⚜️ The Regalian Jurisdiction of Longford–Annaly and the Feudal Principality of the Barons Delvin and Earls of Westmeath

I. Origins of Feudal Authority – The Lordship of Meath and the De Lacy–Nugent Connection (1172–1202)

Following the Norman invasion of Ireland (1172), King Henry II of England rewarded his loyal knight Hugh de Lacy with the Lordship of Meath, to be held by the service of fifty knights. This lordship was among the greatest seigniorial fiefs in Ireland, carrying regalian privileges unknown elsewhere — including the four royal pleas of arson, forestalling, rape, and treasure trove — and thus functioning almost as a palatinate within the realm.

Around 1202, Hugh de Lacy granted to Sir Gilbert de Nugent, his companion and chief retainer, the extensive lands of Delvin (Delbhna). This conveyance created the Barony of Delvin, which became the hereditary seat of the Nugent family for over eight centuries.
The De Nugents governed under the quasi-regal authority of the De Lacys, exercising feudal justice and military command throughout western Meath and the borderlands of the O’Farrell territory (later County Longford).

II. Early Gaelic and Anglo-Norman Integration – The Delvin Tribes and Teffian Lords (13th–15th Centuries)

The lands of Delvin included the territories of the O’Fenelon (Ó Fionnalláin) and O’Skully clans, ancient chiefs of Teffia (Tethba) — the precursor to modern Longford. These Gaelic septs became vassals under the De Nugents, who blended Norman seignorial structure with native Irish lordship customs.

By the fifteenth century, the Barons Delvin were entrenched as the only hereditary nobility of Westmeath, acting as local governors for the Crown and arbiters of both English and Gaelic inhabitants.
In 1401, William Nugent, Baron Delvin, served as Sheriff of Meath, administering royal justice — evidence that the Nugents already exercised viceregal jurisdiction within the Pale’s western marches.

III. Tudor Reorganization and the Reassertion of Feudal Rights (1494–1550)

The Tudor monarchs recognized the Delvins’ role as loyal intermediaries between the Pale and the Gaelic west. In 1494, Gilbert Nugent, Baron of Delvin, was appointed Chief Captain of the King’s Forces in Ireland by Henry VII, with a salary of £200 yearly. This commission placed him in charge of all royal troops in the island — effectively the Crown’s Captain-General, an office of princely command.

Two years later, in 1496, Richard, 7th Baron Delvin, was made Commander and Leader-in-Chief of all Forces of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and Louth, further cementing the family’s regalian status.
These appointments endowed the Delvins with quasi-sovereign military authority over much of eastern Ireland, reinforcing their position as feudal princes under the English Crown.

IV. The Tudor Expansion into Annaly and the O’Farrell Lands (1552–1565)

The sixteenth century saw the absorption of the old Gaelic principality of Annaly (Anghaile) into Crown control. The region, historically ruled by the Princes O’Farrell, corresponded to the modern County Longford and parts of Westmeath.

In 1552, King Edward VI granted to Baron Delvin extensive estates within Annaly — including the Monastery and Holy Island (Inchcleraun / Lough Ree), as well as the Priory of Inchmore (Lough Gowna) — to hold in capite by knight’s service. These were not mere religious lands; they were strategic strongholds symbolizing sovereignty over the O’Farrell territory.

Further royal charters by Philip and Mary (1556–1557) expanded the Delvin estate to include:

• Abbeylara Town and Hereditaments,

• Granard,

• Columbkille,

• the Holy Island of Inchcleraun, and

• surrounding demesnes of the Annaly heartland.

These grants predated the formal creation of County Longford, showing that the Delvins were recognized as feudal lords of Annaly before it was a county.

V. The Captaincy and Chiefship of Slewaght William (1565)

In 1565, Queen Elizabeth I granted to Christopher Nugent, Baron Delvin, the Captainship and Chiefship of Slewaght William (Clan Liam) — a hereditary captaincy and chieftainship within the Annaly region, centered around Ardagh and Edgeworthstown.
This royal patent was equivalent to a ducal or princely grant, conveying command over local tribes, collection of taxes and tithes, and jurisdiction in civil and ecclesiastical matters. The Captain or Toshach title in Irish law denoted a sovereign chief — hence, this grant effectively confirmed Delvin as Prince and Feudal Chief of Eastern Longford.

