William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny, styled Viscount Neville between 1845 and 1868 and known as The Earl of Abergavenny between 1868 and 1876, was a British peer.
Background and education
He was born on 16 September 1826 at Longford and baptised there on 19 September. Nevill was the eldest son of William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny, by Caroline Leeke, daughter of Ralph Leeke, of Longford Hall, Shropshire. Among his siblings were Lady Caroline Emily Nevill, Lady Henrietta Augusta Nevill, Lady Isabel Mary Frances Nevill and Hon. Ralph Pelham Nevill.He was educated at Eton.
Career
Nevill purchased a commission as cornet and sub-lieutenant in the 2nd Life Guards on 23 July 1844, but retired from the Army in June 1847. On 12 May 1849, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the West Kent Yeomanry. He resigned in May 1852. On 2 August 1852, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Sussex.Lord Abergavenny was appointed honorary Colonel of the West Kent Yeomanry on 17 February 1875, and, from 28 September 1901, honorary Colonel of the Sussex Yeomanry. He was also a justice of the peace for Kent and Monmouthshire. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1868. On 14 January 1876 he was created Earl of Lewes, in the County of Sussex, and Marquess of Abergavenny, in the County of Monmouth. He was further honoured when he was made a Knight of the Garter in 1886.
Personal life
On 2 May 1848, Lord Abergavenny married Caroline Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone at St George's, Hanover Square. Caroline was a daughter of Sir John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 2nd Baronet and Louisa Augusta Venables-Vernon-Harcourt. They had ten children:- Lady Cicely Louisa Nevill, who married Col. the Hon. Charles Gathorne-Hardy, a son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook.
- Reginald William Bransby Nevill, 2nd Marquess of Abergavenny
- Henry Gilbert Ralph Nevill, 3rd Marquess of Abergavenny
- Lord George Montacute Nevill, married Florence Soanes and had issue, including Guy Larnach-Nevill, 4th Marquess of Abergavenny.
- Lady Alice Maud Nevill, who married Colonel Henry Morland.
- Lord William Beauchamp Nevill, who married Luisa del Campo Mello; he was charged with fraud in a 1898 court case, and wrote Penal Servitude.
- Lord Richard Plantagenet Nevill, tall and thin, "Dicky" Nevill was the highly regarded and popular ADC to an Australian Governor-general and several Governors of Victoria. He died unmarried.
- Lady Idina Mary Nevill, who married Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey.
- Lady Rose Nevill, who married Kenelm Pepys, 4th Earl of Cottenham, and had issue.
- Lady Violet Nevill, who married Henry Wellesley, 3rd Earl Cowley, and had issue.