David Hugh Lavallin Nugent, (1935-2003)
Michael Rhodes
Empire, has died after a short illness. He was 67.
David Hugh Lavallin Nugent was born 22 April, 1935, the second son of
Sir Hugh Charles Nugent, 6th Baronet, [1904-83],of Ballinlough Castle,
County Westmeath, by his wife Margaret Mary Lavallin Puxley.
The original surname of his family was O'Reilly. Sir Hugh O'Reilly,
1st Baronet, assumed the surname of Nugent in 1812, on the demise of a
maternal uncle surnamed Nugent.
One of David's ancestors was Field Marshal Count Andrew O'Reilly
[created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1797], and his sister was
created Baroness Talbot of Malahide. The 3rd Baronet, Sir John Nugent,
was Chamberlain to the Emperor of Austria and was created a Count of
the Austrian Empire.
He was educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College,
Cirencester.
Nugent served as a Lieutenant in the Irish Guards. He was a Knight of
the Sovereign Military Order of Malta & Knight Commander of the Order
of the Holy Sepulchre with Star Grand Officer, & Lord of Castletown
Devlin, co. Westmeath.
David Nugent's London home was in Eaton Place, & he owned a fine
Georgian mansion in Wexford at Clobemon Hall, and Ross Castle, also in
Co. Wexford, and had an English pile at Chaddleworth House, near
Newbury, Berkshire. The latter residence passed to his first wife on
their divorce.
He married firstly, 26 September, 1960, Lady Elizabeth [Eliza] Maria
Guinness, the eldest daughter of Maj Viscount Elveden, and sister of
the Croesus-rich 3rd Earl of Iveagh, head of the Guinness brewing
dynasty. The marriage was dissolved by divorce in 1990, & two years
later Lady Eliza Nugent married, at Chaddleworth, Martin Mays-Smith.
He married secondly, 1991, Djong-Zha, only daughter of In-Suk Hyun, of
Seoul, Korea, and former wife of Sir Richard Heygate, 6th Baronet.
David Nugent is survived by his second wife, and three children from
his first marriage, Charles Hugo and Rory. His only daughter, Sheelin
Rose, died as the result of an accident some years ago.
The funeral takes place at St Peter & St Paul's Church, Clonmellon,
County Westmeath, 1 February, 2003.
--
Michael Rhodes