Robert de Neville facts for kids
Robert de Neville, the second Baron Neville of Raby (born around 1223, died 1282), was an important English nobleman during the Middle Ages.
Contents
Family History
The Neville family has a long history in England, going back to at least the 1000s. Some historians think they were important families in Northumbria even before the Normans arrived. By the 1200s, the Nevilles had become very powerful landowners. They achieved this through smart marriages and by gaining the King's favor. This helped them rise to important positions in their region and get appointed to key royal jobs.
When Robert de Neville grew up, and for the rest of his life, English politics was very divided. King Henry III was not very popular with his nobles. This tension led to big problems and eventually a civil war. Simon de Montfort, who had once been a friend of Henry's and married his sister Eleanor, became the leader of the group against the King.
Early Life
Robert de Neville was the oldest son of Geoffrey fitz Robert (who later became Geoffrey de Neville, died around 1242). His grandfather was Robert fitz Meldred, Lord of Raby. There's some debate among historians about who Robert de Neville's mother was. Some think she was Margaret, daughter of Sir John de Longvillers. However, other records suggest his mother was named Joan. Robert had younger brothers: Geoffrey, who started a different branch of the family in Hornby, Lancashire, and also John and Hugh.
Lands and Wealth
Robert owned lands in Burreth, Lincolnshire by 1242. When his father died in 1254, Robert took over his family's lands, including the Lordship of Raby and Brancepeth in Durham. He officially promised loyalty to the King on May 7, 1254. He also received more lands after his grandmother and grandfather passed away, likely including the manors of Ulnaby and Carlbury. Historians find it hard to know exactly how wealthy he was because the records that survive, mostly from after his death, only give a rough idea.
Important Roles in England
Robert de Neville became more and more important in the politics of northeastern England in the mid-1250s. By 1258, he was made Sheriff of Northumberland. This was a key job because Northumberland was close to the border with Scotland. This position allowed him to help increase English influence in Scottish affairs. He also helped with diplomatic meetings. For example, in April 1258, he traveled to Scotland on the King's orders to help the Scottish king stop a rebellion by his own nobles.
De Neville attended a large meeting in York with King Henry III in September 1268. This meeting was for Henry III to meet his son-in-law, the King of Scotland, and Henry's daughter, Margaret, who was the Queen of Scotland. During this time, de Neville witnessed many important official documents. He played a big part in managing the border area, including setting up truces, solving arguments, and collecting money for protection. He was also close to the Bishops of Durham, Robert and Antony.
In 1263, de Neville was put in charge of defending York and all of England north of the River Trent. He was also made Sheriff of Yorkshire. He was also appointed governor of Norham and Werk castles.
Serving the King
Even before his father died, Robert was doing small jobs for King Henry III in the north of England. For instance, in 1251, he was sent to get deer from the royal forest of Galtres for Henry's Christmas feast at Westminster Palace. The next year, de Neville was given permission to fence off land for his own farming. Over the next few years, he received more gifts, including deer for his park and a license to hunt hares, foxes, and cats with his dogs. In August 1257, he fought in a military campaign in Wales.
At different times, de Neville was in charge of royal castles in the north, such as Bamburgh, Newcastle, Scarborough, and York. De Neville said that being in charge of Bamburgh cost him a lot of money, though some historians think he exaggerated this amount. His main role for the King at this time was diplomacy, not military. As the person in charge of York and Bamburgh Castles, de Neville promised to give them back only to the King and his heirs. In 1261, de Neville was made the main judge for royal forests north of the River Trent. This meant he was responsible for legal cases that happened in the King's forests.
Civil War
As relations between King Henry and some of his nobles, led by Simon de Montfort, got worse, de Neville's role became military.
In 1258, the rebel barons, who created a document called the Provisions of Oxford, mentioned de Neville as a royal supporter they could trust with royal castles. The rebels also made him Sheriff of Northumberland, where they had strong support in the north. In 1263, de Neville was in charge of Devizes Castle. He was part of the group of barons who supported the King in his fight with Simon de Montfort over political changes. De Neville even asked King Louis IX of France to help settle the dispute in December 1263.
