Biography of George Neville 5th and 3rd Baron Abergavenny 1469-1535

Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1535. 5th February 1535. 174. In the afternoon Cromwell took him to the Queen, to whom he delivered the Admiral's letters and charge. She complained of his long delay, which had caused her husband many doubts. She said the Admiral must think of applying some remedy, and act towards the King so that she may not be ruined and lost, for she sees herself very near that, and in more grief and trouble than before her marriage. She charged him to beg the Admiral to consider her affairs, of which she could not speak as fully as she wished, on account of her fears, and the eyes which were looking at her, her husband's and the lords' present. She said she could not write, nor see him again, nor stay longer. She then left him, the King going to the next room, where the dance was beginning (se leverent), without the said Lady going thither.

As far as he can judge, she is not at her ease on account of the doubts and suspicions of the King, which he has mentioned before.

During the dance, Norfolk, Suffolk, "Fischer Chancelier," Cromwell and others assembled in Council, he thinks to consider his charge. Norfolk said he intended to do all he could to send him back content; he was at his house a month ago, not expecting his coming: the King intended to have spent the carnival (ces jours gras) at Windsor, but now would not leave till he was despatched. Has since seen Cromwell twice, who says he will do all he can. May be despatched next week.

Many lords have inquired about the procession and harangue at Paris in honor of the Sacrament and for the punishment of the Lutherans, for which they praise the King. Norfolk, Suffolk, Ovaston, Borgouny (age 66), all knights of the Garter, and others, who were entertained by Morette yesterday, took much pleasure in hearing Gontier's account of it, as he had seen it the day before he left. London, 5 Feb.

Fr.

On 4th June 1535 George Neville 5th and 3rd Baron Abergavenny (age 66) made his will. It was proved on 4th July 1536. In summary:

To be buried at Birling, Kent

Executors to pay his debts and have wardship of [his future son-in-law] Thomas Fenys (Fiennes) Lord Dacre (age 20), [his son-in-law] John Semptleiger esq (married to his daughter [his daughter] Katherine Nevill (age 15)), [his future son-in-law] John Chayny (age 22), son and heir of Thomas Chayny (age 50), kt, and [his future son-in-law] William Broke (age 7), esq, son and heir of [his brother-in-law] George Broke (age 38), kt, Lord Cobham.

1,000 marks towards marriage of youngest daughter [his daughter] Ursula (age 7).

Executors to levy (1) 1,000 marks to indemnify testator's friends and servants standing bound to the king for the wardship and marriage of Thomas [Fiennes] Lord Dacre, (2) £900 to discharge bonds made on marriage between William Broke and [his daughter] Dorothy Nevill (age 10).

Executors: [his son-in-law] Henry Poole (age 43), kt, Lord Montagu, George Neville's brothers [his brother] Thomas (age 60) and [his brother] Edward (age 64) Nevill, kts, Thomas Willoughbye (age 49), kt, serjeant-at-law, and John Baker esq, recorder of London; to hold all property in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London to uses declared in his will.

Annuity of £20 to George Nevill, son of Sir Edward Nevill.

Financial provision for his daughters in case of non-marriage or second marriages.

In default of male issue of testator's brother Sir Thomas Nevill, his daughter, George Neville's niece Margaret Nevill (age 15), to hold for life the manors of Mereworth and West Peckham in Kent and 'the olde hay', with advowsons of Mereworth and Maplecombe, Kent and lands and tenements called Plaine Hamons; if she marries Gregory Cromewell [probably Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham (age 15), who she didn't marry], gent, he is to have use of these properties for life, with remainder to George Neville and his heirs

George Neville's debts to Lord Mountague to be paid; £60 to be paid to use of his servant James Barham; grant for lives to his present (and 4th) wife [his wife] Mary Broke otherwise Mary Cobham and her unborn child by George Neville of the manors of Whalesbeech, Beverington Randeviles [Rodmell Beverington] and Grymers, Sussex.