VI. Market, Fair, and Court Rights – The Economic Jurisdiction of Annaly (1605)

In 1605, King James I issued a market and fair charter to the Baron Delvin, granting him the right to hold a weekly Thursday market and a yearly fair on August 1st at Longford, with all accompanying courts baron, courts leet, tolls, and profits.
Such a franchise was reserved only for lords possessing curia baronis authority — in other words, a regalian jurisdiction over trade, law, and taxation.

This grant symbolized royal recognition of Longford (the ancient Longphort Uí Fhearghail) as the capital seat of Annaly, with Delvin as its baronial overlord and market lord.

VII. James I and the Confirmation of Feudal Rights (1609–1620)

Between 1609 and 1620, King James reissued and expanded grants to the Nugents of Delvin, reaffirming their rights “in capite by military service” to the lands, abbeys, and castles of the Annaly region, including:

• Liserdawle (Lisardowlin) – the ancient seat of the Princes of Annaly;

• Smere, Columbkille, Lisgarry, and Aghagagh;

• Abbeylara and Templemichael;

• Rathline and Cashell (with tithes and advowsons).

Each of these grants explicitly carried with it courts leet, view of frankpledge, power to appoint seneschals, and jurisdiction in civil actions — the hallmarks of a manorial court of record.

The Charter of 1609 effectively confirmed the Seignory of Annaly–Longford as a feudal liberty held directly from the Crown, preserving the regalian rights of the Barons Delvin.

VIII. Creation of the Earldom of Westmeath and Papal Recognition (1621–1635)

In 1621, Richard Nugent, 9th Baron Delvin, was elevated by King James I to Earl of Westmeath, formally uniting the Delvin and Annaly–Longford territories under a single comital dignity.
By 1635, even the Papacy acknowledged this status: a decree of Pope Urban VIII permitted the Earl of Westmeath to retain possession of the Monastery and Island of Inchmore “for as long as the schism should last” — a rare ecclesiastical recognition of feudal and proprietary sovereignty.

IX. Character and Legal Standing of the Annaly Seignory

The long chain of royal grants and offices — beginning with the De Lacy–Nugent fief of 1202 and culminating in the James I confirmations — demonstrates that the Lordship of Annaly (Longford) functioned as a regalian seignory:
a jurisdiction held in capite, with courts, markets, and ecclesiastical advowsons, and with hereditary command over local clans.

By English legal definition, this constitutes a Feudal Barony; by Irish and Continental analogy, it amounted to a Feudal Principality.
The holder — the Baron Delvin, later Earl of Westmeath — thus embodied both the baronial and princely dignity of the region, acting as fons honorum and captain of the Pale’s western frontier.

X. Conclusion: The Regalian Legacy of the Baron's Delvin & Nugent Lords of Longford–Annaly

From the first Norman partition of Meath in the twelfth century to the Jacobean confirmations of the seventeenth, the Nugents of Delvin and Westmeath preserved a continuous chain of feudal sovereignty, military command, and manorial justice over Longford–Annaly.
They were the successors of the kingdoms and chiefs of history and by Crown investiture became hereditary barons, captains, and market lords of the western Pale.

The ancient princely lordships of Annaly and Delvin (Delbhna–Teffia) were originally ruled by various kings and clans: including Maine, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, Conmac, son of Fergus Mac Roigh and the legendary Queen Maeve of Connaught, Southern Uí Néill in ancient history, Muintir Giollagain, and O’Fearghail (O’Farrell) dynasty, Princes of Anghaile, and the noble septs of O’Quinn (Ó Cuinn) of Rathcline, Mac Gilligan (Mac Giollagáin) of Muintir Gilligan, O’Mulfeeney (Ó Maolfhíneadha) of Corcard, O’Duignan (Ó Duibhgeannáin) of Ardagh, O’Skelly (Ó Scealláin) and O’Skully (Ó Scolaighe) of South Teffia, O’Reilly (Ó Raghallaigh) and O’Murray (Ó Muireadhaigh) on the eastern borders, Mac Donough (Mac Donnchadha) and O’Hanley (Ó hAinle) near Lough Ree, and the O’Fenelon (Ó Fionnaláin) and O’Finnallan chiefs of the ancient Delbhna or Delvin tribes of Western Westmeath—collectively forming the hereditary nobility of the old kingdom of Teffia, later known as the Principality of Annaly.

