMG). See also WikiTree's source page for MedLands.
7. ↑ Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd ed., vol. IV, page 8 SCROPE 5.i.
8. ↑ Cokayne. Complete Peerage, Vol. V. Online at Archive.org, page 420.
9. ↑ Great Britain. Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 12, 39-43 Edward III: 1365-1370. (London, 1938). Online at Archive.org, pages 133-143. IPMs of Ralph de Neville.

• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011). See also WikiTree's source page for Magna Carta Ancestry.
• Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2013). See also WikiTree's source page for Royal Ancestry and vol. IV, pages 230-232 and 355.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville.
• Weis, Frederick Lewis. 'The Magna Charta Sureties, 1215, (4th ed.), page 54.
• Tait, James. "Neville, Ralph de" in Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 40. Online at WikiSource.

Acknowledgements

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Magna Carta Project

This profile was re-reviewed and approved for the Magna Carta Project on 10 Apr 2020 by Thiessen-117.

Ralph de Neville is a descendant of Magna Carta Surety Barons Saher de Quincy and John Fitz Robert. His profile appears in trails badged by the Magna Carta Project to one or both surety barons from the following Gateway Ancestors:

• Bernard Gateways (Richard and William): badged in 2015. See the trail HERE.
• Saint Leger Codd: connected in 2019 to existing trail badged in 2015. See the trails HERE.
• Edward Digges: badged after Jun 2015. See the trail HERE.
• John Fisher: badged in/about 2015, re-reviewed in April 2020. See the trail HERE.
• Warham Horsmanden: badged May 2020. See the trail HERE.
• Levis Gateways (Samuel, Hannah, Sarah): badged in February 2020. The trail can be seen HERE (see Need).
• Nelson Gateways (John and Margaret): badged in 2015 and 2016 and needs re-review. See the trail HERE.
• Robert Peyton, through his mother: trail was badged in 2015 and can be seen HERE.
• Torrey Gateways (William and Samuel): badged May 2022. See this trail HERE.

Ralph de Neville is also in unbadged trails (needing work) to the following Gateways:

• Need Gateways (Mary and Joseph) (MCA II:221-223 NEED): Levis trail badged in February 2020. The trails can be seen HERE (see Levis). 3 profiles need development.

See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".