Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny facts for kids

Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Abergavenny (born between 1527 and 1535 – died 10 February 1587) was an important English nobleman. He was the son of George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny, and Mary Stafford. Henry became the Baron Abergavenny after his father passed away.

Henry Nevill's Life

Henry Nevill was known as the sixth Lord Abergavenny. He was called to join the Parliament many times, from 1552 to 1586. One of his most notable roles was serving as a judge in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. This trial took place at Fotheringhay Castle. Henry Nevill passed away at his home, called Comfort, near Birling, Kent, in 1587.

He was married twice. His first wife was Frances, who was the daughter of Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland. Later, he married Elizabeth Darrell. From his first marriage, Henry had one daughter named Mary Neville. Mary later married Sir Thomas Fane.

Henry Nevill and Wyatt's Rebellion

In 1554, a big event called Wyatt's rebellion happened in England. This was a revolt against the Queen. During this time, Henry Nevill and Robert Southwell were very loyal to the Queen. Southwell was the High Sheriff of Kent, and he was married to Henry's niece. They led the forces that supported the Queen against the rebels. People at the time said that Henry Nevill and Robert Southwell were among the few important gentlemen whose loyalty was never doubted.

Henry and Southwell started gathering loyal soldiers on January 24, 1554. The rebellion officially began the next day. The rebel leader, Wyatt, even called Henry and Southwell "traitors" for supporting the Queen.

By January 27, the Queen's supporters were stronger. Henry and Southwell had about two thousand men in Kent, which was similar to Wyatt's forces. Henry and Southwell blocked a key road to stop the rebels from joining up. On January 28, Southwell defeated some rebels at Wrotham. However, on the same day, a large army that was supposed to help the Queen actually joined Wyatt. This forced Henry and Southwell to flee to London.

Wyatt then marched towards London. But Henry and Southwell, along with Thomas Cheney, quickly gathered more loyal soldiers behind him. By February 4, Henry and Southwell marched to Greenwich. Wyatt was now cut off from his base in Kent, and he couldn't get more soldiers. Meanwhile, the Queen's forces grew stronger every day.

By February 7, Wyatt's army fell apart. Interestingly, one of Wyatt's supporters who was sentenced to death was Thomas Fane. He was later pardoned because he was young. Thomas Fane then became a loyal supporter of the Queen and later married Henry Nevill's daughter, Mary.

Mary, Lady Fane

Henry Nevill's daughter, Mary Neville, Baroness le Despencer, passed away on June 28, 1626, at the age of 72. She was buried in Mereworth, Kent. She married Thomas Fane in Birling, Kent, in 1574.

Mary's son, Francis, later became the Earl of Westmorland.

After her father's death, Mary, Lady Fane, claimed the title of Baron Abergavenny. However, Edward Nevill also claimed the title. To solve this, a compromise was reached. In 1604, Mary was officially given the title of Baroness le Despencer. This meant she and her future children would have this title, with the same old rights and importance as her ancestors.