Marquess of Abergavenny

Marquess of Abergavenny (pronounced Abergenny), in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 14 January 1876, along with the title Earl of Lewes (pronounced "Lewis"), in the County of Sussex, for the 5th Earl of Abergavenny, a member of the Nevill family.

The 1st Marquess's ancestor, the de facto 17th (de jure 2nd) Baron Bergavenny, was created Earl of Abergavenny, in the County of Monmouth, and Viscount Nevill, of Birling in the County of Kent, in the Peerage of Great Britain on 17 May 1784. The Barony of Bergavenny was held by his successors, the Earls and Marquesses of Abergavenny, until 1938, when it passed into abeyance between the two daughters of the 3rd Marquess.

The 6th and present Marquess is Christopher George Charles Nevill (b. 23 April 1955), the son of the late Lord Rupert Nevill and Lady Ann Camilla Evelyn Wallop. He succeeded to the title in 2000 on the death of his uncle the 5th Marquess who had no surviving sons.

The family seat is Eridge Park, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Coat of arms

The heraldic blazon for the coat of arms of the Marquesses of Abergavenny is: Gules, a saltire argent charged with a rose of the field (barbed and seeded proper).^[1] These are the ancient arms of Neville differenced by a rose, the symbol of a 7th son, in reference to Sir Edward Neville, 1st Baron Bergavenny (d.1476), 7th son of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland. The blazon can be translated as "On a red background, a white saltire with a red rose, naturally colored, upon it."

Earls of Abergavenny (1784)

• George Nevill, 1st Earl of Abergavenny (1727–1785)
• Henry Nevill, 2nd Earl of Abergavenny (1755–1843)
  • Henry George Nevill, Viscount Nevill (1785–1806)
  • Ralph Nevill, Viscount Nevill (1786–1826)
• John Nevill, 3rd Earl of Abergavenny (1789–1845)
• William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny (1792–1868)
• William Nevill, 5th Earl of Abergavenny (1826–1915) (created Marquess of Abergavenny in 1876)

Marquesses of Abergavenny (1876)

• William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny (1826–1915)
• Reginald William Bransby Nevill, 2nd Marquess of Abergavenny (1853–1927)
• Henry Gilbert Ralph Nevill, 3rd Marquess of Abergavenny (1854–1938) (barony of Bergavenny of 1724 in abeyance since 1938/2000)
  • Gilbert Reginald Nevill (1879–1891)
• Guy Temple Montacute Larnach-Nevill, 4th Marquess of Abergavenny (1883–1954)
• John Henry Guy Nevill, 5th Marquess of Abergavenny (1914–2000)
  • Henry John Montague Nevill, Earl of Lewes (1948–1965)
• Christopher George Charles Nevill, 6th Marquess of Abergavenny (b. 1955)

Line of succession

There is no heir to the Marquessate or the Earldom of Lewes.

Heirs to the Earldom of Abergavenny and Viscountcy of Nevill only:^[2]

1. David Michael Ralph Nevill (b. 1941) (great-grandson of the Hon. Ralph Pelham Nevill, second son of the 4th Earl)
2. Guy Michael Rossmore Nevill (b. 1973) (only son of no. 1)
3. George David Roland Nevill (b. 2010) (elder son of no. 2)
4. Frederick Guy James Nevill (b. 2012) (younger son of no. 2)
5. Michael George Rossmore Nevill (b. 1943) (younger brother of no. 1)
6. John Robert Ralph Nevill (b. 1928) (great-great-grandson of the Rev. and Hon. George Henry Nevill, younger son of the 1st Earl)
7. Dominic John Frederick Nevill (b. 1957) (eldest son of no. 6)
8. Ralph Stephen John Nevill (b. 1959) (second son of no. 6)
9. Christopher Henry Charles Nevill (b. 1962) (third son of no. 6)
10. Gregory Paul John Nevill (b. 1997) (only son of no. 9)
11. Anthony Rupert Guy Nevill (b. 1966) (fourth and youngest son of no. 6)

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages