Honour of Annaly - Feudal Principality & Seignory Est. 1172

The claim that the Earl of Westmeath, and Baron Delvin (Nugent family) is the successor to the native Lords and Princes of Annaly (various clans over history) is a core assertion in the historical and legal basis of the "Honour and Seignory of Longford/Annaly."

Here is how the Dossier for succession is made, broken down into legal  context:

1. Legal Successor via Royal Grant (Feudal Law)

In the eyes of the English Crown and the Anglo-Norman feudal system, the Baron Delvin became the legal successor to the territorial authority of Annaly.

• Replacing Native Sovereignty: The native Gaelic principality of Annaly (Anghaile), ruled by various dynasties, was a sovereign territory operating under Brehon Law. When the English Crown asserted control over Ireland, it did not recognize the O'Farrell's system of succession (tanistry). Historically, the Ó Fearghail rulers of Conmhaícne Angaile (Annaly) were formally deposed by King James I of England, who confiscated their lands and privileges in the early 17th century (around 1618). The rulers of Annaly (Conmhaícne Angaile) controlled the region for nearly seven centuries, from the 11th century until the colonial confiscations of the 17th century.

• Crown Enfeoffment: Instead of abolishing the Sovereign territory, the Crown chose to reconstitute the authority of Annaly under English common law. This was achieved through a series of royal grants (Letters Patent) starting in the Tudor period (e.g., under Edward VI in 1552, Philip and Mary in 1556, and Queen Elizabeth I in 1565 and 1597) to the Baron Delvin.

• The Grant of Captainship: Most notably, the grant of the Captaincy/Chiefship of the Slewght William in Annaly to Christopher Nugent, Baron Delvin (c. 1565), was the direct legal assumption of the local administrative and military role previously held by the O'Farrell chief (Taoiseach). This act formally replaced the native Gaelic Rí Tuaithe (Local King) with an English feudal lord with hereditary rights (fee simple).

• Consolidation: By granting the Nugents the lands, castles (like Lissardowlan, the O'Farrell seat), manorial rights, and courts in Annaly, the Crown legally designated the Baron Delvin as the feudal lord and Chief of the Country—the formal successor to the regional secular authority.

2. Political and Territorial Overlordship

The Nugent family's position was strategically established to control the region, making them the de facto overlords.

• Western Marches of Meath: The original 12th-century grant of the Barony of Delvin placed the Nugents in command of the most western frontier of the massive Lordship of Meath. This position required them to manage and eventually subjugate the neighboring Gaelic territories, including Annaly.

• Continuous Presence: For centuries, the Barons Delvin were the continuous hereditary Norman authority on the border of Annaly, solidifying their status as the inevitable beneficiary when the Crown finally crushed the O'Farrells' effective independence in the 17th century.

Conclusion

The Baron Delvin and Lord of Westmeath is considered the legal and feudal successor to the Lords and Princes of Annaly under the framework of English common law and royal fiat.

• Gaelic Succession: The O'Farrell family, who ruled Annaly, views the succession as being based on their ancient clan lineage, which continued after the loss of their territorial power.

• Feudal Succession: The Baron Delvin's claim is based on the Crown's right of conquest and the subsequent legal instruments that granted the full dignity, jurisdiction, and property of the former principality to the Nugent line. The Feudal Barony of Annaly-Longford, held by the Nugents, is the legal heir of the territorial sovereignty of the Ó Fearghail Principality.

Here is a breakdown of the current claims:

1. The Gaelic Claim: Chief of the Principality

This claim is based on the ancient Gaelic tradition of tanistry and the lineage of the native ruling family, the Princes of Annaly who ruled the territory for centuries before the Anglo-Norman and English conquests.

• Nature of the Title: This is a Chieftainship or Chief of the Name title, which signifies the hereditary head of the  clan (sept) in Ireland. It is a title of Gaelic descent and cultural honor that is distinct from an Anglo-Norman feudal peerage or territorial sovereignty.

• Recognition: The title and lineage are typically recognized by organizations like Clans of Ireland, which works to preserve the Gaelic heritage and genealogies of Ireland's major families.

• Current Status: The O'Farrell Clan and many ancient Clanns of Ireland continue to have a recognized Chief or Chieftain who acts as the titular leader of the clan worldwide, organizing rallies and promoting their heritage. . A successor would typically be selected or affirmed by the clan leadership.

• Captainship of the Annaly - Grant of Clan and Captainship to Baron Delvin by the Queen which was hereditary and forever/not cancelled. 

2. The Feudal Prince Claim: Principality, Honour and Seignory of Longford - Annaly

This claim is the continuation of the feudal and territorial rights originally granted by the English Crown to the Barons Delvin (Nugent family), who later became the Earls of Westmeath.

