Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Neville, John (1490?-1543)

480569Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 40 — Neville, John (1490?-1543)1894William Arthur Jobson Archbold

NEVILLE, JOHN, third Baron Latimer (1490?–1543), born about 1490, was eldest son of Richard Neville, second baron Latimer [q. v.] by Anne, daughter of Sir Humphrey Stafford. He came to court, where he was one of the gentlemen-pensioners, and owing to his family influence secured valuable grants from time to time. His father died before the end of 1530, and he had livery of his lands on 17 March 1531. He lived chiefly at Snape Hall, Yorkshire, but sometimes at Wyke in Worcestershire. His sympathies were doubtless with the old religion. He had taken part about 1517 in the investigation of the case of the Holy Maid of Leominster, and in 1536 he was implicated in the Pilgrimage of Grace. His action was not, however, very determined. It was rumoured that he was captured by the rebels, and he afterwards said of the part he had played, 'My being among them was a very painful and dangerous time to me.' He represented the insurgents, however, in November 1536 at the conferences with the royal leaders, and helped to secure the amnesty. He then returned home and, guided probably by his very prudent wife (Catherine Parr), he took no part in the Bigod rising of the following year [see art. Bigod, Sir Francis, and cf. State Papers, i. 534, v. 143]. He was not altogether allowed to forget his offences, and had to give up his town house in the churchyard of the Charterhouse to a friend of Lord Russell, thus losing the income he derived from letting it. He died early in 1543 in London, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Latimer married: 1. On 20 July 1518, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Edward Musgrave, by whom he had no issue. 2. Dorothy (d. 1526-7), daughter of Sir George de Vere, sister and coheiress of John de Vere, fourteenth earl of Oxford, by whom he had John, who succeeded him as Baron Latimer, died 1577, and was buried at St. Paul's, leaving by Lucy, daughter of Henry Somerset, earl of Worcester, four daughters and coheiresses, of whom Dorothy married Thomas Cecil, first earl of Exeter [q. v.] (cf. Green, Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies, iii. 313), and Margaret, whose marriage with one of the Bigod family was arranged in 1534. 3. Before 1533 Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Parr and widow of Edward, lord Borough of Gainsborough; she afterwards became wife of Henry VIII [see Parr, Catherine]. Lord Latimer's will is printed in 'Testamenta Vetusta,' p. 704.

[Letters and Papers of Henry VIII; Strickland's Queens of England, iii. 188 &c.; Rowland's Family of Neville.]

W. A. J. A.