Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny

During the Wyatt's rebellion of January–February 1554 Henry and Robert Southwell, the High Sheriff of Kent married to Henry's niece Margaret, led the loyalist forces against the rebels. According to D. M. Loades, "Sir Robert Southwell and Lord Abergavenny were almost the only significant gentlemen in the country whose loyalty was never in doubt";[1] "Southwell, Abergavenny and Cheney were the most active royalist leaders."[2]

Henry and Southwell began recruitment of loyalist forces on 24 January, one day before the outbreak of the rebellion, although at this stage they had little success.[3] On 26 January Wyatt declared Henry and Southwell "traitors to God, the Crown and the Commonwealth" for "stirring up the Queen's most loyal subjects of the realm."[4]

By 27 January, the loyalists's position improved, and their combined forces in Kent matched the numbers of Wyatt's force in Rochester, at around two thousand men on each side.[5] Henry and Southwell with six hundred men blocked the road from Tonbridge to Rochester to prevent consolidation of the rebels.[5] On 28 January Southwell defeated Henry Isley's company of rebels at Wrotham, taking around sixty prisoners.[6] However, on the same day the army of Duke of Norfolk deserted to Wyatt;[7] Henry and Southwell fled to London.[8] Wyatt marched to London himself with around three thousand men,[9] but lost the initiative; Southwell and Thomas Cheney managed to raise another loyalist company in his rear.[10][11] On 4 February Henry and Southwell marched to Greenwich. Wyatt was cut off from his base in Kent, and could not count on reinforcements while the loyalists' forces gained strength every day.[11]

By 7 February, Wyatt's army disintegrated. Amongst Wyatt's supporters who were later sentenced to death was Thomas Fane, later Henry Nevill's son-in-law. Fane was pardoned due to his youth and he became a loyal supporter of the crown, a member of parliament and a son-in-law to Neville.