Barony of Abergavenny

[colinp]

It is probably well known that the Marquessate of Abergavenny (and the subsidiary Earldom of Lewes) is likely to become extinct on the death of the present Marquess (b 1955).  The Earldom of Abergavenny and the Viscountcy Nevill (cr 1784 GB) will pass to his kinsman David Michael Ralph Nevill b 1941 (or perhaps more likely to his son Guy Michael Rossmore Nevill b 1973).

What I think is not so well known is that the Barony of Abergavenny (originally Bergavenny) cr by writ 1450 will pass to the present Marquess's daughter Lady Sophie Alice Augusta Nevill b 1990.  A situation will arise where there are two peers with the same title similar to the Dukes and Earls of Sutherland.  Perhaps Lady Sophie will revive the original "Bergavenny" designation.

[Peter FitzGerald]

I'm afraid that this is not correct. The Marquess of Abergavenny does not hold any of the Baronies of Bergavenny, and his daughter will not succeed to any title on his death.

The most recent Barony of Bergavenny (created in error in 1724) has been in abeyance since the death of the 3rd Marquess of Abergavenny in 1938, the co-heirs currently being the Marquess Camden and the Lord Hastings (descendants of the 3rd Marquess's two daughters). The original medieval Baronies of Bergavenny (created in 1392 and 1450, and held together from 1476) have been abeyant since 1762.

Indeed, even if the previous (5th) Marquess of Abergavenny had held a barony by writ (which he did not), it would not have passed to the present Marquess, since the 5th Marquess was survived by three daughters, who would have been co-heirs to any such title.

[Al]

We could be in the same situation (were abeyances terminated) of the Grey baronies which several are just Grey (though people engage in a fiction that it is otherwise.)

[colinp]

Thanks for the correction. In my defence, and I should have verified from another source, Debretts lists the present Marquess as Baron Abergavenny with succession from the 1st Baron by writ in 15th century. Haven’t got Debretts in front of me but I think it gave a range of dates for the date of creation. I expect it’s all set out in the Complete Peerage- I must have a look tonight. Hope someone from Debretts reads the posts on this Group so they can correct the next edition!

[malcolm davies]

As I understand it,the co heirs to the 1724 creation are the 6th Marquess Camden and the 23rd Lord Hastings.The 6th Marquess has a son and daughter,both in their fifties,neither of whom are married or have children.The 23rd Lord Hastings has a son.The recommendation of the 1927 Select Committee(namely that an abeyant peerage should not be called out unless the abeyance is less than 100 years and the co heir or heirs possesses more that one third of the dignity) will apply so the possibility of calling out the peerage from abeyance will end in 2038.However the abeyance may terminate naturally if Lord Hastings becomes the only heir upon the death of both of the Camden children.The other abeyant Bergevenny peerages are precluded from having their abeyances terminated by reason of the recommendations of the select committee. 

[Henry W]

My understanding is that on the death of the 3rd Marquess in 1938 the Barony's co heirs were Lady Joan Nevill and Lady Marguerite Nevill.

Lady Joan married the 4th Marquess of Camden. As you suggest it is likely that the line of her elder son, the 5th Marquess of Camden, will become completely extinct within the next 50 years, but I believe the line of her younger son, Lord Roderic Pratt, is still extant, and so the share would fall successively to his son Adrian (b 1952), his daughter Zara (b 1955), and her son Harry Johnstone (b 1989). Even if this line fails, there are also the descendants of Lady Joan's two daughters (of whom there are many). It is unlikely this title will come out of abeyance naturally.