Richard , Duke of Gloucester, to Lord Nevill

LETTER I.

To my Lorde Nevyll in hast.

MY Lorde Nevyll, I recommaunde me to you as hartely as
I can, and as ever ye love me and your awne weale and
securty and yis Realme that ye come to me with that ye
may make defensably arrayde in all the hast that ys possy-
ble, and that ye wyll yef credence to .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .Richarde
Ratclyff thys beerrer; whom I nowe do sende to you en-
structed with all my mynde and entent. And my Lord do
me nowe gode servyce, as ye have always befor don, and I
trust nowe so to remember you as shalbe y^e makyng of you
and yours. And God sende you goode fortunes.

     Wrytten att London xi day of Jun with the hande of
                            your hertely lovyng Cousyn and Master,

                                                                         R. GLOUCESTER.

T. KERRICH. del. Nov 1821.                                                                   Printed by C. Hulimandel.

From a very ancient Picture in the possession of the Rev^d. THO^s. KERRICK. M.A.

Principal Librarian to the University of Cambridge.

London Pub: by J. Murray. Albemarle St. May. 1823.

  I received the copy of this Letter from the Rev. John Brand, secretary to the
Society of Antiquaries, on the 24th of February, 1787, accompanied with the
following memorandum.

     “Extract from an ancient MS. of pedigrees, &c. in quarto, late in the pos-
session of Sir Walter Blackett, Bart. and now the property of John Erasmus
Blackett, Esq. Alderman of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; p. 333. under title of
’A Coppie of some Letters which were found in Rabie Castle after the Rebel-
lion, to shew the Fashion .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . of those Times.’ The above MS. is of
the date of James I. though there are several continuations in a more modern
hand.”

     “This copy has doubtless been a transcript of an original letter of the Duke
of Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III. and written just before his seizure
of the crown.”

     “Raby Castle is in the County of Durham.”

     It does not appear clearly who this Lord Neville was. Sir George Neville,
Lord Abergavenny, attended at the coronation of Richard III. as a baron, but
he was never called Lord Neville.

   Ralph Neville, second Earl of Westmoreland, died, without surviving issue,
in 1484, and was succeeded by his nephew Ralph, son of his younger brother,
Sir John Neville, who could not properly be called Lord Neville during his
uncle’s life, whose second title this was; yet it is probable that Richard might
address him by this title as presumptive heir. The Nevilles were cousins to
Richard by his mother Cecily, Duchess of York, who was daughter of Ralph
Neville, the first Earl of Westmoreland.

   This letter was written at a busy period of Richard?s life; his plans were now
in forwardness for his seizing the crown, and his orders must have been sent
(perhaps this very day) for the beheading of Rivers, Vaughan, and Gray, at
Pontfract. Lord Neville appears to have done Richard former services, and
he seems to have great confidence from his assistance now, for which he makes
most liberal promises.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 1.

LETTER I.

To my Lord Nevyll in haste.

MY Lord Nevyll, I recommend me to you as heartily as I
can, and as ever ye love me, and your own weal and surety,
and this realm, that ye come to me with that ye may make,
defensably arrayed, in all the haste that is possible; and
that ye will give credence to .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  Richard Radcliff
this bearer, whom I now do send to you instructed with all
my mind and intent.

     And, my Lord, do me now good service, as ye have always
before done, and I trust now so to remember you as shall
be the making of you and yours; and God send you good
fortunes.

     Written at London, the 11th day of June, with the hand
of

                               Your heartily loving Cousin and Master,

                                                                              R. GLOUCESTER.

          London,
Wednesday, 11th June,
      1483. 1 E. v.

for so this Letter must be dated.

      I received the copy of this Letter from the Rev. John Brand, secretary to the
Society of Antiquaries, on the 24th of February, 1787, accompanied with the
following memorandum.

