House of Annaly–Teffia

Summary of Style and Precedence Rights of the Feudal Honour, Principality & Seignory of Annaly (Longford)

Including Fons Honorum, Princely & Preceptorial Rights, and Styling of the Holder and Family

The conveyance by the Earl of Westmeath in 1996  duly recorded in the Dublin Registry of Deeds, transferred the entire juridical personality of the Feudal Honour, Barony, Lordship, and Seignory of Longford (Annaly)—a territorial dignity corresponding to the ancient kingdoms of Meath, Annaly, and Teffia—in absolute fee simple. These titles and rights were acquired by George S Mentz Esq. Seigneur of Fief Blondel Normany. Such a transfer carries with it not only feudal rights and manorial perquisites but also princely succession attributes, fons honorum functions, and the right to appropriate titulature derived from displaced Gaelic and Anglo-Norman rulers.

1. Feudal Honour and Princely Succession Rights

A. Status of the Honour as a Principality-Level Dignity

Because the Honour covers the territory historically ruled by:

• The Ó Fearghail princes of Annaly,

• The princes of Teffia,

• The overkings of Meath,

it is classified as a petty principality in terms of nobiliary history and comparative jurisprudence. Upon conquest, grants, and Tudor patents, their sovereignty and prerogatives were vested in the Barons Delvin, later Earls of Westmeath, who held the region as:

• A quasi-palatine liberty,

• With princely-level powers,

• Containing both temporal and spiritual jurisdictions.

The 1996 private conveyance transferred this incorporeal princely jurisdiction into private hands.

B. Rights of Precepts and Spiritual Patronage

The Honour historically included:

• Advowsons,

• Patronage of churches,

• Ecclesiastical presentations,

• Leadership of manorial precepts,

giving the holder preceptorial authority comparable to princely abbots, territorial preceptors, and mediatized ecclesiastical princes in Europe.

C. Succession to Displaced Kingdoms

The present holder is the successor-in-title to:

• The Gaelic princely dynasties,

• The Anglo-Norman palatine rulers,

• The Nugent feudal barons and earls,

• And the modern grantee and assignee.

This is how continental nobiliary law defines the continuation of a principality after mediatization or political displacement.

2. Fons Honorum — Rights of Dynastic Honors & Household Precedence

International nobiliary jurisprudence (Bander van Duren, Hoegen Dijkhof, Velde, Borella, etc.) holds that when a princely or palatine house is mediatized or dispossessed, the fons honorum survives and can be alienated if lawfully conveyed.

Because the Honour of Annaly historically wielded:

• Territorial jurisdiction,

• Court powers,

• Spiritual patronage,

• Palatine prerogatives,

the successor acquires:

A. The Right of Fons Honorum

The holder may legitimately create:

• House Orders / Decorations

• Non-hereditary court titles (Knight, Commander, Bailiff, Seneschal)

• Ceremonial ranks and appointments

• Household officers (Herald, Marshal, Chamberlain)

These rights parallel those still exercised by mediatized houses such as:

• Habsburg-Lorraine

• Bourbon Two Sicilies

• Ghassan

• Mecklenburg

• Savoy

B. Limitations

No fons honorum can create modern statutory nobility within the Irish state.
But private dynastic honors, orders, and court ranks remain fully lawful under international nobiliary custom.

3. Perquisites & Territorial Incidents

The Honour still carries the full suite of surviving manorial and princely perquisites, including:

• Residual rents, quit-rents, or dues

• Profits of waste, commons, or unclaimed land

• Rights of markets, tolls, fairs (unless extinguished)

• Ecclesiastical advowsons or presentations

• Ceremonial and social precedence

• Rights to household arms, seals, and insignia

These perquisites are incorporeal hereditaments and pass with the Honour.

4. Fee Simple Ownership & Legal Strength

The Honour is:

• Conveyed in fee simple,

• Hereditary and alienable,

• Fully recorded in Dublin’s Registry of Deeds,

• Treated as a permanent piece of private property,

• Not dependent on government recognition,

• Equivalent to ownership of a mediatized continental principality or jurisdictional lordship.

This level of title is exceptionally rare for Irish honours.

5. The Styling of the Holder and Family

Under Irish law (property), British custom, and international nobiliary usage

While Ireland does not grant new noble titles, private feudal and princely styles based on fee simple ownership and historical precedent may be used socially and internationally.

Below are the correct forms of address.

A. May the Holder Use the Style of “Chief”?

Yes.
Because the Honour descends from the Gaelic princes of Annaly and Teffia, the owner may be styled:

“Chief of the Name and Arms of Annaly (or Teffia)”

or

“Chief of Annaly / Chief of Teffia.”

This is consistent with:

• Scottish chiefship

• Irish clan leadership

• Gaelic nobiliary custom

B. May the Holder Use the Style of “Prince”?

Yes — in the continental sense of a mediatized princely dignity.

