The Liber Vitæ of Durham names "Henricus Percy, Comes Northumbriæ Henricus, Thomas, Radulphus filii eius, Gilbertus Umfranville, Comes Dangus, Dñs Johannes Neuylle, Dñs Radulphus filius eius". A mid-15th century manuscript names "Alesiam uxorem domini de Bayncote, Matillidem nuptam Willelmo de Scrope, Radulphus, Ydoniam, Alienoram uxorem Radulphi de Lumley, Thomam dominum de Furnival" as the children of "Johannem dominum de Neuille" and his wife "Matillidem filiam Henrici domini de Percy".
He succeeded his father in 1388 as Lord Neville. He was created Earl of Westmoreland 29 Sep 1397. He was an active supporter of Henry of Lancaster in his bid for the throne. King Henry IV made him Marshal of England for life 30 Sep 1399, though he resigned this office in favour of his son-in-law John Earl of Norfolk in 1413 or before. He was appointed a member of the council of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Protector of the Realm Dec 1422. 1
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Ralph de Nevill, 4th baron, summoned to parliament from 6 December, 1389, to 30 November, 1396. This nobleman took a leading part in the political drama of his day and sustained it with more than ordinary ability. In the lifetime of his father (9th Richard II), he was joined with Thomas Clifford, son of Lord Clifford, and was appointed a commissionership for the guardianship of the West Marches. In three years after this he succeeded to the title, and in two years subsequently he was one of the commissioners appointed to treat with the Kings of France and Scotland, touching a truce made by them with the King of England. In the 21st Richard II [1378], he was made constable of the Tower of London and shortly afterwards advanced in full parliament to the dignity of Earl of Westmoreland. His lordship was of the privy council to King Richard and had much favour from that monarch, yet he was one of the most active in raising Henry, of Lancaster, to the throne as Henry IV, and was rewarded by the new king in the first year of his reign with a grant of the county and honour of Richmond for his life, and with the great office of Earl Marshal of England. Soon after this, he stoutly resisted the Earl of Northumberland in his rebellion and forced the Percies, who had advanced as far as Durham, to fall back upon Prudhoe, when the battle of Shrewsbury ensued, in which the gallant Hotspur sustained so signal a defeat, and closed his impetuous career. The earl was afterwards governor of the town and castle of Carlisle, warden of the West Marches towards Scotland, and governor of Roxborough. He was also a knight of the Garter. His lordship m. 1st, Lady Margaret Stafford, dau. of Hugh, Earl Stafford, K.G., for which marriage a dispensation was obtained from Pope Urban V, the earl and his bride being within the third and fourth degrees of consanguinity; by this lady he had issue, John, Lord Nevill; Ralph; Maud; Phillippa; Alice; Margaret; Anne; Margery; and Elizabeth. The earl m. 2ndly, Joan de Beaufort, dau. of John of Gaunt, by Katherine Swynford, and widow of Robert, Lord Ferrers, of Wem, by whom he had issue, Richard; William; George; Edward; Cuthbert; Henry; Thomas; Catherine; Eleanor; Anne; Jane; and Cicely. This great earl d. in 1425 and was s. by his grandson, Ralph Nevill, 5th Baron Nevill, of Raby. 2
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26 Oct 1385, Westminster
Appointment, according to the form of an indenture made between
the king and them, of Ralph son of the lord of Nevyll and Thomas son
of the lord of Clyfford to the custody of the castle and city of Carlisle.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 3, p. 42
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20 Feb 1386, Westminster
Appointment of John Blenkensop,mayor, and Alan de Blenderhasset, citizen of Carlisle, to receive £40 from the farm of the city, and apply it in repair and fortification of its dykes, walls and turrets by survey and order of John de Nevill of Raby, Ralph de Nevill, his son, and Thomas de Clifford, keepers of the said city....