Thus, under both English feudal law and Gaelic custom, the Annaly–Longford seignory stands as a true Feudal Barony with Regalian Jurisdiction — in substance a Principality under the Crown.

How the Honour & Principality of Annaly–Teffia Compares to Other Claimants of Fons Honorum

Including Ecclesiastical Grants, Papal Recognition, and the Dynastic De Lacy Line

Under the jurisprudence outlined in the Legal Opinion on the Fons Honorum of the House of Paternò Castello—which establishes that formerly sovereign or princely houses retain their dynastic fons honorum so long as they were not extinguished by debellatio—the Honour of Annaly–Teffia compares exceptionally strongly against other European fons honorum claimants.

Annaly–Teffia is unique because it possesses all three pillars of legitimate sovereignty:

1. Dynastic sovereignty (Gaelic kings and priors of Annaly)

2. Territorial jurisdiction (Gaelic & Norman palatine authority)

3. Ecclesiastical princely authority (abbeys, islands, ardagh rights)

Very few continental houses today retain this complete triad.

⭐ I. Dynastic Legitimacy Strengthened by the De Lacy Marriage Line

The succession of the Honour was fortified when:

Gilbert Nugent, 1st Baron of Delvin, married Rosa de Lacy,

a member of the ruling Palatine De Lacy dynasty.

This produced a bloodline fusion between:

• The De Lacy Palatine rulers of Meath

• The Nugent Barons Delvin

• The Gaelic princely families of Teffia / Annaly

This mirrors the situation examined in the Paternò Castello opinion, where:

Dynastic rights may pass through female descent when male lines are exhausted or where sovereignty flowed through marital transmission.

Thus the Honour of Annaly–Teffia possesses:

✔ Gaelic royal blood (O’Farrell, O’Quinn, O’Connor)

✔ Norman palatine blood (De Lacy)

✔ Hereditary continuation (Nugent, Barons Delvin → Earls of Westmeath)

This is more robust than most modern claimants, who lack any dynastic transmission grounded in historical rulership.

⭐ II. Territorial Sovereignty — Crown Grants Confirming Nugent/Delvin Princely Authority (1541–1605)

Beginning with Henry VIII, the English Crown formalized the Nugents as the successor-princes of Annaly–Teffia through a long sequence of royal grants:

1541 — Henry VIII

• Priory of Fore

• Castle Richard

• Various Annaly lands

• Confirmation of palatine and baronial prerogatives

1552 — Edward VI

• Holy Island of Inchcleraun

• Granard Abbey

• Lordships throughout Annaly

1557 — Philip & Mary

• Abbey of Larah

• Northern Annaly jurisdictions

1565 — Elizabeth I

• Captaincy of Slewaght William (Clan Liam)

  • A princely captaincy/chieftainship equivalent to provincial governorship

  • Included Ardagh, Edgeworthstown, and eastern Annaly

1605 — James I

• Courts baron

• Market rights

• Manorial prerogatives in Longford town

Collectively these Crown acts created the Nugents/Delvins as:

• Chief Lords of Annaly

• Feudal Princes (Princeps) of Teffia

• Sub-palatine rulers within the Liberty of Meath

• Holders of the Honour & Seignory of Longford–Annaly

This quantity and quality of royal confirmation surpasses most continental princely houses.

⭐ III. Ecclesiastical Sovereignty — Moiety of Ardagh & Papal Recognition of Holy Island Rights

Unlike nearly all modern claimants, Annaly–Teffia includes sacred Christian princely authority, which Gaelic sovereignty regarded as inseparable from temporal rule.

The Moiety of Ardagh

The Bishop granted to Delvin a moiety (half-lordship) of Ardagh, the sacred capital of ancient Annaly.

This was not a trivial grant:
Ardagh was the spiritual heart of Annaly since St. Patrick, containing:

• Ecclesiastical courts

• Monastic granges

• Holy relic sites

• Christian burial grounds

Receiving the moiety meant the Delvin family inherited the sacred dimension of Gaelic sovereignty, just as ecclesiastical princes in Europe ruled dual temporal-spiritual jurisdictions.

This mirrors the structure of:

• The Prince-Bishops of Liège

• The Archbishopric of Salzburg

• The temporal–spiritual lordships of Este, Gonzaga, Orsini, and Colonna

Papal Recognition of Delvin’s Rights to the Holy Islands

The Papacy recognized Delvin’s rights over the Holy Islands of Annaly—particularly:

• Inchcleraun (Inis Clothrann), a Patrician monastic centre

• Inchmore

• Associated ecclesiastical territories

In medieval Ireland, control of holy islands equated to true princely ecclesiastical sovereignty.

