Sir Christopher NEVILLE

Father: Ralph NEVILLE (4º E. Westmoreland)

Mother: Catherine STAFFORD (C. Westmoreland)

Married: Anne FULTHORPE (dau. of John Fulthorpe of Hipswell and Joan Wharton)

Fourth son of Ralph, fourth earl of Westmorland, by Catherine, daughter of Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. Brother of Henry and Cuthbert, and eleven sisters, included Dorothy, Margaret, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Mary and Anne. He was of violent temper, and in youth he went to a horse race at Gatherly Moor in Yorkshire to assault one Christopher Rokeby. He was an ardent catholic, and had much influence over his nephew Charles, sixth earl of Westmorland. Neville married Anne, daughter of John Fulthorpe of Hipswell, Yorkshire, widow of Francis Wandisford of Kirklington, in the same county. By her he left no issue; a son by her first husband, Christopher Wandisford, married Sir George Bowes's daughter.

He was a leader in the Northern rebellion of 1569, and was doubtless largely responsible for the share taken in it by his nephew. In the proclamation against the rebels issued by the Earl of Sussex, the commander for the Queen, on 19 Nov 1569, Christopher Neville was one of those exempted from the benefits of the pardon offered. When the main, body of the rebels went south to capture and release Mary, Queen of Scots, about the end of Nov, Neville with a small force turned aside and secured Hartlepool, hoping probably to welcome there reinforcements from abroad. The rebels held the town as late as 17 Dec; but Neville did not reside there regularly, and was at the siege of Barnard Castle on 1 Dec, when he issued an order for a muster there. When the rebels broke up their forces he remained for some time at the head of a small troop of horse, but soon fled across the border to Scotland, and was received either at Ferniehurst, Roxburghshire, by the Kers, or at Branxholm by the Scotts of Buccleugh. But he seems to have returned to England early in Feb 1569-70.

Sir George Bowes wrote to Sir Thomas Gargrave in Feb that Neville had been in hiding near Brancepeth Castle. He soon afterwards escaped to Flanders. He was living at Louvain in 1571, and at Brussels in 1575. Like the other exiles, he enjoyed a small pension from Felipe II of Spain.

He died in exile. His estates, on his attainder in 1569, were of course forfeited. He is always described as of Kirby Moorside. Much of Neville's forfeited estate came to him through his wife, and in 1570 Sussex sent to Cecil to ask for some help for her. He stated at the time that Neville had treated her badly. From an inquiry held in 1574, it appears that Neville had given the rectory of Kirby Moorside to William Barkley, alias Smith, whose wife Catherine was reputed to be his mistress. While he was at Ferniehurst this woman twice sent him a ring, and he in answer desired her to live according to the laws, and said that he would never think well of them that were not good to her. 

to Bios Page	to Family Page
to Peerage Page	to Home Page