Honour of Annaly - Feudal Principality & Seignory Est. 1172

⚜️ AGE AND ORIGIN OF THE HONOUR AND PRINCELY TITLE OF ANNALY (LONGFORD)

Held by the Barons Delvin / Earls of Westmeath

1. Pre-Norman Era (Before 1172): Gaelic Sovereignty of Annaly

• The ancient territory of Annaly (Anghaile) was a Gaelic kingdom ruled by the O’Farrells, and before them by princes of the O’Connors of Teffia and O’Quinns of Rathcline.

• This region formed part of the Kingdom of Teffia (Tethbae), itself an appanage of the Kingdom of Meath, ruled under the southern Uí Néill and later under the O’Connors of Connaught.

• Thus, before the Norman arrival, Annaly was already a princely territory, governed by hereditary Gaelic kings (rí tuaithe).

🕰️ Antiquity of the princely dignity:
Over 850 years old as a sovereign Gaelic realm prior to the Anglo-Norman enfeoffment.

2. Norman Establishment – Liberty of Meath (1172)

• In A.D. 1172, King Henry II granted the Liberty of Meath to Hugh de Lacy, with full palatine powers—the right to hold courts, appoint sheriffs, mint coinage, and exercise near-regal jurisdiction.

• Gilbert de Nugent, de Lacy’s companion, was granted large tracts in Western Meath and Teffia, which included lands bordering and extending into Annaly (modern Longford).

• These grants represent the first feudal investiture over Annaly and Teffia. The Nugents thus became sub-palatine lords of a quasi-regal domain—the earliest trace of the Honour of Annaly under English law.

🕰️ Date of initial feudal honour: circa 1172–1200 (Henry II to John).

3. The Palatine Succession – 13th–15th Centuries

• Through successive service, the Barons of Delvin (Nugent family) retained the feudal barony of Fore and Granard, which extended into Annaly.

• They held courts baron and knight’s service in capite, under palatine charter, effectively acting as hereditary counts palatine of their territory.

🕰️ Feudal governance established: continuously by c. 1200–1500, giving the title at least 800–850 years of standing.

4. Tudor Confirmation – 1541: Patent of Fore Priory

• Under Henry VIII, by Letters Patent (32 Henry VIII, 1541), Richard Nugent, Baron Delvin received formal Crown re-grant of:

  “The Priory of Fore, the manors, lands, and tenements in the counties of Westmeath and Longford, with all advowsons, courts baron, and palatine rights within said territories.”

• This charter explicitly names Annaly (Longford), confirming the Nugents’ pre-existing feudal and palatine dignity.

• This is the modern legal foundation of the Honour and Principality of Annaly as held by the Barons Delvin.

🕰️ Legal Crown confirmation: 1541 A.D.
Age: 484 years (as of 2025).
Feudal continuity: c. 850 years, dating to the de Lacy–Nugent investiture.

5. Elizabethan Enlargement – 1565: The Captaincy of Slewght William

• By Royal Patent of Elizabeth I (1565), the Crown created the Captaincy of Slewght William (Eastern Annaly) and confirmed it to Richard Nugent, Baron Delvin, as a hereditary office and princely jurisdiction.

• This title effectively made the Baron hereditary Prince-Captain of Annaly and Teffia, combining civil, military, and judicial sovereignty—analogous to a Count Palatine in continental law.

🕰️ Princely dignity formalized: 1565 A.D. (460 years old)

6. Jacobean Confirmation – 1605: Markets and Courts in Longford

• In 1605, King James I issued a further grant to Lord Delvin, allowing weekly markets and Courts Baron in Longford town, confirming the Nugents’ seignorial and urban sovereignty.

• This reaffirmed the honour of Annaly under English common law.

7. Stuart Elevation – 1621: Creation of the Earldom of Westmeath

• The Barony of Delvin and its palatine dignities—including Annaly and Longford—were merged into the hereditary Earldom of Westmeath by King James I (Privy Seal, 22 Nov. 1621).

• The patent created Richard Nugent Earl of Westmeath “to him and the heirs male of his body,” thereby enshrining the Honour of Annaly within a peerage of imperial-equivalent dignity.

⚜️ Summary of Antiquity

✅ Conclusion

The Honour and Princely Title of Annaly as held by the Barons Delvin / Earls of Westmeath is thus of dual antiquity:

• Feudal and hereditary antiquity: tracing back 850 years to the de Lacy–Nugent investiture (1172).

• Legal Crown confirmation: 1541, revalidated by successive monarchs (Edward VI, Elizabeth I, and James I).

Therefore, the title “Honour and Principality of Annaly (Longford)” under the Baron Delvin may justly be styled as an ancient palatine and princely dignity of nearly nine centuries’ continuous lineage and sovereignty.