Robert de Neville, 2nd Baron Neville of Raby (c. 1223–1282), was a medieval English nobleman.
Background
The Neville family in England go back to at least the 11th century, and the historian Horace Round speculated that they were part of the pre-Norman aristocracy of Northumbria. By the 13th century, the Nevilles had become, through shrewd marriages and royal patronage, major landholders, and concomitantly rose to a position of regional hegemony regularly being appointed to the important royal offices. By the time Neville reached adulthood, and for the rest of his life, English politics was in a state of partisanship; the King, Henry III was increasingly unpopular with his nobility and the tension between them, never resolved, erupted in constitutional crisis and eventually civil war. Simon de Montfort, previously a favourite of Henry's, who had married his sister Eleanor, led the opposition.
Early life
Robert de Neville was the eldest son of Geoffrey fitz Robert (later Geoffrey de Neville, d. c. 1242), and the grandson of Robert fitz Meldred, Lord of Raby. The identity of Robert de Neville's mother, however, is disputed among scholars. A. F. Pollard, for example, writing in the Dictionary of National Biography in 1894 suggested that she was Margaret, daughter of Sir John de Longvillers. However, this Margaret was married until 1285, and there is evidence from a Lincolnshire fine of 1247 which refers to one Robert de Neville, knight, and his mother, Joan. Robert had younger brothers, Geoffrey—who was to start a cadet branch of the family in Hornby, Lancashire—John, and Hugh.
Inheritance and estates
Robert possessed estates in Burreth, Lincolnshire by 1242 and on his father's death in 1254 he succeeded to his patrimony, including the Lordship of Raby and Brancepeth in Durham; he performed fealty to the king on 7 May that year following the deaths of his grandmother and grandfather, from whom he received further lands. They probably included the manors of Ulnaby and Carlbury. However, notes Young, the nature of the surviving evidence—mostly existing in the form of the inquisition post mortem taken after his death—is not sufficient for scholars to make anything other than "an approximate estimate of their wealth". The medievalist Matthew Holford described de Neville as having "united the inheritances of Bulmer and Meldred".
Northern and national politics
De Neville became increasingly important in the politics and society of northeastern England during the mid-1250s, and by 1258 he had been appointed Sheriff of Northumberland. The strategic proximity of Northumberland to the border with Scotland made this an important post for pushing the boundaries of English influence into Scottish affairs, as well as escorting and receiving embassies; accompanied by William de Latimer, then Sheriff of York, he travelled to Scotland on royal business in April 1258 with orders to assist the Scottish king in crushing a revolt by his own nobles. De Neville attended a large assembly in York between the 7th and 26 September 1268 with the King. This was the official setting for a meeting between Henry III and his son-in-law, the King of Scotland; with the latter came Henry's daughter, Margaret, Queen of Scotland. During this meeting, de Neville witnessed a large number of both royal and private charters. De Neville played a leading role in the administration of border society, including the organisation of truces, resolution of disputes and collecting protection money. He was also close to the Bishops of Duham, Robert and Antony, for whom de Neville witnessed many charters over the years, and with whose steward, Guichard de Charron, de Neville was an itinerant justice in 1278–1279, although this was the only time he held the office.
In 1263, de Neville was entrusted with the defence of York and all of England north of the River Trent, as well as being appointed Sheriff of Yorkshire. and was also appointed governor of Norham and Werk castles, which had previously been held by Robert de Ros and the Bishops of Durham respectively.