John Henry Guy Nevill, 5th Marquess of Abergavenny, KG

John Henry Guy Nevill, 5th Marquess of Abergavenny, KG was nephew of Lord William Beauchamp Nevill. He is still widely missed an very well thought of in his home of Eridge . During my researchers I was often told a wonderful man he was and how greatly he is still missed . He died in 2000 at the age of 86 when the title of Marquess of Abergavenny past to the present Marquees. 

Aside from his army and political career, Lord Abergavenny was also a Director of Massey-Ferguson between 1955 and 1985

 with his wife Dame Patricia Neville he had a number of children 

• Lady Anne Patricia Nevill (b. 25 October 1938), married Captain Martin Whiteley and had issue.
• Lady Vivienne Margaret Nevill (b. 15 February 1941), married Alan Lillingston and had issue.
• Lady Jane Elizabeth Nevill (1944–1946), died in infancy.
• Henry John Montague Nevill, Earl of Lewes (1948–1965), died young.
• Lady Rose Nevill (b. 15 July 1950), married George Clowes and had issue.

Wormwood scrubs

When lord William Beauchamp Nevill was first sent to prison it was to wormwood scrubs.

These magnificent gates met Lord William in 1897.

What meaning do you think the Victorians had in creating such magnificent architectural gates ?

Researching The peerage

Can not recommend enough thepeerage.com for researching members of the aristocracy and their families. Well researched and interesting. Factual yet easy to use.


This is Lord William Beauchamp Nevill s entry. It has a really lovely feature that means with just the touch of a button the family tree is revealed.

The site covers all of the British peerage and an invaluable resource for the historian researching the upper classes

Starting at the beginning ...... again

I have been unable still to locate the final resting place of Lord William Beauchamp Nevill. I have decided to retrace my footsteps and revisit some of the fireplaces I tried. The archivists have all been extremely helpful.
Having extensively searched the Brompton cemetery, I can definitely say he is not buried there.

Lord William Beauchamp Nevill died at 37 Onslow Gardens in Kensington. This was the closest cemetery.

There was a requiem mass held a t the Brompton oratory, however there are no burials there. The archivist father McHardy has been helping me though to revisit this potential lead and has found at least a mention in their records .

 prior to this it was believed all the records had been destroyed in the second world war

The bankruptcy file of a lord

 One of the documents I was privileged to queue with the bankruptcy file of Richard Nevill, brother of Lord William Beauchamp Nevill. he was declared bankrupt in 1926 and all of his creditors had to write a individual claim against his remaining wealth . What is fascinating is that he openly admits in his documents that his bankruptcy was due to overspending and living an extravagant lifestyle. He was still ordering hand embroidered socks and sending gifts to the Palace and other royals

Lord Richard's signature

national archives at kew

the national archive in  Kew is definitely worth a visit for anyone interested in their own family history or a specific area of history.

I have been able today on my visit to view the 1939 index and locate Lord William Beauchamp Nevill's Widow , Lady Luisa Nevill and find the name of her staff.

the 1939 index is similar to a census and taken at the start of the 2nd world war so everybody could be issued with a national identity card. whereas the census for this period are still closed (and will be for 100 years from date of origin) this is available to the public. normally you have to pay but at Kew it is free. the documents can be printed as well on A3 for only 30p

I also managed to locate some great aunts in Birmingham!

the documents I ordered to view and handle were related to the bankruptcy of Lord William's brother Lord Richard Plantagenet Nevill.

2/3/1922

I have this picture in my collection on my living room wall. He was undertaking diplomatic work in America at the time the picture was taken

It was such a thrill to see his signature and I learned a lot about the circumstances of his bankruptcy. notably that he openly attributed it to "extravagance of living"

Famous next door neighbours!

privileged to be researching at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London . Whilst I was researching a number of topics I did however make quite an exciting discovery that Lord William Beauchamp Nevills next door neighbour was in fact a famous historian . William Nevill lived most of his life at 37 Onslow Gardens in Kensington and at number 38 Onslow Gardens there lived the historian William Lecky !

William Edward Hartpole Lecky, OM (26 March 1838 – 22 October 1903) was an Irish historian, essayist, and political theorist .  William's major work was an eight-volume History of England during the Eighteenth Century.

 Onslow Gardens in Kensington where Lord William Beauchamp Nevill lived

 down the road at  number 24 lived the Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law ! prime minister in 1922 ,he lived at 24 Onslow Gardens from 1858 till 1925 .

 One of the things I am now going to look into is the possibility of having a blue plaque put up outside number 37 Onslow Gardens to show the world that Lord William Beauchamp Nevill, prison reformer lived here.

The tablet

 Lord William Beauchamp Neville converted to listen to them in his early 20s . One of the best resources that any catholic research is The tablet. The adverts however show that living a catholic lifestyle meant not giving up certain and earthly pleasures as you can see!

Searching for Lord Nevill's final resting place

From the very start Of my interest in the life and works of the Victorian prison reformer Lord William Beauchamp Nevill I have always longed to stand at the side of his grave . Little did I realise that over 10 years later that I still would have no idea as to where he is buried . There is a beautiful vote for the Neville family at the local church in Eridge where the family seat Eridge Castle stood . However during his early 20s Lord William Beauchamp Neville converted to the catholic faith so was unable to be buried in this Church of England graveyard.