The first violence happened in June 1263 when de Montfort and his men attacked the lands of the King's friends. King Henry then organized his military response. He made de Neville responsible for the royal lands in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Durham. De Neville stayed loyal to the King. He was told to deal strongly with anyone who was destroying the lands of the King's loyal supporters. This was a huge task for de Neville, as he was responsible for about one-third of the kingdom. He wrote to the King's chief minister, William of Merton, saying that the task was "not possible without great expense" and he needed help getting money. De Neville also wrote to King Henry personally, complaining that many people were not helping to keep the peace. He begged Henry to send letters to his nobles in those areas, asking them to help him fight the rebels.
The civil war greatly affected de Neville's ability to do his royal duties. He claimed in 1269 that he couldn't collect the King's taxes regularly because of the criminal actions of John d'Eyville. D'Eyville, a strong supporter of de Montfort, and other barons had caused a lot of trouble in the local area from late 1263 until the Battle of Lewes on May 14, 1264. After de Montfort's victory at Lewes, de Neville was called to London in June 1264 to advise the new government. He was back in London the next month with a group of men to stop a French invasion that never happened.
King Henry had been captured at Lewes and was now basically controlled by de Montfort. But de Neville openly defied de Montfort's rule. He refused to give up Bamburgh or York Castles to the new government, remembering his earlier promise to the King. Historians note that de Neville's stand was remarkable because other northern barons, including John d'Eyville, had switched their loyalty to de Montfort's government. This time was very difficult for de Neville, who was repeatedly threatened with losing his lands if he didn't surrender the castles.
Some historians suggest that de Neville indirectly helped cause de Montfort's defeat at the Battle of Evesham on August 4, 1265. The Earl of Gloucester was responsible for de Neville's good behavior. When the new government tried to force Gloucester to bring de Neville to London, Gloucester refused and instead switched sides. Gloucester's support was crucial for Edward's victory at Evesham.
After the War
Even though de Montfort was defeated and killed at Evesham, and Henry was back in charge, many people still supported de Montfort's ideas for reform. Much of the King's and de Neville's efforts in the following years were spent dealing with this. De Neville was again made the main judge for the Northern Forests. He was also appointed a Keeper of the peace for several northern counties. He also served on many judicial commissions. In 1276, after promising loyalty to the new King, Henry's son Edward I, de Neville was asked to hear the cases of the "Disinherited" rebels. These were people who had lost their lands for fighting against the King. One of them was de Neville's cousin, Hugh de Neville, who had fought with de Montfort.
De Neville has been described as very loyal to the King during the civil war. However, in 1267, he had to meet the King at Kenilworth Castle and make his peace there. This action seems a bit odd if he was always loyal. Kenilworth was de Montfort's main home and was very hard to attack. De Neville helped the King's efforts to remove the remaining rebels from the castle. In what was called de Neville's final service against the rebellion, on September 17, 1267, he was appointed to carry out the Dictum of Kenilworth in the East Midlands and the Thames Valley. This document officially made peace between the King and de Montfort's last followers. One of his jobs was to witness the agreements that rebels made to get their lands back.
De Neville continued to do administrative jobs. He served on various commissions to investigate crimes and was responsible for collecting the fifteenth and tenth tax in Northumberland and Westmorland in 1275. The next year, he was at the Council of Westminster as a member of the Royal council that declared Llywelyn ap Gruffudd a rebel. This led to the invasion of Wales the following year.
Later Years and Death
The invasion of Wales continued into 1277. De Neville was called to join the King's army, but he sent his son John to fight in his place. He was called again the next year but said he couldn't go because he was too sick. He died by August 20, 1282. It's not known where he was buried, but places like Greyfriars and Blackfriars in York, and Staindrop Church have been suggested. His will was carried out by his brother, Geoffrey. By the time he died, he was the most powerful noble in Durham.
Family Life
Robert de Neville was married twice. His first wife was Isabel de Byron. She was actively involved in her husband's legal matters and had several sons with him. However, his oldest son, also named Robert, died before his father in 1271. So, Robert the younger's son, Ralph, inherited his grandfather's titles and lands. Ralph later became the first Baron Neville. Robert the younger had married Mary fitz Ranulf (or Fitzrandolph), who inherited Middleham Castle from her father, bringing it into the Neville family. Robert the elder's second wife was Ida, daughter of Sir Robert Bertram of Mitford. She remarried in 1285 to Robert Lumley.
Images for kids
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The Neville coat of arms