30 May 1386, Westminster
Appointment of John Blenkensop, mayor of Carlisle, and Richard de
London, citizen of Carlisle, to expend £40 of the fee farm of that city
on the repair and fortification of its dykes, walls and turrets by survey
and order of John de Nevyll of Raby, and Ralph de Nevyll, his son, and
Thomas de Clifford, keepers of Carlisle and by control of John de
Thirlewall the younger, and another £40 thereof on the repair of the castle and its buildings under the same surveyors and controller.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 3, pp. 112, 129
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9 Nov 1388, Westminster
Order to John Godard, escheator in the county of York, to cause Ralph de Nevill, ' chivaler,' son and heir of John de Nevill of Raby, ' chivaler,' to have full seisin of all the lands which his father held of the king in chief or was seised of in demesne as of fee on the day of his death ; as the king has taken his homage and fealty.
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Vol. X, 12 Ric. II, p. 260
11 Nov 1388, Westminster
Grant to Ralph, lord de Nevill,who has sued out writs of diem clausit extremum directed to the escheators in counties where his father John, lord de Nevill, deceased, had lands, tenements, fees or advowsons, the said escheators having returned their inquisitions into Chancery, and the said Ralph having done homage and obtained livery of the said lands, that if hereafter it be found that any lands lately his father's, are not contained in the said inquisitions, and were not seized into the escheators' hands, no lands whereof he has had livery shall be re-seized into the king's hands, nor shall he be called to account for any issues or profits thereof thus omitted, but the livery shall by virtue of this grant stand good for all.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 3, pp. 524, 525
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26 Aug 1390, Westminster
Commitment to Ralph de Neville, lord of Raby, of all the enclosures in the forest of Ingelwode which were lately granted by the king to John Coghull for life, to hold the same on such terms as may be agreed upon between him and the treasurer.
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Vol. X, 14 Ric. II, p. 333
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20 Feb 1394, Westminster
Pardon to John de Nevill, late lord of Raby, deceased, Ralph, lord de Nevill, his son and heir,Thomas de Clifford and John, late lord de Roos, of all the sums of money current in demand at the Exchequer to the king's use by way of prest against the said .John de Nevill, Ralph or the latter for his father, and also of all similar sums similarly in demand against the said Ralph and Thomas, and against the said John, lord de Roos and Ralph,and against the said Ralph alone.
22 Jul 1394, Westminster
Grant, for life, to Ralph, lord de Nevill, of the keepership of the forest of Wenselawedale in the county of Richmond, in consideration of good service to be done to the king and of the late queen's grant thereof to him on its surrender by Thomas de Etton, to whom it was granted by John, duke of Brittany, late earl of Richmond.
10 Aug 1394, Westminster
Licence for Ralph, lord de Neville, to grant all the lands, tenements, rents and services which he has in Sutton in Galtres, held in chief, to his son John, and Elizabeth, daughter of the king's brother Thomas de Holand,earl of Kent, and their heirs tail, with remainder failing issue tail to the said Ralph's heirs.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 5, pp. 336, 470, 494
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17 May 1395, Salisbury
Grant, for life, to Ralph, lord de Nevill, because retained for life to stay with the king, of £130 a year, viz. £80 from the farm and rent of the city of Carlisle, and £50 from the custom and subsidy in the port of Newcastle on Tyne.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 5, p. 568
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29 Nov 1396, Westminster
Grant, for their lives, to Ralph, lord de Nevill, and Joan, his wife, daughter of the king's uncle John, duke of Lancaster, of the manors and towns of Penreth and Soureby with the hamlets of Langwathby, Scouteby and Carleton, to the value of £62 4d. a year, without rendering aught therefor, as held by John, duke of Brittany, under the king's grant...
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 6, p. 39
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24 Jan 1397, Westminster
Grant, for their lives in survivorship until similarly provided elsewhere, to Ralph, lord de Nevylle, and Joan, his wife, of £138 a year from the issues and profits arising from the custom and subsidy in the port of Newcastle on Tyne....
