|
The Percy-Neville feud was a series of skirmishes, raids and vandalism between two prominent northern families and their followers that helped provoke the Wars of the Roses.
Beginnings
Its origins lost in time, 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, sometimes resulting in the death of a member of the families.
The original reason for this long dispute is unknown, however we do know of some of the affairs that kept the feud alive and becoming ever more intense: one of the main factors was jealousy about nearly everything: titles, wealth, women and land.
The Neville and Percy families were both led by men in their fifties, who both had violent and hotheaded sons. In 1452 William Percy was made Bishop of Carlisle; a title long held by the Nevilles. The obvious displeasure of the Nevilles at this act induced many people who were anti-Neville to look to the Percies as their leader, especially the older brother Lord Egremont.
When Lord Egremont started to issue his red and black livery to more and more supporters, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury wisely informed King Henry VI that trouble was afoot. The King in turn summoned Egremont to London three times, but he never turned up. Part of the reason was fear of moving from his hiding place as John Neville, Salisburys 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 didnt 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.
The skirmish at Heworth Moor
On the 24th August 1454, a year before the battle of St Albans, the forces of the Nevilles and the Percies met for the first time. The attack was led by Lord Egremont against the bridal party of Thomas Neville (Johns brother). Rage was the ultimate motive, it appears that Lord Cromwell had obtained some Percy states some years ago, and now Thomas Neville was going to marry Cromwells heir, Maude Stanhope. The prospect of Percy manors passing to the Neville family was two much for Lord Egremont who spent days fiercely recruiting in York and ambushed the Nevilles on their way home to Sheriff Hutton. He no doubt intended to assassinate the Nevilles, but all 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 a few 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). Mutal 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 Sherrif Hutton.
Open warfare
In retaliation Sir John Neville raided the absent Earl of Northumberlands house at Catton, in Yorkshire and all but ruined it. 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 Sherrif Hutton. After several severe 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 31 of October or the 1st November, resulting in a few hundred dead and more wounded. 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. They were to help him against his enemy, the Duke of Somerset, and in return he would aid them in their own feud. When the King became ill they quickly outmaneuvered Somerset and appointed the Duke of York Protector of England.
During Yorks Protectorate Sommerset was imprisoned and the Percies suffered greatly at the hands of the Nevilles. When the King recovered froms his illness, York was relieved from power, Somerset was released and was quick to ally himself to the Percies.
Six months later Henry VI, Somerset and the Percies (the Lancastrians) met the Duke of York and the Nevilles (the Yorkists) in battle at St Albans, where the Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Northumberland were slain.
References
- Kings in the North Alexander Rose (chap. 16)
- Lancaster and York Alison Weir (chap. 12)
External links
| 
