1552 - Edward VI makes Delvin the Crown’s successor-in-law to key O’Farrell and Annaly lands.

This 1552 grant of King Edward VI is very substantial. Read carefully, it conveys both secular and ecclesiastical property plus economic rights to Richard Nugent, Baron of Delvin. Here is a clear breakdown in modern legal language, clause by clause.

What the 1552 Grant Gives to Baron Delvin

1. Freehold (Fee Simple) Ownership

The grant is made “in fee simple”, meaning:

• Permanent, inheritable ownership
• Not a lease, not conditional tenure
• Full alienable property under Crown law

This is the strongest form of title in English law.

2. Manors of Belgarde and Fower (Fore)

Delvin is granted:

• The manors of Belgarde and Fower (Fore)
• Located in the County of Westmeath
• Explicitly noted as adjoining the borders of O’Reilly country

These are manorial lordships, carrying:

• Demesne lands
• Manorial courts (Court Baron)
• Tenurial control over tenants

3. Markets and Customs (Revenue Rights)

The grant includes:

• Markets of Fower and Templeton

• Customs (tolls, fees, stallage, passage money) of those markets

This is economic sovereignty, not just land:

• Right to operate markets

• Right to collect all associated revenues

4. Holy Island (Inchcleraun) Priory in Annaly

The grant conveys:

• “The late religious house or priory of the Holy Island in the Annaly”

• Including all lands belonging thereto

Key points:

• Holy Island (Inchcleraun / Columbkille) was a major O’Farrell dynastic religious site

• The phrase “amongst the Irishmen called the O’Ferralls” explicitly situates the property within former O’Farrell sovereign territory

• This is a Dissolution grant transferring former O’Farrell sacral land to Delvin

5. Granard Monastic House in Annaly

The grant further includes:

• “The late religious house called Granard in the Annaly”

• With its lands

• At a reserved rent of £35 sterling

This is critical:

• Granard was a principal O’Farrell ecclesiastical and territorial center

• The Crown is transferring former O’Farrell monastic-capital land directly to Delvin

• This places Delvin inside the heart of Annaly, not just on its edge

What This Means in Plain Terms

This single 1552 grant gives Baron Delvin:

✔ Permanent ownership of major manors
✔ Control of markets and their revenues
✔ Ownership of Holy Island (Inchcleraun)
✔ Ownership of the Granard monastic complex
✔ Legal possession of former O’Farrell lands in Annaly
✔ Economic, judicial, and territorial authority

1552 - Edward VI makes Delvin the Crown’s successor-in-law to key O’Farrell lands.

Why This Grant Is So Important

This is not a minor property grant.

It is:

• A Crown-sanctioned transfer of O’Farrell religious and territorial assets
• A bridgehead grant placing Delvin inside Annaly
• A foundational legal step in replacing O’Farrell princely rule with Nugent feudal lordship 

In effect, Edward VI makes Delvin the Crown’s successor-in-law to key O’Farrell lands.

Bottom Line (One Sentence)

The 1552 Edward VI grant gives Baron Delvin permanent ownership of manors, markets, and two major O’Farrell-founded monastic complexes—Holy Island and Granard—thereby installing him as a Crown-backed territorial lord within Annaly itself.