Baron West is a title created in the

Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in t ...

in 1402. The title has been in

abeyance Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. ...

since 1554, although it is possible to argue that it has been merged. The 1st Baron West was Sir Thomas West, of Oakhanger, Northampton. He married the heiress Joan De la Warr, through whom his second son eventually became

Baron De La Warr Earl De La Warr ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1761 for John West, 7th Baron De La Warr. The Earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cantelupe (1761) in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baron De La Warr ...

. The two titles descended together until the death of Thomas West, 6th Baron West and 9th Baron De la Warr. At this point, the precise legal situation becomes debatable. As

Cokayne George Edward Cokayne, (29 April 1825 – 6 August 1911), was an English genealogist and long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London, who eventually rose to the rank of Clarenceux King of Arms. He wrote such authoritative and standar ...

points out, abeyance is merely a modern rule that approximates medieval practice. However, in applying the modern rule, both titles descend to ''heirs general'', which left them in abeyance between the daughters of Sir

Owen West Owen West is a United States Marine, banker, and author who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict from 2017 to 2019. His June 6, 2017, nomination for this post was confirmed by a 74–23 vote ...

, and this situation persists to the present day with their respective heirs. In 1572 William West, the

heir male In inheritance, a hereditary successor is a person who inherits an indivisible title or office after the death of the previous title holder. The hereditary line of succession may be limited to heirs of the body, or may pass also to collateral l ...

and nephew of the co-heirs general, was created Baron De la Warr, but not Baron West, by

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

. Depending on one's view of the law, this can be interpreted as either a settlement of the ancient Barony of De la Warr or a new creation that extinguished the old barony. Cokayne argues that there is no reason to assume that this changed the status of the title Baron West, but given the irregular practice used, it is just conceivable that a modern claimant to the Barony of West would be refused on the basis that the title was merged into the Barony of De la Warr, along with the estates. Some

genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...

sources claim that Sir Thomas West (1251–1344) of Hempston Cantilupe, in Devon, was summoned to Parliament and became Baron West in 1342, but this is not supported by Cokayne.

Barons West (1402)

Thomas West, 1st Baron West Thomas West, 1st Baron West (1365 – 19 April 1405) was an English nobleman and member of parliament. Biography He was the only son of Sir Thomas West (1321–3 September 1386) of Hempston Cauntelow in Devon (named after its lords the Cantilu ...

(1365–1405) *

Thomas West, 2nd Baron West Thomas West, 2nd Baron West (1391 or 1392 – c. 30 September 1416) succeeded as Baron West at the age of 14. In less than a year, he married Ida de Saint Amand, younger daughter and coheiress of Amaury de Saint Amand, 3rd Baron Saint Amand (1 ...

(c. 1391–1416) * Reginald West, 6th Baron De La Warr and 3rd Baron West (c. 1395–1450) * Richard West, 7th Baron De La Warr and 4th Baron West (c. 1430–1476) * Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr and 5th Baron West (c. 1457–1525) * Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr and 6th Baron West (c. 1479–1554) (abeyant 1554)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:West 1402 establishments in England Abeyant baronies in the Peerage of England Noble titles created in 1402

Barons West (1402)

See also

References