Thomas Neville (died 1471) facts for kids

Thomas Fauconberg (born 1429 – died 22 September 1471) was also known as Thomas Neville. People sometimes called him "Thomas the Bastard" or the "Bastard of Fauconberg." He was the son of William Neville, Lord Fauconberg.

His father was a brave leader in the Hundred Years' War. Later, his father fought in the Wars of the Roses. He first supported the Yorkist side, then joined his cousin, Richard Neville (known as "Warwick the Kingmaker"), to fight for the House of Lancaster.

Early Life and Sea Adventures

When Thomas was young, he was a very good sailor. In 1454, the City of London honored him. They gave him the "freedom of the city" because he helped clear pirates. He made the English Channel and the North Sea safer for ships.

Thomas worked closely with his father's family. His uncle, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, helped manage the seas. Later, his cousin, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, took charge of keeping the seas safe. Thomas learned a lot from them.

Thomas and the Wars of the Roses

The Neville family was very powerful. They strongly supported Richard of York. They helped Richard's son, Edward IV, become king in 1461.

Because of this help, Thomas's father became the Earl of Kent. When his father died in 1463, he had no sons who could inherit his main title.

Supporting Warwick

In the late 1460s, problems grew between King Edward IV and Thomas's cousin, Warwick. Thomas stayed loyal to Warwick. When Warwick rebelled and had to leave England in 1470, Thomas joined him. He brought several armed ships.

While Warwick was in France, Thomas took control of his ships. He raided English ships, causing trouble for King Edward.

Fighting for the Lancastrians

In 1471, Thomas was back at sea. He was fighting for the Lancastrians. This was to help King Henry VI, who had become king again with Warwick's help. Thomas was told to patrol the Channel. He needed to stop King Edward IV, who had fled to Burgundy, from returning.

But Edward avoided Thomas's ships. He landed in Yorkshire. Warwick then told Thomas to return from the sea. He wanted Thomas to gather an army in Kent, where Warwick was popular.

However, King Edward acted quickly. He took control of London. He captured King Henry VI. Then, Edward defeated and killed Warwick in the Battle of Barnet on April 14.

Attacking London

With Warwick dead, Thomas landed his ships at Sandwich. He sent his ships to sail up the Thames River. Thomas himself marched toward London by land. He gathered many soldiers as he went. People from Canterbury helped him a lot.

Meanwhile, King Edward went west to fight another Lancastrian army. On May 4, Edward won the Battle of Tewkesbury. He captured Queen Margaret of Anjou. Thomas did not know about these events.

Thomas reached Southwark, near London. On May 14, he asked London's leaders to let his men enter the city. They refused. So, Thomas burned down Southwark.

When London still would not let him in, Thomas planned a big attack. He moved cannons from his ships to the south bank of the Thames. From there, he could fire at the city. Most of his army went upstream to cross the river. They planned to attack London at Aldgate and Bishopsgate. A smaller group tried to cross London Bridge.

His attack failed. The cannons did not make London's defenders give up. The attack on London Bridge was stopped by cannons placed by the Londoners. The attack at Bishopsgate was also stopped. The group at Aldgate managed to open the gate, but they were pushed back.

Thomas and his army retreated. They got back on their ships and sailed back to Kent.

Final Capture

Thomas then went west to Kingston upon Thames. He wanted to fight King Edward IV. King Edward's supporter, Edward Woodville, Lord Scales, knew the danger. Thomas's army was huge, with many new soldiers joining.

Woodville tricked Thomas. He sent a message saying King Edward was leaving England. This made Thomas return to Blackheath. From there, Thomas traveled to Sandwich. There, he learned that the Lancastrian cause was lost.

King Edward IV marched to Sandwich. He captured thirteen ships and many of Thomas's followers. Thomas himself escaped to Southampton. There, the King captured him. King Edward was so grateful to London's leaders that he honored them.

Death

Thomas was taken to Middleham Castle in Yorkshire. This was a main home for his Neville relatives. He was executed there on September 22, 1471. His head was placed on London Bridge, facing towards Kent.