Eleanor Neville - Widow of the Wars of the Roses
Barry Aveyard
- Regions:
- East Midlands, East Midlands, East Riding, East Riding
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Historian
- Fee:
- Free
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 25th October 2026
- Tagged:
- Wars Of The Roses
Based on research undertaken for his forthcoming Pen & Sword biography, Eleanor Neville: Widow of the Wars of the Roses, Baz Aveyard’s talk explores the extraordinary life of one of the most remarkable yet overlooked women of fifteenth-century England. Due for publication in 2027, the book will be the first full-length biography devoted to Eleanor and features a foreword by the Duke of Northumberland.
Daughter of Joan Beaufort and Ralph Neville, Eleanor became Countess of Northumberland through her marriage to Henry Percy, heir to one of England’s most powerful noble families. Through her family connections, she stood at the centre of the political upheavals that transformed medieval England, witnessing the rise and fall of dynasties, the destruction of her own family in war, and the bitter rivalries that fuelled the Wars of the Roses.
The talk traces Eleanor’s life from her upbringing within the powerful Neville family to her role as wife, mother and matriarch of the Percy dynasty. Baz explores the devastating personal cost of civil war as Eleanor lost her husband at the First Battle of St Albans in 1455 and subsequently four sons, three of them as a direct consequence of the Wars of the Roses. Yet despite these tragedies, she survived to witness the eventual restoration of her family’s fortunes.
Drawing upon contemporary chronicles, medieval documents, family records and surviving historical landscapes, the presentation examines Eleanor not merely as a witness to great events but as a resilient and influential noblewoman navigating one of the most turbulent periods in English history.
An Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and author of several forthcoming medieval biographies for Pen & Sword, Baz combines original historical research with the compelling human stories behind the great events of medieval England.
Accessible, richly illustrated and engaging, this talk brings Eleanor Neville and her extraordinary story vividly back into the spotlight. It offers a moving female perspective on the Wars of the Roses, revealing the courage, resilience and determination of a woman who endured the loss of her husband and four sons, yet lived to see her family rise again.
Views: 521 | Enquiries: 1About Barry Aveyard
Baz Aveyard
Historian, Author, Speaker and Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Baz Aveyard is an independent medieval historian, author and public speaker based in Lincoln. He specialises in the lives of individuals whose stories illuminate the political, social and personal complexities of medieval England, particularly the women whose experiences have too often been overshadowed by those of kings, noblemen and warriors.
In October 2026, Baz was elected an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, recognising his contribution to historical research and writing.
Following a career in higher education, including senior roles in nursing education and a lectureship at Sheffield Hallam University, Baz retired in 2016. His longstanding fascination with medieval history subsequently developed into a second career as a researcher, writer and speaker.
He has now secured contracts with Pen & Sword Books for four historical biographies:
- Joan Beaufort, Katherine Swynford’s Daughter: Matriarch of the North — a biography of the daughter of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, whose marriage into the Neville family placed her at the heart of northern aristocratic power. Scheduled for publication in 2027.
- Eleanor Neville — the remarkable and often tragic story of Joan Beaufort’s daughter, Countess of Northumberland, who endured the loss of her husband and four sons during the Wars of the Roses. Scheduled for publication in 2027.
- Piers Gaveston — a reassessment of the controversial Earl of Cornwall, his intimate relationship with Edward II, his extraordinary political career and his violent death in 1312. Planned for publication in 2028.
- Catherine de Valois — the story of the French princess who became Queen of England through her marriage to Henry V and whose later relationship with Owen Tudor helped establish the dynasty that would transform English history. Forthcoming from Pen & Sword.
Baz’s research places particular emphasis on contemporary chronicles, medieval records and archival evidence, while seeking to recover the human experiences behind the historical narrative.
An experienced and engaging public speaker, he regularly delivers illustrated talks to historical societies, U3A groups and other organisations. His subjects include Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, Eleanor Neville and the wider world of medieval England.
Through his website, The Medieval History Bloke, Baz shares his research, visits to historic sites, discoveries and reflections on bringing medieval lives to a modern readership.
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