Edmund Neville (before 1555 – in or after 1620), was an English courtier and peerage claimant, and possible conspirator. He was allegedly involved in Parry's Plot.
Family
Edmund Neville, born before 1555, was the son of Richard Neville (d. 27 May 1590) of Penwyn and Wyke Sapie,
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
, by Barbara Arden, the daughter of William Arden of Park Hall,
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...
. Edmund Neville's father, Richard Neville, was the son of William Neville, and the grandson of
Richard Neville, 2nd Baron Latimer
Richard Neville, 2nd Baron Latimer KB (c.1468 – c. 28 December 1530) of Snape, North Yorkshire, was an English soldier and peer. He fought at the battles of Stoke and Flodden.
Richard Neville was the eldest son of Sir Henry Neville, who ...
.
Career
Neville lived for some time abroad, it was said in the Spanish service. About the beginning of 1584 he returned to England, claiming to be the heir male to
John Neville, 4th Baron Latimer
John Neville, 4th Baron Latimer (1520 – 22 April 1577) was an English peer, and the stepson of Catherine Parr, later the sixth wife of King Henry VIII.
Early life
John Neville, born about 1520, was the only son of John Neville, 3rd Baron Lat ...
.
Lord Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...
's son, Thomas Cecil, had married Dorothy Neville, one of the four daughters and co-heirs of the 4th Baron Latimer, and according to Archbold, 'hence was glad to take any opportunity of injuring Edmund'. He was suspected from the moment of his return. A merchant named Wright alleged that he had seen him at
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
, and that while there he had lodged with the Nortons (see Richard Norton, rebel of the
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...
). In 1584 Neville was concerned in William Parry's plot to kill the
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
; Parry seems to have been in communication with him. Neville was sent to the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
, and in 1585 revealed the whole affair.
He remained long in theTower, though he made efforts to get out. In 1595 he brought a charge of treason against the lieutenant of the Tower. He was soon afterwards liberated, and probably went abroad. He claimed the
earldom of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was first created in 1397 for Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, Ralph Neville. It was forfeited in 1571 by Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorl ...
after the death of
Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland
Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland (18 August 154216 November 1601) was an English nobleman and one of the leaders of the Rising of the North in 1569.
He was the son of Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland and Lady Anne Manners, second d ...
, in 1601, possibly with some justification; but his petition was not heard.
Neville appears to have died some years before, in or after 1620 at
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, 'probably in poverty'.Archbold states he died at
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Hainault, by whom he left no issue; secondly, Jane Smythe (died c.1646), daughter of Richard Smythe, member of a Warwickshire family, by whom he left a son, Ralph, and several daughters. His widow had, probably as a compensation for her husband's claims, a pension of £100 a year from James I.