• Nature of the Title: This is a claim to the legal status of Feudal Baron and holder of the Seignory and Honour (Honour meaning the Territory of many Lordships, Markets, Franchises,  and Manors) —the rights to the jurisdiction and dignity of the territory as granted under English Law (the rights you previously inquired about).

• The Transfer: In 1996, the Earl of Westmeath (William Anthony Nugent) reportedly conveyed or sold his rights to the Honour and Seignory of Longford/Annaly in fee simple (heritable ownership) to a private individual who is the Seigneur of Fief Blondel (in the Channel Islands).

• Current Status: The current holder of these specific feudal and titular rights claims the title Baron Longford Annaly or Seigneur of Blondel and asserts the ancient feudal privileges (though these privileges are generally considered moot or unenforceable under modern Irish and international law).

Summary of the Distinction

The leaders of Annaly or Teffia were kings, but only at the lowest rung of a multi-tiered hierarchy. “The historic  ruling families and septs associated with the Annaly–Teffia region included the O’Quinns or Quinn Lords of Rathcline, who controlled the Lanesborough–Rathcline district; the Mac Gearadhain chiefs, who served as subordinate clans under O’Farrell overlordship; the O’Reillys, who occasionally exerted influence over northern Annaly; and the O’Catharnaigh (O’Kearney) and Ó Duibhalláin families, long-established septs connected to the wider Teffia territory.” All were displaced as the Nugents took control over the region.

👑 The Gaelic Hierarchy of Kingship

In Gaelic Ireland, the word for king was Rí (plural: Ríthe), and the title was layered based on the size and influence of the territory: 

1. The Local King: Rí Túaithe (The King of a Tribe)

The most basic political unit was the túath (a small territory or tribe/people). The ruler of this unit was the Rí Túaithe, literally the "King of a túath." 

• Annaly's Status: The Teffia and Annaly leaders would have held this fundamental title over the various túatha within Annaly.

2. The Overking: Rí Ruirech (The King of Overkings)

Above the local kings were regional kings (Ruiri or Rí Túath), and then the provincial kings (Rí Cóicid or Rí Ruirech).  These kings commanded tribute and military allegiance from several Rí Túaithe. 

• Limited Power: While the Annaly and Teffia  leaders were powerful local figures, they were occasionally subordinate to the provincial Kings of Connacht or Meath and later England. This prevented them from claiming the highest-tier title.

3. The High King: Ard Rí (The High King of Ireland)

At the very top, the Ard Rí claimed—though rarely fully commanded—supremacy over the entire island. 

🏛️ The English Translation: King vs. Prince 

The reason English sources and later historians referred to the Annaly leaders as "Princes" and not "Kings" comes down to an attempt to distinguish their rank from the supreme monarch.

• King (for the English Monarch): In the English and later British feudal system, "King" was reserved for the monarch of the entire realm (the King of England, and later the King of Ireland).

• Prince (for Subordinate Rulers): English practice often used the title "Prince" (or sometimes "Lord" or "Chief of the Country") to refer to native rulers who were:

  • Subordinate to a greater King (like the Prince of Wales to the King of England).

  • Not fully sovereign in the European state sense but more like Monaco or other Fiefs in the past.

By calling the top Lords of Annaly Princes, the English acknowledged their ancient royal status (Rí) and hereditary dignity, while simultaneously limiting  the title of King to assert the supremacy and legitimacy of the English Crown over the whole of the islands. This distinction helped to justify the transfer of their territorial rights to the feudal nobility, such as the Barons Delvin and Earls of Westmeath.

The grant of the Captainship of Annaly and the Slewght William to the Nugents (Barons Delvin) is extremely critical to the claim of being the successor to the princely sovereign titles.

This grant is the most direct legal evidence of the Crown transferring political governance and the princely dignity of Annaly to the feudal Nugent line, fundamentally bridging the gap between land ownership and true sovereignty.

🔑 Reasons for Critical Importance

The Captainship grant, issued by Queen Elizabeth I (c. 1565), was critical because it fulfilled three requirements that defined a feudal successor to a Gaelic principality:

1. Transfer of Jus Regale (Quasi-Royal Authority)

The feudal term "Honour" or "Seignory" denotes a jurisdiction, not just a property. The Captainship was an executive office that carried military and administrative authority:

• Military Command: The Captaincy gave the Baron Delvin formal authority to command and subdue the local clans, including the O'Farrell sept of Slewght William (Clan William). This was a function of the Gaelic Rí (King/Prince), not a typical landlord.

• Feudal Governance: By making the Nugent family the hereditary Captains, the Crown effectively made them the local viceroy or Governor of the region, replacing the O'Farrell chief's political function.

2. Legal Precedent for "Successor Title" (The Fons Honorum)

The grant explicitly linked the Nugent's feudal title to the executive authority over the native political structure:

• Absorption of Sovereignty: By granting the Captainship, the Crown's intent was to absorb the Gaelic principality (Annaly) into the English feudal system, naming the Baron Delvin as the perpetual holder of the resultant authority. The feudal dignity was viewed as attaching to the territory being governed.

