# Talk:Alan de Neville (forester)

Template:Did you know nominations/Alan de Neville (forester) Ealdgyth - Talk 23:49, 4 January 2016 (UTC)

This review is transcluded from Talk:Alan de Neville (forester)/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
Reviewer: QatarStarsLeague (talk · contribs) 18:42, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

I'll take this one. QatarStarsLeague (talk) 18:42, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

"Domesday Book records Gilbert…" The Domesday Book
Not according to our article, which doesn't have the "The" before the title or anywhere in the Domesday Book article. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
"...but the first secure appearance is in 1138." Listing the year twice here in redundant.
Fixed. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
Since Pont Audemar is redlinked, maybe you can explain what/where that is?
Found the correct link. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
"In 1153 Neville was serving the future King Henry." As a butler, or some other function?
Source says "Having served Count Waleran during most of Stephen's reign, about 1153 Neville transferred his allegiance to the Angevins," ... so no clue. We're often totally at sea with some of these more obscure royal officials, especially early in their careers. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
"...after Neville decided to go on crusade." Maybe link to the specific crusade he was involved in?
He never went. It was not unknown for people to say they were going to go on crusade and then never actually go. This was usually to get some clergyman off their case. A famous example is Henry II of England, who spent much of his later reign claiming he was going to go on crusade "real soon now", but somehow never did. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
"Neville had at least four sons – Ives, Thomas,[4] Ralph,[23] and Geoffrey…" I'm guessing none of these were born outside his marriage?
We assume not, but we don't know for sure. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
It would be nice to have an image, some ideas would be of King Henry or perhaps a castle or forest Neville presided over.
Marlborough was in ruins by 1403. Corfe is mostly ruins now, and had extensive rebuilding after Alan's time. Most of the "forests" aren't actually forests as we think of them - they weren't big swaths of tall trees, but instead areas, often with lots of cultivation, where the kings declared that forest law held sway. All the Anglo-Norman kings were keen hunters, and they passed on the habit to the later English kings too. And we lack a good contemporary portrait of Henry II. I try to avoid using later "reconstructions" of items or portraits as they can be misleading to readers. I assume that Alan was buried at Battle, but there is no sure proof of this, and even if there was, little remains there that would have been contemporary with his time. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)
Very good little article, just a few minor issues with it. QatarStarsLeague (talk) 18:27, 20 May 2017 (UTC)
Thank you for the review. I hope I've addressed everything sufficiently. Ealdgyth - Talk 13:59, 21 May 2017 (UTC)