The Percy-Neville feud was a series of skirmishes, raids and vandalism between two prominent northern English families and their followers that helped provoke the Wars of the Roses. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York
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Beginnings
The first outbreaks of violence were in the 1450s prior to the Wars of the Roses. The antagonists would later meet in battle several times during the war.
The original reason for this long dispute is unknown.
The Neville and Percy families were the two most important families in the north of England. In the early 1450s, both families were led by men in their fifties, who both had violent and hotheaded sons. Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, was the brother-in-law of Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, son of Henry 'Hotspur' Percy. Richard Neville jure uxoris 5th Earl of Salisbury KG, PC (1400 &ndash December 31, 1460) was a Yorkist leader during Henry Percy 2nd Earl of Northumberland, ( 3 February, 1392 /1393 &ndash 22 May, 1455) was the son of Henry Percy ( Harry Hotspur
In 1452 William Percy was made Bishop of Carlisle; a title long held by the Nevilles. See also List of bishops of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle The obvious displeasure of the Nevilles at this act induced many people who were anti-Neville to look to the Percys as their leader, especially the eldest son, Thomas, Lord Egremont. Thomas Percy, 1st Baron Egremont ( 29 November 1422, Leconfield Yorkshire - 10 July 1460 Battle of Northampton) Thomas Percy was
When Lord Egremont started to issue his red and black livery to more and more supporters, Earl Salisbury informed King Henry VI that trouble was afoot. Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom The King in turn summoned Egremont to London three times, but he never came. Part of the reason was fear of moving from his hiding place as John Neville, Salisbury’s third son and an experienced soldier had been hunting him for nearly a month. The two had fought skirmishes back and forth across their northern estates that in places came perilously close. Each sides' retainers did their best to wreck their opponents property; smashing windows, writing on walls, evicting tenants and breaking and entering each others houses.
In Topcliffe only a few miles from Neville estates, John Neville arrived three days after having received an official warning from the King to desist, and threatened to hang all the tenants if they didn’t tell him where Egremont was hiding. Henry VI then sent several letters telling the Earls of Salisbury and Northumberland to stop their sons' illegal actions, to no avail. Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom
The Skirmish at Heworth Moor
On the 24th August 1453, two years before the battle of St Albans, the forces of the Nevilles and the Percys met for the first time. St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London. The attack was led by Lord Egremont against the bridal party of Thomas Neville (John’s brother). Rage was the ultimate motive, it appears that Lord Cromwell had obtained some Percy estates some years ago, and now Thomas Neville was going to marry Cromwell’s heir, Maude Stanhope. The prospect of Percy manors passing to the Neville family was too much for Lord Egremont who spent days fiercely recruiting in York and ambushed the Nevilles on their way home to Sheriff Hutton. Sheriff Hutton is a Village and Civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. He no doubt intended to assassinate the Nevilles, but all the family was there with their own retinues so they probably had a larger force than Egremont expected (as Earls, Salisbury and Warwick were entitled to at least a hundred soldiers each in their retinues).
Still, the Percy force was almost certainly larger in size (710 names have been preserved, they probably numbered over a thousand). Mutual fear for staging a pitched battle meant there was little if any bloodshed and the Nevilles were able to retreat swiftly to their stronghold in Sheriff Hutton. There is an alternative view; the evidence for this is found on legal rolls and nowhere else. As not a soul is recorded as being injured in the skirmish, it is possible that the Nevilles used this incitation of violence as an excuse to take the matter to the royal courts, solving the legal case and thereby stating whose land this 'skirmish' took place on. Solving an old land dispute. There were no courts for dealing with land disputes, despite the excess of land law. This view has been suggested after studying the Kings Bench lists (now withdrawn from the public), where a number of skirmishes such as this are recorded but the only injuries or casualties found are a hen and occasionally a dog.
Open Warfare
In retaliation Sir TJ Castle raided the absent Earl of Northumberland’s house at Catton, in Yorkshire and all but ruined it. The title of Earl of Northumberland was created several times in the Peerages of England and Great Britain. The next day Richard Percy attacked a house on Neville property.
The danger of civil war was intensified when both sides began summoning their retainers to strongholds in the north. On October 20th the Percy clan had gathered 10,000 men at Topcliffe. Only four miles away the Nevilles’ force were stationed at Sheriff Hutton. After several threats from the King, both sides came to a truce and disbanded their men.
One chronicler said ‘There was no reconciliation, the day of reckoning had merely been postponed. ’
Despite these precautions, it is probable that a few hundred men clashed at Stamford Bridge on the October 31, or November 1, 1454, resulting in a few hundred dead and more wounded. Stamford Bridge is a village and Civil parish on the River Derwent in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York Lord Egremont was then captured and imprisoned by John Neville.
In a great diplomatic move the Nevilles joined forces with their relation Richard, Duke of York. Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York ( 21 September 1411 &ndash 30 December 1460) was a member of the English royal family who served in senior They were to help him against his enemy, Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, and in return he would aid them in their own feud. Edmund Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset (1406 &ndash May 22, 1455) sometimes styled 2nd Duke of Somerset was an English nobleman and an important figure in the When the King became ill, they quickly outmaneuvered Somerset and appointed the Duke of York as Protector of England.
During York’s Protectorate, Somerset was imprisoned and the Percys suffered greatly at the hands of the Nevilles. When the King recovered from his illness, York was relieved of power, Somerset was released and was quick to ally himself with the Percys.
Six months later, Henry VI, Somerset and the Percys (the Lancastrians) met the Duke of York and the Nevilles (the Yorkists) in the first battle at St Albans, where the Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Northumberland were slain. The House of Lancaster was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century The First Battle of St Albans was the first Battle of the Wars of the Roses and was fought on May 22, 1455 in the town of St Albans
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