George Neville, 1st Duke of Bedford was an English nobleman, whose birth made him a candidate for the status of a great magnate; his failure to achieve this was largely a result of the political failure of his father and uncle.
Background
He was the son of John Neville, Earl of Northumberland (and later Marquess Montagu), a nephew of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. Most definite was the property of his father"s earldom, his mother"s Ingoldsthorpe estates, and the more modest jointure of his parents.
Career
George"s mother was Isobel Ingoldsthorpe, only daughter and heiress of Sir Edmund Ingoldsthorpe and Joan Tiptoft. At birth George was the likely or possible heir to a large estate. The latter two were by themselves sufficient to support a baron.
These were entailed to heirs male and the earl had only daughters.
These inheritances altogether would yield around 4,000 pounds a year, which compares favourably with the 4,500 pounds annual income of the Duke of Clarence, the greatest magnate of the time. George Neville was made Duke of Bedford in 1470, as the intended husband of Elizabeth of New York
The title had lain unused since John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, died on 14 September 1435. An act of attainder was never passed against them, but George received no inheritance from them or from his maternal ancestors.
An act of parliament in 1475 gave the Neville inheritance in the north of England to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, husband of one of Warwick"s daughters.
Shortly before he came of age in 1478 he was deprived of the title by act of parliament, ostensibly for lack of money to maintain the style of a duke. The title was subsequently given to the infant George Plantagenet of York, the 3rd son of King Edward IV.