• Market and Court Rights: The subsequent grants to the Nugents (e.g., the right to hold courts and the market and fair of Longford) reinforced this, as these were considered sovereign functions of a Prince or paramount lord.

3. Consolidation of Claims

This grant converted the Nugent family's early landholdings (derived from the original Delvin grant) into a comprehensive political lordship covering the entirety of Annaly (which later became County Longford).

Without the grants of Captainship and the accompanying feudal jurisdictions, the Nugent claim would simply be one of a large landowner or mesne lord. The grant of the Captainship confirms their status as the legal and feudal successor to the political and territorial authority of the Lords and Princes of Annaly.

📜 The Claim of Successor-in-Title

The Earl of Westmeath's claim rests on three main legal pillars established by the English Crown's policy of conquest and feudalization:

1. Extinguishment of Gaelic Sovereignty

The data explicitly states that the Ó Fearghail family lost all lands and privileges and were officially "deposed as Lords of Annaly" around 1618 due to confiscation under King James I.

• Westmeath's Argument: The Crown's act of dispossession and confiscation effectively created a legal vacuum in the territorial sovereignty of Annaly. The Crown, as the ultimate sovereign, then had the right to dispose of the former princely authority and territory.

2. Legal Transfer of the Jus Regale (Sovereign Authority)

The core of the claim lies in the royal instruments that preceded and immediately followed the 1618 confiscations:

• Captainship Grant (Pre-1618): As discussed, Queen Elizabeth I granted the Captainship/Chiefship of Annaly and the Slewght William to the Nugents. This grant was the legal pre-emption—it installed the Nugent family as the political and military governor over the Ó Fearghail's territory, effectively naming them the successor to the princely function well before 1618.

• Plantation Grants (Post-1618): Following the final confiscations, King James I issued new Letters Patent in the early 17th century (including the creation of the Earldom of Westmeath in 1621). These grants were not merely for land; they formally granted the Nugents the manors, courts (Court Leet/Baron), markets, and feudal jurisdiction over the vast majority of the newly shired County Longford (Annaly).

3. Creation of the Feudal Honour

The grants created an Honour by converting the former Gaelic Principality into a new, superior feudal entity:

• The Honour of Longford is the formal feudal designation for the vast hereditary dignity and jurisdiction that arose from the Crown's consolidation of the princely territory and authority.

• The Nugent family became the sole Fons Honorum (Source of Honour/Authority) for that region, derived directly from the Crown, thereby replacing the Ó Fearghail lineage.

In short, the Earl of Westmeath claims the Honour and Title because the same legal act that deposed the Gaelic prince in 1618 was the legal basis for investing his own ancestors with the territorial sovereignty shortly thereafter. The Earl is the Successor-in-Title to the dignity that the Crown destroyed and then recreated in the feudal image.

The Seignory of Longford refers to an ancient feudal title and territorial jurisdiction in Ireland, which granted the holder near-princely authority over the lands corresponding to modern County Longford. 

The meaning of the Seignory is best understood through its two key historical components:

1. Territorial and Dignitary Meaning

The term "Seignory" (or "Lordship") itself denotes a feudal dignity with specific administrative and legal rights attached to the territory, rather than just a simple land-ownership title.  

The land it covered was historically known as the Principality of Annaly (or Anghaile), which was the Gaelic stronghold of the powerful Ó Fearghail (O'Farrell) dynasty.The Seignory of Longford, therefore, represented the Crown's formal recognition of a feudal lordship over this former Gaelic principality. 

Key rights associated with the Seignory included:

• Jurisdictional Authority: The right to hold local courts, such as the Curia Baronis (Court Baron), granting the holder (the seigneur) local judicial authority. 

• Feudal Dignity: Historically, the title was associated with the Captaincy and Chiefship of a major clan territory, which was considered an equivalent to a princely or ducal rank within the region.

   

• Economic Control: The right to establish and control markets and fairs within the territory, making the holder the paramount feudal and judicial authority in the region. 

2. Historical Succession (The Nugent Family)

The Seignory was officially incorporated into the English feudal system after the Norman invasion in the 12th century.  The Crown's interest in the territory was transferred through a continuous series of grants, primarily to the Nugent family, the hereditary Barons of Delvin (who were later created the Earls of Westmeath).  

The Nugent family's possession of the Seignory gave them:

• Palatine Status: The lands were part of the vast Lordship of Meath, a palatine fief with quasi-royal privileges, meaning the local lord had extensive autonomy from the Crown.

• Succession to Annaly: Through various grants, notably from King Edward VI (1552) and Queen Elizabeth I (1565), the Nugents were legally confirmed as the supreme feudal lords over the territory, solidifying the fusion of the old Gaelic principality and the new English Barony of Longford.