# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Neville, Edward (d.1538)

​NEVILLE, Sir EDWARD (d. 1538), courtier, was third but second surviving son of George, second baron Bergavenny, by his first wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir Hugh Fenne, under-treasurer of England. His brothers George, third lord Bergavenny [q. v.], and Sir Thomas Neville [q. v.] of Mereworth, speaker of the House of Commons, are separately noticed. Edward Neville was prominent at the court when Henry VIII came to the throne. He held the offices of sewer of the household and squire of the king's body, and from time to time received grants from the crown. He took part in the expeditions made into France in 1512 and 1513, in the latter year serving in the king's guard, in a division to which Lord Bergavenny and John Neville were also attached. On 25 Sept. 1513 he was knighted at Tournay. On 20 Oct. 1514 he landed at Calais, in disguise, with Charles Brandon [q. v.], then viscount Lisle, and afterwards duke of Suffolk, and Sir William Sydney, all three going to Paris for the coronation of the Princess Mary, who had married Louis XII. In 1516 he was a gentleman of the privy chamber and master of the buckhounds. He was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. He was of the party of the Duke of Buckingham, who is said to have relied upon him to counteract the influence of Lord Bergavenny at court, and gave him in 1521 a doublet of silver cloth. Although in 1521 he was forbidden the court for a time, he was soon restored to favour, and acted as ‘herbeger’ at Charles V's visit in 1522. In 1523 he held a command in the army in France (State Papers, vi. 170). In 1524 he was a commissioner for the collection of the subsidy in Kent, and in 1526 he had a grant of privilege to export a large quantity of wood from Kent and Sussex, which was afterwards rather oddly revoked. In 1531 he was the king's standard-bearer; he took an official part in the coronation of Anne Boleyn in 1533, and on 27 June 1534 was made constable of Leeds Castle in Kent. At the baptism of Prince Edward in 1537 Neville was one of those who bore the canopy.
Suddenly, in 1538, Neville was found to be concerned in the conspiracy of the Poles. Early in November he was sent to the Tower with Exeter and Montagu [see Pole, Henry, 1492–1539]. He was tried in Westminster Hall on 4 Dec., and beheaded on Tower Hill on 8 Dec. 1538. He lived chiefly at Aldington, Kent, was reputed a fine soldier, and was a handsome courtier. But the rumour as to his being a son of Henry VIII, whom he resembled (Notes and Queries, 1st ser. ii. 307), is obviously refuted by the probable dates of their respective births, though it was revived as a joke by Queen Elizabeth.
Neville married Eleanor, daughter of Andrew, lord Windsor, and widow of Ralph, lord Scrope of Upsall, and left several children. Of his sons, Edward of Newton St. Loe, on the death of Henry, fourth lord Bergavenny, in 1587, claimed the barony, but died 10 Feb. 1589 before he was summoned to parliament. He left, however, by Catherine, daughter of Sir John Brome, a son, also called Edward, who was summoned to parliament as sixth Lord Bergavenny on 25 May 1604. Sir Edward Neville had a second son, Sir Henry Neville of Billingbear [q. v.], who is separately noticed, and through him he was grandfather of Sir Henry Neville (d. 1615) [q. v.] His four daughters were all married.
W. A. J. A.