Alexander Neville
Encyclopedia
Alexander Neville was a late medieval
prelate who served as Archbishop of York
from 1374 to 1388.
and Alice de Audley. He was a member of the Neville family, one of the most powerful families in the north of England
.
His first known ecclesiastical appointment was as a canon
of York Minster
, holding the Prebendary
of Bole from 1361 to 1373. He became a claiment to the Archdeaconry of Cornwall from 1361 until it was set aside in 1371, becoming instead Archdeacon of Durham from circa 1371 to 1373. He was appointed Archbishop of York
on 3 or 14 April 1374, having been elected by the chapter
of York
in November 1373 and received royal assent
on 1 January 1374. He was consecrated
to the Episcopate
at Westminster
on 4 June 1374 and enthroned at York Minster
on 18 December 1374.
On the Lords Appellant
rising against King Richard II
in 1386, however, he was accused of treason and it was determined to imprison him for life in Rochester Castle
.
Neville fled, and Pope Urban VI
, pitying his case, translated
him to the Scottish See of St. Andrews on 30 April 1388. However, he never took possession of the see because the Scots
acknowledged the Avignon papacy
with their own candidate, Walter Trail
.
For the remainder of his life he served as a parish priest in Leuven
, where he died in May 1392 and was buried there in the Church of the Carmelites
.
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
prelate who served as Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
from 1374 to 1388.
Life
Born in about 1340, he was a younger son of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de RabyRalph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby
Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby was an English aristocrat, son of Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby and Euphemia de Clavering....
and Alice de Audley. He was a member of the Neville family, one of the most powerful families in the north of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
His first known ecclesiastical appointment was as a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
, holding the Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Bole from 1361 to 1373. He became a claiment to the Archdeaconry of Cornwall from 1361 until it was set aside in 1371, becoming instead Archdeacon of Durham from circa 1371 to 1373. He was appointed Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
on 3 or 14 April 1374, having been elected by the chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of York
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
in November 1373 and received royal assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 1 January 1374. He was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
to the Episcopate
Episcopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...
at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
on 4 June 1374 and enthroned at York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
on 18 December 1374.
On the Lords Appellant
Lords Appellant
The Lords Appellant were a group of nobles in the reign of King Richard II who sought to impeach some five of the King's favourites in order to restrain what was seen as tyrannical and capricious rule. The word appellant simply means '[one who is] appealing [in a legal sense]'...
rising against King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
in 1386, however, he was accused of treason and it was determined to imprison him for life in Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle stands on the east bank of the River Medway in Rochester, Kent, England. The 12th-century keep or stone tower, which is the castle's most prominent feature, is one of the best preserved in England or France. Located along the River Medway and Watling Street, Rochester was a...
.
Neville fled, and Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
, pitying his case, translated
Translation (ecclesiastical)
Translation is the technical term when a Bishop is transferred from one diocese to another.This can be* From Suffragan Bishop status to Diocesan Bishop*From Coadjutor bishop to Diocesan Bishop*From one country's Episcopate to another...
him to the Scottish See of St. Andrews on 30 April 1388. However, he never took possession of the see because the Scots
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
acknowledged the Avignon papacy
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
with their own candidate, Walter Trail
Walter Trail
Walter Trail was a late 14th century Bishop of St. Andrews. He appears as an official in the Bishopric of Glasgow in 1378, as a Magister Artium and a Licentiate in Canon and civil law. In 1380, he is a doctor in Canon and Civil Law, as well as a Papal chaplain and auditor. In this year, Pope...
.
For the remainder of his life he served as a parish priest in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, where he died in May 1392 and was buried there in the Church of the Carmelites
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
.