Continues.

Calendar of State Papers of Spain. 29th April 1536. Wien, Rep. P.C., Fasc. 229¼. Eustace Chapuys (age 46) to the Emperor (age 36).

The day after the departure of Guadaluppe, the courier, this king sent for the French ambassador, and there was at Court (Greenwich) a meeting of the Privy Council; at which—if the report of a personage most intimate with that ambassador, and who knows all his secrets, is to be credited—the King begged him to go post to his master, the Most Christian King, on certain business which he explained. The ambassador accepted the proposed mission, and began next day to make preparations for departure. When everything was ready, the ambassador again went to Court on Tuesday to receive his last instructions; it happened, however, that the Privy Councillors, who had been assembled since that morning, till 9 or 10 o'clock at night, could not come to a resolution as to the message the Frenchman was to take to his master, and, therefore, the interview was postponed until the day before yesterday, which was Thursday. However, just when the ambassador was about to depart, a note was handed over to him containing new matter so different from the verbal instructions he had previously received that he actually refused to go on such an errand, and sent yesterday an ordinary courier with the note. I have not yet been able to ascertain what they are about, but I fancy that these English are trying, if possible, to prevent peace being concluded between Your Majesty and, the French; for ever since they heard there was some chance of it, they have been much bewildered and confused.

As I hear from all quarters—and I myself have been able to verify to a certain extent—this king has issued orders for all preachers in his kingdom to abstain for the present from all remarks on the new religious opinions concerning ritual and church ceremonies, and to preach entirely according to the old custom, save, however, on such points as the primacy and Papal authority, which he will in no wise allow; since he pretends by Divine authority and the decisions of his Parliament to be spiritual as well as temporal lord in his kingdom. And although he (the King) admits, as he did before, that there is a Purgatory, or at least a third place besides Paradise and Hell, and owns that prayers and suffrages help the dead, he, nevertheless, goes on destroying and pulling down monasteries, as I have lately informed Your Majesty, and usurping these many pious foundations for the redemption of the souls of the dead.

The Grand Esquire, Master Caro (Carew) (age 40), was on St. George's Day invested with the Order of the Garter, in the room of Mr. De Bourgain, who died some time ago. This has been a source of great disappointment and sorrow for lord Rochefort (age 33), who wanted it for himself, and still more for the concubine (age 35), who has not had sufficient credit to get her own brother knighted. In fact, it will not be Carew's fault if the aforesaid concubine, though a cousin of his, is not overthrown (desarçonee) one of these days, for I hear that he is daily conspiring against her, and trying to persuade Miss Seymour (age 27) and her friends to accomplish her ruin¹. Indeed, only four days ago the said Carew and certain gentlemen of the Kings chamber sent word to the Princess to take courage, for very shortly her rival would be dismissed, the King being so tired of the said concubine that he could not bear her any longer. Besides which, Montagu's brother said to me yesterday, at dinner, that the day before the bishop of London had been questioned [by some courtier] as to whether the King could or could not abandon the said concubine, and that the bishop had refused to give an opinion on the subject unless the King himself asked him for it. Even then he would, before he answered, try and ascertain what the King's intentions were, thereby implying, no doubt, that the King in his opinion could certainly desert his concubine; but that knowing well the King's fickleness, he would not run the risk of offending her by proffering such advice. The bishop was once, it must be observed, the principal cause and instrument of this King's first divorce; he now repents of it, and would willingly be the abettor of a second one, were it for no other reason than the well-known fact of the said concubine and all her race being most abominable and rank Lutherans. — London, 29 Apr. 1536.

Signed: "Eustace Chapuys."

Addressed: "To the Emperor."

French. Original, mostly in cipher. Pp. 5.

Note 1. "Et ne tiendra au dict escuier que la dicte concubine, quelque cousine quelle luy soit, ne soit desarçonnee, et ne cesse de conseiller maistresse Semel, avec autres conspiratcurs, pour luy faire une venue (?)."