5 Feb 1397, Shrewsbury
Licence for 20 marks paid in the hanaper by Ralph de Nevyll, earl of
Westmorland, for him to enfeoff Richard de Cliderhowe, John Darell
and John Wytton of his manor of Claveryng, co. Essex, held in chief, and for the feoffees, after seisin had, to grant it to the said earl and Joan, his wife, and the heirs of the earl.
12 Feb 1397, Westminster
Licence, for £10 paid in the hanaper by Ralph de Nevyll, for John Montagu, knight, to enfeoff him of the castle, manor and lordship of Werke upon Tweed, held in chief, together with the knights' fees, advowsons, liberties and franchises pertaining thereto, in exchange for certain other manors, lands, &c., to be granted to the said John by him.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 6, pp. 61, 285, 73
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10 May 1398, Westminster
Licence, for £20 paid in the hanaper by Ralph de Nevill of Raby, earl of Westmorland, for him to enfeoff John de Alwent, clerk, Alan Menyll, John Thorpe and John Darell of the manor and castle of Shirrefhoton with its members in Estlillyng, Westlillyng and Cornburgh, together with the knights' fees and advowsons appurtenant, held in chief, and for the feoffees, after seisin had, to grant the premises in tail male to the said earl and Joan, his wife, with remainder to the right heirs of the said earl.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ric. II, vol. 6, p. 340
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18 Feb 1399, Westminster
Order to the escheator in the county of Northumberland, Westminster, pursuant to an inquisition made by him shewing that Ralph de Hastynges, knight, held the manor of Styford of the king in chief by knight service for life, by a fine levied in the king's court, with remainder to John de Nevill, knight, now deceased, and his heirs, and that by virtue of the said fine the manor ought to descend to Ralph earl of Westmoreland, who is of full age, as son and heir of the said John, to take the fealty of the said earl and cause him to have full seisin of the manor...
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Ric. II, vol. xi, p. 298
5 Dec 1399, Westminster
Pardon to the king's brother Ralph de Neville, earl of Westmoreland,
of all debts, accounts, arrears, fines, issues and amercements ; and grant to him of all issues of all lands late of John, late lord of Neville, his father.
16 Dec 1399, Westminster
Grant for life to the king's brother Ralph, lord of Neville, earl of Westmoreland, of the office of marshal of England with all offices, commodities, profits and other appurtenances as fully as Thomas de Brotherton, sometime earl of Norfolk and marshal of England, or Roger le Bygot, sometime earl of Norfolk and marshal of England, or anyone else after their deaths or Thomas, late duke of Norfolk, had. Grant also that the office of marshal in the King's Bench, which John Wykes holds for life, the office of marshal of the Exchequer, which Richard Gascoigne holds for life,and the office of crier marshal before the steward and marshal of the household, which Guy de Allesley holds for life, shall remain to him on their deaths and these and all other offices pertaining in times past to the office of marshal of England be reunited to it, and he shall have the grant of them. And grant that by reason of his office he shall bear a golden stick ringed with black at either end, with the king's arms at the upper end and his own arms at the lower end, notwithstanding that his predecessors have born a wooden stick.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. IV, vol. 1, pp. 254, 202
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25 May 1400, Westminster
Inspeximus and confirmation to Ralph, lord of Neville, now earl of
Westmoreland, of letters patent dated 24 May,12 Richard II, granting to him for life the custody of the forest beyond Trent.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. IV, vol. 1, p. 324
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28 Nov 1408, Westminster
Inspeximus and confirmation of letters patent of Thomas, bishop of Durham, dated at Durham by the hand of William Chaunceller his
chancellor on 1 November in the third year of his pontificate, granting licence for Ralph de Neville, earl of Westmorland, to found a college
of a master or warden chaplain and certain other chaplains and clerks
and certain poor gentlemen and other poor men in the town of Staynedrope and to grant in mortmain to them two messuages and 12
acres of land in Staynedrope for their habitation and the advowson of the church of Staynedrope, and for them to appropriate the church [Monasticon, VIII, p. 1401]
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. IV, vol. 4, p. 35
Research Notes: