Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland facts for kids

Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland (born August 18, 1542 – died November 16, 1601) was an important English nobleman. He is best known for being one of the leaders of a major uprising against Queen Elizabeth I in 1569.

Charles was the son of Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland and Lady Anne Manners. In 1563, he married Jane Howard. Her family, the Howards, were very powerful.

The Northern Rebellion

Why the Rebellion Started

Charles Neville grew up as a Catholic. At that time, England was going through big changes. Queen Elizabeth I was making the country more Protestant. Many powerful Catholic families, like the Nevilles and Howards, did not agree with these changes. They wanted England to remain Catholic.

Leading the Uprising

In November 1569, Charles Neville joined with another powerful nobleman, Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland. Together, they led a group of rebels in what was called the Northern Rebellion. Their main goal was to challenge Queen Elizabeth's Protestant rules.

The rebels managed to take control of Durham city. While there, they held a traditional Catholic mass. This was a clear sign of their protest against the Queen's religious policies.

The Rebellion Fails

However, Queen Elizabeth quickly gathered her own army. Her forces were much stronger and they soon crushed the rebellion. The rebels had also hoped to free Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned by Elizabeth. But their plan failed.

Life in Exile

Escaping England

After the rebellion was defeated, Charles Neville and the Earl of Northumberland had to flee. They escaped to Scotland to find safety. Charles Neville hid for a long time at a place called Fernyhurst Castle.

During this time, a cousin of Charles, named Robert Constable, was secretly hired to find him. Constable pretended to be a friend, but his real goal was to betray Charles.

Moving to Flanders

The Earl of Northumberland was eventually captured and handed over to Queen Elizabeth. Fearing the same fate, Charles Neville left Scotland. He traveled to Flanders, which is now part of Belgium.

Life in Flanders was very hard for him. He lived in great poverty. He never saw his wife, Jane Howard, or their son and four daughters again.

Losing Everything

Because he had rebelled against the Queen, Charles Neville lost all his wealth and lands in England. His family's strong castles, like Brancepeth and Raby, were taken away. They passed into the hands of other people.

Later Years and Death

Plans for Invasion

Even in exile, Charles Neville remained involved in plans against Queen Elizabeth. In 1588, he commanded a group of 700 English people who had also fled England. They were part of a much larger army gathered by the Duke of Parma. This army, along with the Spanish Armada, planned to invade England. However, the Spanish Armada was defeated, and the invasion never happened.

Final Days

In 1571, the English Parliament passed a law that declared Charles Neville a traitor. This meant he officially lost his titles and lands. He lived on a small pension, which was money given to him by Philip II of Spain.

Charles Neville died on November 16, 1601. He passed away in poverty and was mostly forgotten.