Because the Honour is the successor of:

• A petty kingdom,

• A princely Gaelic dynasty,

• A palatine lordship,

the owner may style himself/herself:

“Prince of Annaly”

or

“Prince of Teffia / Annaly–Teffia.”

This is the same principle through which the Houses of:

• Ghassan

• Aleramici

• Albret

• Bourbon-Condé

• Paternò Castello

continue princely styling without sovereign territory.

C. May the Holder Use “Baron”?

Absolutely — this is directly supported by the instrument of conveyance.

The Honour includes:

• The Feudal Barony

• The Baron Palatine dignity historically held by Delvin/Westmeath

Thus, the holder can be styled:

“Baron of Annaly”

or

“Feudal Baron of Annaly (Longford).”

D. May the Holder Use “Count”?

Yes, under continental interpretation of palatine jurisdictions.

A Count Palatine (comes palatinus) holds:

• quasi-regal powers,

• jurisdictional authority,

• princely rank equivalent to a mediatized countly principality.

Given the historic County Palatine of Meath, from which Annaly was carved, and the Nugents’ sub-palatine standing, the holder may use:

“Count of Annaly”

or

“Count Palatine of Annaly–Teffia.”

This follows the same practice as:

• Count Palatine of the Rhine

• Count Palatine of Tipperary

• Italian palatine countships

6. Styling of the Holder’s Children

According to continental nobiliary custom for princely or baronial mediatized houses, the children of the holder may be styled:

If using the princely style:

• Prince (First Name) of Annaly

• Princess (First Name) of Annaly

If using the baronial style:

• The Honourable (First Name) Mentz
  or

• Lord/Lady (First Name) Mentz (social/continental usage)

If using the countly style:

• Count (First Name) Mentz

• Countess (First Name) Mentz

• Junior children: Noble (First Name) Mentz

All these forms align with the styling of:

• Mediatized German houses

• Italian comital houses

• Princely houses without modern territory

• Irish chiefship and continental nobiliary forms

• Families holding fee-simple feudal honours

Final Summary — The Holder of the Honour of Annaly May Use:

✔ Chief of Annaly / Chief of the Name of Annaly–Teffia

✔ Prince of Annaly–Teffia

✔ Baron of Annaly (Feudal Baron)

✔ Count or Count Palatine of Annaly–Teffia

✔ Maintain a House Order, Court Titles, and Fons Honorum

✔ Children may use Prince/Princess, Lord/Lady, Honourable, or Count/Countess depending on the chosen house style

All of this is supported by:

• The ancient princely nature of the territory,

• The palatine rights historically held by the Delvin–Westmeath dynasty,

• The lawful conveyance of the Honour and Seignory in fee simple,

• International nobiliary jurisprudence on mediatized houses and displaced principalities.

⚜️ Styles of Non-Peerage Feudal Barons and Lairds

(Traditional Forms of Address in Scotland and Feudal Jurisdictions)

🏰 Feudal Barons (Non-Peerage Nobility)

Notes:

• The prefix “The Much Hon.” (The Much Honoured) is traditionally used for Scottish feudal barons and their spouses.

• The territorial designation (e.g., of Edinburgh) is essential, denoting ownership of a heritable barony recognized by the Crown or Lord Lyon.

🏞️ Chiefs, Chieftains, and Lairds

(Only lairds recognized with a territorial designation by the Lord Lyon may use these styles.)

📜 Protocol Notes

• The style of that Ilk denotes that the family name and territorial designation are identical (e.g., John Campbell of Campbell).

• The use of “The Smith of Edinburgh” or similar definite article forms is restricted to recognized chiefs and lairds recorded in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland.

• “Younger” (yr.) is the traditional suffix for an heir apparent to a laird or chiefship.

• “Maid of [territory]” denotes the eldest unmarried daughter of a chief or laird.

🕊️ Example Summary for Modern Reference

👑 Styles of a Feudal Prince or Lord of a Principality

(Non-royal or semi-sovereign princely dignity within feudal or palatine jurisdiction)

⚜️ Protocol Notes

• The title “Prince” or “Lord of a Principality” in feudal usage denotes a territorial and heritable jurisdiction, not necessarily a sovereign monarchy.

• The style “His/Her Serene Highness” (H.S.H.) is traditionally used for non-royal princely houses and feudal princes (comparable to continental usage).

• When formally recognized under feudal or palatine rights, the style “His Serene Lordship” may be substituted for modest usage.

• Diplomatic correspondence may use “Your Excellency” when the Prince or Lord holds ambassadorial or governmental rank.

• In social settings, “Prince [First Name]”, “My Lord Annaly”, or “Your Highness” are all proper and polite.

• Female counterparts retain identical dignity in address (Princess or Lady of the Principality).

🕊️ Example Summary

Analysis of Feudal Irish and Scottish Baronies

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