Richard Neville is known as The Kingmaker - but who first gave him this 'title'?

Question

Richard Neville is known as The Kingmaker - but who first gave him this 'title'?

Answer 1

When Richard Neville, the son of the first Earl of Salisbury, married Lady Anne de Beauchamp in 1449, he became the Earl of Warwick, which gave him control of large amounts of land and wealth in the Midlands and South Wales.  

He became known as "The Kingmaker" or "Warwick the Kingmaker" not by "official" designation but by his wealth, military victories, and manipulations that led to the crowning of one English King:  Edward IV; and, subsequently, to the exile of Edward and the return to the throne of Henry VI.   Thus, having "made" two Kings in ten years, he was, indeed, "The Kingmaker."

His crucial role in bringing Edward to the English thrown; the power that he wielded during Edward's rule; and the role that he played in deposing Edward and enabling Henry VI to retake the thrown, albeit for a short time, all played a part in his retaining the "unofficial," but nonetheless accurate nickname.  Historians have since made sure that his "unofficial" title has endured.

For more detail, please see:

http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/w...

and

http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/rne...