Person Page 462

Sir John Woodville (1444? – 12 August 1469) was the second son, and fourth child, of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg.

In January 1465, John's sister Elizabeth, Queen Consort to Edward IV, procured his marriage to Catherine Neville, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, who was aunt to the powerful Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. As the Duchess was about 68 years of age at the time and John was only 20, the marriage was seen by all, particularly Warwick, as an indecent grasp for money and power by the Woodville family.

In 1469, John and his father accompanied King Edward on a march north, to put down what was thought to be a minor rebellion supporting Edward's brother the Duke of Clarence as the legitimate king. Before they met the rebels both Clarence and Warwick had announced their support for the rebellion; by the time Edward met the rebels, the rebel force was far stronger than his. In a parley, the rebels told Edward that they had no fight with Edward but advised him to distance himself from the Woodvilles. In no position to argue, Edward sent the Woodville party away.

John and Rivers went first to the Rivers' house at Grafton and from there made their way westwards towards Wales. They were captured by Warwick's men on the western bank of the Severn and taken to Warwick in Coventry.

Before leaving Calais to support the uprising, Warwick had published a manifesto citing the Woodvilles in general, and the Earl and John specifically, as his reason for supporting Clarence against the king. The publication of this manifesto was deemed, by Warwick, to justify the execution of Rivers and his son. They were beheaded on 12 August and their heads placed on spikes above the gates of Coventry.

Unsurprisingly, there was no issue from the marriage of John Woodville and the Catherine Neville.

Margaret de Stafford (1364 – 18 October 1396 in Brancepeth, County Durham, England) was the second daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp. She became the first wife of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland.

She was a maternal first cousin of the 1st Earl of Worcester and the 13th Earl of Warwick; as well as a maternal aunt of the soldier and commander William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and a paternal aunt of the military commander Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham.

Marriage and childrenIn 1382, Lady Margaret married Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland. They had nine children:

Maud de Neville (d. October 1438), married Piers de Mauley, 5th Baron Mauley
Alice de Neville, married first Sir Thomas Grey of Heton; married second Sir Gilbert Lancaster
Philippa de Neville, married Thomas Dacre, 6th Baron Dacre
John de Neville, Lord Neville (d. 1420)
Sir Ralph Neville (d. 25 February 1458), married Mary Ferrers, daughter of Sir Robert Ferrers and had issue
Elizabeth de Neville, a nun
Anne de Neville, married Sir Gilbert Umfraville
Margaret de Neville (d. c. 1465), married first Richard Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Bolton; married second William Cressoner
Anastasia de Neville.

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