Papal recognition is the highest form of ecclesiastical acknowledgement and places Annaly–Teffia in the rare category of princely houses whose sovereignty was also:

✔ Sacred

✔ Christian

✔ Recognized by Rome

This is extraordinarily rare among surviving feudal dignities.

⭐ IV. Comparison to Other European Fons Honorum Claimants

Using the criteria from Freiherr von Quast’s legal analysis:

• dynastic continuity,

• historical sovereignty,

• ecclesiastical or temporal authority,

• no debellatio,

• legal recognition,

Annaly–Teffia compares as follows:

✦ Conclusion:

The Honour & Principality of Annaly–Teffia is comparable not to modern self-styled dynasties, but to the mediatised princely houses of Germany and the ecclesiastical princes of Central Europe, and it exceeds many Mediterranean princely claims in documentary strength.

It is one of the very few surviving feudal honours in Europe with:

• Territorial jurisdictional ancestry

• Dynastic legitimacy

• Crown-confirmed princely authority

• Papal-recognized sacred authority

• Modern legal continuity

No other Irish honour, and very few continental houses, combine all five.

Annaly and Longford - 2 Names for the Same Territory

Annaly and Longford are effectively the same place, but the names represent two different eras of its history: the tribal/native era and the feudal/legal era.

Think of it like a city that was renamed after a revolution—the land didn't move, but the name changed to reflect who was in charge.

1. Annaly (Anghaile): The Native Name

For over 500 years (roughly 1070 to 1586), the territory was known exclusively as Annaly.

• The Origin: It was named after Anghaile, a great-grandfather of the clan leader Fearghal.

• The Meaning: It refers to the "People of Anghaile" (Muintir Annaly).

• The Ruler: During this time, the O’Farrells were the "Princes of Annaly."

2. Longford (An Longfort): The Military/Town Name

The name Longford originally only referred to the O'Farrells' main castle/fortress.

• The Meaning:Longphort literally means "fortress" or "stronghold" (specifically Longphort Uí Fhearghail — the Fortress of the O’Farrells).

• The Expansion: When the English "shired" the area (turned it into a county) in 1586, they named the entire county after its most important town—Longford.

3. Why you see both in the Royal Grants

This is where your specific interest in the Nugent/Delvin grants gets interesting. Because the grants were written during the transition from Gaelic to English rule, the lawyers were incredibly paranoid. To make sure there was no "loophole," they used both names:

• "The Annalie alias Longford": You will often see this in the 16th and 17th-century patents from Elizabeth I or James I.

• The Purpose: By naming the "Honour of Annaly" and the "County of Longford," they were making sure the owner had the rights to the ancient tribal dignity (Annaly) AND the modern legal territory (Longford).

Longford-Westmeath is a legal "double-layer" found in your documents because it bridges the gap between an ancient sovereign country and a modern administrative county.

Crucially, the Barons Delvin (Nugents) received the Lordship of Annaly and Teffia while it was still a distinct "country" (a sovereign Gaelic territory), long before the English administration "shired" it into the County of Longford.

Here is the breakdown of why those names are hyphenated and how the sovereignty was transferred:

1. The Ancient Kingdom of Meath and Teffia

In the era of the High Kings, the central province was Meath (Mide), which contained the sub-kingdom of Teffia (Teathbha). Annaly was the heart of Teffia. When Henry II granted the "Lordship of Meath" to Hugh de Lacy in 1172, he was granting a territory that was legally its own kingdom.

2. Receiving a "Country" (The Pre-1586 Status)

When the Barons Delvin first received their grants for the Lordships of Annaly and Teffia, they were not receiving land in a "county." They were receiving the rights to a Gaelic Country.

• The Sovereign Transfer: Because Annaly was still independent of English common law at the time of the early grants (like those from Henry VIII and the Habsburg-linked grants), the Nugents were essentially stepping into the shoes of the "Native Kings."

• The Teffia Connection: By granting the Lordship of "Annaly and Teffia," the Crown was giving the Nugents the ancient, 1,000-year-old authority over the entire tribal region before it was ever chopped up into administrative districts.

