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continues to take a prominent part in the civil administration of 
the affairs of the north until his death in 1425, at the age of sixty. 
Ralph Nevill had two families: nine by his first wife, and 
thirteen by his second, the youngest of the latter being Cicely, a 
great celebrity not only of her time, but for all history. She was 
a great favourite of the Londoners, who styled her ‘“ proud Ciss, 
the Rose of Raby.” Her portrait in stained glass in the third 
window from the west of the south aisle of Penrith church, is said 
to be the only portrait of her extant; it is a brilliant piece of 
stained glass, worth many times its weight in gold. In it the 
illustrious lady looks every inch a “proud Ciss ;” her head is clad 
with jewels, and the portrait gives one the idea of a matronly lady 
doing her best to preserve the beauty of the once blooming “ Rose 
of Raby.” ‘This relic of medizevalism entitles us to claim Cicely 
as the belle of Penrith notabilities. She was married to Richard 
Plantagenet, Duke of York, whose portrait is in the same window 
with that of his wife. Richard was in point of direct succession 
the rightful heir to the crown; but the Lancastrian branch, whose 
hereditary claim was less distinct, held the crown by Parliamentary 
decree, and out of this complication sprang the terrible Wars of the 
Roses, as the series of bloody conflicts between the rival houses of 
York and Lancaster is designated. 
The life of Cicely, Duchess of York, was indeed a wonderful one, 
being by her mother’s side a great-grand-daughter of Edward III., 
she had royal blood in her veins. As wife of Richard, Duke of 
York, she was near the throne, of which at one time her husband 
appeared almost certain; but the cruel vicissitudes of war more 
than once placed her in dire distress. At the disastrous battle of 
Wakefield, her illustrious husband and devoted brother, the Earl 
of Salisbury (who had succeeded to the manor of Penrith) were 
executed on the battle field, and her son Edmond butchered in 
cold blood by the ruthless Clifford ; and when at length her dark 
days were past, and her two sons, Edward and Richard, occupied 
the throne in succession, she had scant pleasure and no credit in 
either of them. Cicely was daughter, sister, aunt and mother of 
four successive lords of Penrith manor, all men of celebrity, whose 