     “Extract from an ancient MS. of pedigrees, &c. in quarto, late in the pos-
session of Sir Walter Blackett, Bart. and now the property of John Erasmus
Blackett, Esq. Alderman of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; p. 333. under title of
’A Coppie of some Letters which were found in Rabie Castle after the Rebel-
lion, to shew the Fashion .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . of those Times.’ The above MS. is of
the date of James I. though there are several continuations in a more modern
hand.”

     “This copy has doubtless been a transcript of an original letter of the Duke
of Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III. and written just before his seizure
of the crown.”

     “Raby Castle is in the County of Durham.”

     It does not appear clearly who this Lord Neville was. Sir George Neville,
Lord Abergavenny, attended at the coronation of Richard III. as a baron, but
he was never called Lord Neville.

   Ralph Neville, second Earl of Westmoreland, died, without surviving issue,
in 1484, and was succeeded by his nephew Ralph, son of his younger brother,
Sir John Neville, who could not properly be called Lord Neville during his
uncle’s life, whose second title this was; yet it is probable that Richard might
address him by this title as presumptive heir. The Nevilles were cousins to
Richard by his mother Cecily, Duchess of York, who was daughter of Ralph
Neville, the first Earl of Westmoreland.

   This letter was written at a busy period of Richard?s life; his plans were now
in forwardness for his seizing the crown, and his orders must have been sent
(perhaps this very day) for the beheading of Rivers, Vaughan, and Gray, at
Pontfract. Lord Neville appears to have done Richard former services, and
he seems to have great confidence from his assistance now, for which he makes
most liberal promises.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 1.

992

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, TO
LORD NEVILL¹

To my Lorde Nevyll, in hast.

         MY Lorde Nevyll, I recommaunde me to you as hartely
               as I can; and as ever ye love me, and your awne
               weale and securty, and this Realme, that ye come to
me with that ye may make, defensably arrayde, in all the hast
that ys possyble, and that ye wyll yef credence to ......................
Richarde Ratclyff, thys beerrer, whom I nowe do sende to
you, enstructed with all my mynde and entent.

     And, my lord, do me nowe gode servyce, as ye have
always befor don, and I trust nowe so to remember you as
shalbe the makyng of you and yours. And God sende you
goode fortunes.

     Wrytten att London, xj. day of Jun, with the hande of
your hertely lovyng cousyn and master,

                                                                           R. GLOUCESTER.

     ¹ [From Fenn, v. 302.] This letter was not a part of the Paston correspondence,
but was printed by Fenn in the series as a letter of much historical interest from a
copy given him by the Rev. John Brand, secretary to the Society of Antiquaries. The
following memoranda accompanied the copy:?

     ?Extract from an ancient MS. of pedigrees, etc., in quarto, late in the possession of
Sir Walter Blackett, Bart., and now the property of John Erasmus Blackett, Esq.,
Alderman of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; p. 333, under title of “A Coppie of some Letters
which were found in Rabie Castle after the Rebellion, to shew the fashion ......................
of those times.” The above MS. is of the date of James 1., though there are several
continuations in a more modern hand.

     ?This copy has doubtless been a transcript of an original letter of the Duke of
Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III., and written just before his seizure of the
crown.

     ?Raby Castle is in the county of Durham.?

     Fenn adds that it does not appear clearly who this Lord Nevill was. But as the
letter was found in Raby Castle after the great rebellion of the Earls of Northumber-
land and Westmoreland, in 1569, it was evidently addressed to one of that family
of Nevills, the heads of which were Earls of Westmoreland. In 1483 the Earl of
Westmoreland?s name was Ralph Nevill, but he died in the year following, and was
succeeded in the title by Ralph, son and heir of his brother, John, Lord Nevill, who
was slain at Towton. It was this Ralph, then heir-presumptive to the earldom, who
is here called Lord Nevill. He had got his father?s attainder reversed in 1472, and
his title of Lord Nevill was recognised. See G. Ele?s Peerage, viii. 112.

1483
JUNE 11

1483
JUNE 11