3. The 1542 Partition: The Westmeath "Anchor"

Under Henry VIII, the original Meath was split into Meath (East) and Westmeath.

• The "Annaly" Problem: Because Annaly (Teffia) was still a "wild" tribal country controlled by the O’Farrells, the Crown didn't have a separate county office for it. They simply attached the rights of Annaly to the County of Westmeath for legal convenience.

• The Nugent Factor: This is the key to the hyphenation—the Nugents were the dominant power in Westmeath. By granting them the "Lordship of Annaly-Westmeath," the Crown was anchoring a "Native Country" to a "Legal County" base.

4. The 1586 "Shiring" of Longford

It wasn't until the reign of Elizabeth I that "Annaly" was formally shired and renamed County Longford. However, because the Nugents already held the "Lordships of Annaly and Teffia" by prior royal grants, their legal rights predated the existence of the county itself.

• Legal Continuity: For decades afterward, royal grants (like those from James I) referred to "Longford-Westmeath" to ensure the owner held the rights whether the land was viewed as the new County of Longford or the older administrative district of Westmeath.

5. Modern Political Linkage and the "Parliament"

The "Parliamentary" connection you noted—where Annaly had its own assembly for a millennium—is mirrored today. Since 1921, Longford and Westmeath have been combined into a single multi-seat constituency in the Dáil Éireann.

• The Irony: The ancient sovereignty of Annaly-Teffia, which the Barons Delvin held as a "private kingdom," is still recognized as a distinct political unit today, just merged with its neighbor for modern voting.

Summary: The Legal "Safety Net"

In your documents, "Longford-Westmeath" isn't just a place—it's a chain of title. It confirms that the owner holds the rights to:

1. The Ancient Country: The Lordship of Teffia/Annaly (Pre-shiring).

2. The Tudor District: The lands as managed through Westmeath (1542–1586).

3. The Modern County: The lands of County Longford (Post-1586).

It effectively claimed the rights to the "Native Kingdom" regardless of which "legal folder" the government used over the last 500 years.

Nobility Rights of the Lord of Annaly Longford - Honour and Seignory

Barons of Delvin and later the Earls of Westmeath became lawful successors to the Lord of Annaly (the Gaelic Prince of Teffia and Anghaile), where a bundle of non-land feudal and constitutional rights would logically follow, even after English administrative reorganization.

Below is a precise breakdown of what legal and ceremonial rights would attach to that ancient honour and seignory.

1. Right to the Great Assembly (Óenach / Gaelic Parliament)

This is the most important point.

Nature of the Right

The Great Assembly of Annaly–Teffia was:

• A constitutional institution, not merely tribal custom

• A lawful gathering for:

• Inauguration of rulers
• Declaration of law
• Settlement of disputes
• Recognition of chiefs and sub-lords

Successor Right

A lawful successor to the Lordship would retain:

• The ceremonial and constitutional right to convene or commemorate the Great Assembly

• The right of presidency or overlordship at such an assembly

• The exclusive dignity of being the focus of legitimacy

Even when assemblies ceased to meet in practice, the right itself was not extinguished, only dormant.

➡️ This is comparable to how:

• The English Crown retained Parliament rights even when not summoned

• The Isle of Man retained Tynwald rights through conquest

2. Right of Paramount Chiefship (Over-Kingship)

The Lord of Annaly was not merely a landholder — he was:

• Prince / Chief of Chiefs

• Overlord of subordinate clans and territories

A successor honour-holder would inherit:

• The dignity of paramountcy
• The symbolic authority over former client chiefs
• The right to recognition as “Chief of the Name” in constitutional terms

Even after English conquest:

• English peerage law frequently absorbed Gaelic dignities rather than extinguishing them
• This is why peerage books refer to “Princes of Annaly” even after Norman control

3. Right of Inauguration & Investiture

Gaelic Custom

The Lord of Annaly had the exclusive right to:

• Be inaugurated at a sacred or customary site
• Receive oaths of loyalty
• Confirm subordinate leaders

Successor Implication

The successor (Baron of Delvin / Earl of Westmeath) would retain:

• The right to ceremonial inauguration
• The right to symbolically receive homage
• The right to recognize or confirm leadership titles

These rights are incorporeal hereditaments — not dependent on land possession.