 I have been to Eridge church and it is a beautiful cranes and peaceful place. The vote is now closed but the Nevill gravestones are above to mark their final resting places . Here lies the remains of both levels father and mother also a number of his siblings and their offSpring.

 

I have searched numerous Catholic burial sites, online sites and archives. Still no clues !

One day this mystery will be solved !

Herbert Henry Spender clay

Herbert Henry Spender-Clay was an English soldier and Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1910 to 1937. 

Born: 1875

Died: 15 February 1937

Education: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Eton College

 Spender clay was the aristocrat whom the Lord William Nevill was involved in the case that sent him to prison for five years penal servitude. He asked spender clay to sign a document which had been covered, informing him that it was related to his sisters divorce and being a personal document would cause his family shame. It was however a loan for thousands which made spender clay liable if Lord William Nevill defaulted, which of course he did . This leading Sam Lewis to take spender clay to court. Which eventually led to Lord William Nevill himself being sentenced to prison and then writing his book on prison reform

 He married the beautiful Pauline Astor a member of the wealthy as the family who went on to buy the elite property next to Buckingham Palace that the Murrieta family owned . The Murrietas were the family that Lord William Beauchamp level married into and the property was where he and his wife Louisa were married in 1897

Lady violet nevill

 Born in 1866 Lady violet Nevill younger sister of Lord William Beauchamp Nevill. She was a twin and her sister was called Rose. She died in 1910 . A few years later her sister Rose was found dead having had an "accident" with a shotgun

The family seat - Eridge castle

 Eridge Castle is the family seat of the Nevill family . Unfortunately this beautiful castle was knocked down in the 1930s when the family were unable to pay for its maintenance and general upkeep . On its site now stands the smaller village hall which is now a thriving business for clamping , local butchery and annual events on the site. These pictures were taken circa 1890 when Lord William Beauchamp Nevill was in his early 30s . Eridge Castle was famous for its weekend parties, which were enjoyed by both royalty and aristocracy alike as part of the social season .

The Brompton oratory link

The Brompton oratory
 Beautiful church Lord William Nevill was married and had his requiem mass held when he died.
 There are however no burials held here so wherever Lord William Nevill is laid to rest it is not at the Brompton oratory.
 His widow moved into the Rembrandt hotel when Lord William Beauchamp Nevill died and spent the rest of her days overlooking this church .

Portrait of Lord William Beauchamp Nevill father

I I'm lucky to own a copy of this portrait of Lord William Nevill, the first Marquis of Abergavenny and father of Lord William  Beauchamp Nevill.

Mother in law

Lord William Beauchamp Nevill married into the wealthy Murrieta family. This beautiful portrait is of his mother in law who sadly died shortly  after he was sentenced to five years penal servitude

Lady nevill in widowhood

When lord nevill died his wife left her h o me to move into the hotel Rembrandt where she stayed till her death in 1951. The Rembrandt is opposite the Catholic Brompton oratory where lord William Beauchamp Nevill had his requiem mass held. However there are no burials here. Where was lord William Beauchamp Nevill buried ? Will continue to seek the answer to this question

lord william Nevill

My research will explore the life Lord William Nevill a Victorian prison reformer

he had as well as money difficulties, I have discovered, had an addiction to morphia. His life, subsequent second prison sentence, his family and the family he married into the wealthy Murrieta’s and acceptance back into the aristocracy. 

 I also explore the role of the money lender, using Sam Lewis. Sam Lewis saw himself as a ‘Robin Hood’ figure. He only leant money to the aristocracy and on his death left at that time the largest donation from a private benefactor, a sum of over four million, to charity. I would like to explore the dual perception of Sam Lewis - Fagin or Robin Hood?

Lord William Nevill himself was sentenced to . Penal servitude is distinct from imprisonment and is a sentence of hard labour that replaced transportation in the Penal Servitude Act of 1853.looking at his role in Victorian England and how he was perceived and accepted or otherwise by society and his peers; To examine why he wrote the book and his motives of seeking redemption in doing so.

lord Richard Nevill

lord richard Nevill

brother of Lord william Nevill. died in 1939.

this photograph  was taken in america in 1922 and now adorns my living room wall

the peerage states Lord Richard NevillHe was educated at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, England He graduated from Magdalene College, Cambridge University, with a Bacehlor of Arts (B.A.) He was Private Secretary to the Lord President of the Council between 1885 and 1892.
He was Private Secretary and Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Victoria between 1895 and 1901. He was Private Secretary and Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of South Australia from 1901 to 1902. He was Private Secretary and Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General of Australia between 1902 and 1905.He was Chamberlain to the Governor-General of Australia between 1908 and 1914. He was living in 1909; Companion, Order of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.) He was Comptroller to the Governor-General of Canada between 1914 and 1921. He was invested as a Commander, Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) in 1916.He was decorated with the award of the Order of Mercy (and bar). He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Sussex.

Lord William Beauchamp Nevill

Welcome to my blog on Lord William Beauchamp Nevill