Katherine Neville, Duchess of Norfolk

Katherine Neville or Catherine de Neville (born c. 1400 – died after 1483^[1]) was the eldest daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland (1364–1425) and Joan Beaufort (c. 1379-1440), daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by his mistress (later, 3rd wife) Catherine de Roet.^[2]

Katherine was married at the age of 12 on January 12, 1412 to John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1392–1432). Their only known child was:

• John de Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1415–1461).

Katherine married secondly, Thomas Strangeways (c. 1395-before 1442) ^[3] - they had 2 daughters:

• Joan Strangeway, married Sir William Willoughby.^[4]
• Catherine Strangeway ^[1]

She married thirdly John, Viscount Beaumont, who was killed in 1460.

Her fourth and last marriage was infamous, and known by contemporaries as the 'diabolical marriage'^[1] - she married John Woodville, brother of Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV's queen. He was 19 years old at the time of their marriage - she was 65. Yet she survived even him as he was executed in 1469 during the brief period of time that her nephew - Richard, Earl of Warwick (The 'Kingmaker') had usurped the authority of the crown. She was still alive in 1483, having survived all the descendents of her first marriage.^[1]

References

• thepeerage Accessed December 13, 2008
• Neville family Accessed December 13, 2008
• Green, Mary Anne Everett. Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies of Great Britain, From the Commencement of the Twelfth Century to the Close of the Reign of Queen Mary. London: H. Colburn, 1846. googlebooks Retrieved December 13, 2008
• Oxford History of England, 1399–1485, 485ff.