4. Judicial & Arbitration Authority

Under Brehon and later hybrid systems, the Lord of Annaly held:

• High arbitration authority

• Oversight of:

• Inter-clan disputes
• Boundary disputes
• Breaches of honor or treaty

A successor honour-holder would retain:

• The residual judicial dignity
• The right to preside ceremonially over dispute resolution
• The right to appoint or recognize judges or arbitrators

Even when English courts replaced Brehon courts, the dignity of judicial overlordship survived, much like manorial courts in England.

5. Right to Law Proclamation & Customary Recognition

The Great Assembly functioned as a place where:

• Laws were proclaimed
• Customs were affirmed
• Genealogies were validated

Thus, the successor would retain:

• The right to proclaim or recognize customary law
• The authority to authenticate genealogies and titles
• The right to be cited as the constitutional successor of the ancient polity

This is why later heraldic and peerage authorities treat Annaly as more than a mere barony.

6. Precedence, Style, and Dignity

Even after the shiring of Longford:

• The successor retained precedence derived from princely status

This explains why:

• Peerage writers use prince, chief, or lord paramount
• Annaly is treated as a historic principality, not just land

Rights include:

• Style and honorifics linked to the ancient kingdom
• Recognition in heraldic and genealogical law
• Jurisdictional Crests, Banners, and Arms and patronage
• Standing above ordinary baronial lordships

7. Why the Shiring of County Longford Did NOT Extinguish These Rights

The English Crown:

• Created counties for administrative convenience
• Did not automatically extinguish pre-existing honours
• Regularly allowed ancient dignities to persist in parallel

Examples elsewhere:

• Lords of the Isles
• Princes of Powys ( See Discussion below)
• Marcher Lordships
• Lords of Mann

Annaly fits this same legal pattern.

Bottom Line (Clean Legal Conclusion)

If the Barons of Delvin and later the Earl of Westmeath were lawful successors to the Lord of Annaly prior to the shiring of Longford, then the rights they would inherit include:

• ✔️ The constitutional right to the Great Assembly

• ✔️ The paramount leadership dignity

• ✔️ The right of inauguration and investiture

• ✔️ The ceremonial judicial authority

• ✔️ The right to proclaim and recognize custom

• ✔️ The precedence and style of a princely honour

These are incorporeal, inheritable, and historically recognized rights — not dependent on continued territorial sovereignty.

• Sovereign Indigenous Monarchies: The Crown recognizes the sovereign status of the monarchs of 
  Tonga
  , 
  Lesotho
  , 
  Brunei
  , and 
  Eswatini
  .
• Unique Titles: In 
  Malaysia
  , the British monarch respects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (an elected monarch), and in 
  Samoa
  , the O le Ao o le Malo.
• Ceremonial Recognition: In some former colonies like 
  India
  , while "princely states" were abolished upon independence, the Crown may still maintain private, honorary social ties with former royal families, though they hold no official political rank. 

 The Barons of Delvin, later elevated as Earls of Westmeath, exercised a continuous parliamentary role in Ireland from the 14th through the 17th centuries, grounded in their feudal lordship of Delvin and Westmeath and their later dominance in Annaly (Longford which broke off from Westmeath). Documentary writs show John FitzJohn, Baron of Delvin, summoned to Parliament in 1371 (46 Edward III), followed by Thomas FitzJohn under multiple writs during the reign of Richard II in 1374, 1376, 1381, and 1382, establishing the barony as one held by tenure and summons, not merely by patent. After the barony returned by marriage to the Nugents, Sir William Nugent and his successors sat as Barons of Delvin in the 15th century, with Richard Nugent, 7th Baron of Delvin, summoned in 1486 and again in 1493, and fined for non-attendance in 1498. In the Tudor period, Christopher Nugent, 8th Baron of Delvin, sat in Parliament in 1585 (20 Elizabeth I), followed by Richard Nugent, 9th Baron of Delvin, who sat in 1613 and 1615. In recognition of this long parliamentary service, Richard Nugent was created Earl of Westmeath in 1621, after which the earls continued to sit in the House of Lords, including appearances recorded in 1634 and 1639. These parliamentary rights were expressly preserved by Tenures Abolition Act 1662, confirming that the Lords of Delvin and Annaly retained their honors, precedence, and right to sit in Parliament notwithstanding the abolition of feudal tenures—cementing Delvin as one of Ireland’s clearest examples of an ancient barony with sustained parliamentary continuity.