Thomas Neville [1429 – 1471]. An acknowledged illegitimate son of William Neville, Lord Fauconberg. Thomas, known as the Bastard of Fauconberg, had a military role during the Wars of the Roses. Primarily, he is remembered for leading the rebellion which resulted in a brief siege of London in May 1471. Thomas Neville Bastard of Fauconberg was executed on 22 September 1471. Much of Thomas’ life is absent from records and he is regularly confused with his relative and namesake, Thomas Neville, who had died in the Battle of Wakefield.
Early Life of Thomas Neville Bastard of Fauconberg
There are no known documents pertaining to Thomas’ early life. His year and place of birth are unknown, as is the identity of his mother. Thomas Neville was one of two illegitimate sons acknowledged by William Neville, Lord Fauconberg. It can be assumed from his later actions that Thomas Neville was schooled in military and naval matters from an early age, as his entry into documented history is within those spheres and tied to work, at sea, associated with his father and cousin, Richard Earl of Warwick.
Thomas Neville, Naval Commander
The earliest records of note for Thomas Neville relate to his role at sea. In March 1470, he was paid a sum of £50 for the purpose of naval service against the Hanseatic League. The precise nature of the task given to Thomas is not clear, but as Hanse shipping was attacking English traders it could have been protective, or retailiatory in nature. Either way, the task was not carried out for long as Thomas Neville Bastard of Fauconberg is known to have joined with the Earl of Warwick in April of the same year.
Captain of the navy of England and men of war both by sea and land
Thomas Neville supported his cousin and the Duke of Clarence as they returned to England. This saw him engage Burgundian Shipping, before joining in the Readeption. His prowess at sea and relationship to the Earl of Warwick saw him given the title of ‘captain of the navy of England and men of war both by sea and land’ in late 1470.
His grand title effectively made Thomas Neville an Admiral of the Readeption Governments navy, which was based largely upon the ships under his, or his cousins, command. The primary tasks undertaken at sea in the readeption were acts of piracy aimed at Portuguese shipping, harassment of Burgundian shipping, and preparations to engage any Yorkist fleet should Edward IV be able to mount a re-conquest campaign.
The Bastard of Fauconberg and the Siege of London, 1471
The 1471 Siege of London was fought in the immediate aftermath of the Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury. Thomas Neville sailed from Calais, potentially unaware of events in England. He brought with him men who were loyal to his cousins command from the Calais Garrison, and raised support in Kent from those sympathetic to the Neville family. This created a large land based force, along with an armed fleet.
When Thomas attempted to dock at London, he was denied permission. This resulted in Thomas Neville Bastard of Fauconberg launching a series of assaults on the City of London and Tower. From 10 to 14 May 1471, Thomas’ force attacked the fortifications of the Tower and City. The Citizens of London, aided by Yorkist lords and retinues left in London to guard the capital, managed to repulse his assaults, though with heavy fighting said to have taken place at times: Aldgate fell before a counter attack, for example.
Retreat and Pardon
The assaults on London came to an end on 14 May when Thomas withdrew his ships down the Thames. His land based forces withdrew slightly, before Thomas and his force from Calais withdrew on 18 May. He entered into negotiations with the Yorkists that resulted in a pardon in exchange for the surrender of his fleet to Richard Duke of Gloucester.
Death of Thomas Neville
On 11 September 1471 Thomas Neville was arrested at Southampton. From here, he was escorted north to Richard Duke of Gloucester. Shortly after arriving in the north, he was executed. The details of the charge made against Thomas are unknown, though were said to be unrelated to his taking up of arms against London. His trial, if there was one, was undertaken by Richard Duke of Gloucester in his capacity as Constable of England. Thomas Neville’s head was placed on London Bridge facing towards Kent, strongly suggesting that he had been executed for raising forces in the south east.
Links: Thomas Neville, known as the Bastard of Fauconberg
Thomas Neville retreats to Blackheath – narrative of the actions of Thomas Neville towards the end of the 1471 Siege of London.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography – biography of Thomas Neville. Authored by Professor Michael Hicks.
Richard III Society [pdf file] -Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and the Death of Thomas Fauconberg. Article by Richard Britnell.
Studio 88 – Graham Turner’s painting of the assault by Thomas Neville across London Bridge. It is accompanied by a narrative of the events.
Featured Image
As Thomas de Fauconbergh beseiges London (setting fire), he is attacked by Edward IV and his troops. MS 1168 at the Besançon, image from French Ministry of Culture. Via Wikimedia.
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