Baron Furnivall is an ancient title in the Peerage of England. It was originally created (by writ) when Thomas de Furnivall was summoned to the Model Parliament on 24 June 1295 as Lord Furnivall. The barony eventually passed to Thomas Nevill, who had married the first baron's descendant Joan de Furnivall, and he was summoned to parliament in her right. Their daughter, Maud de Neville, married John Talbot, who was also summoned to parliament in her right. He was later created Earl of Shrewsbury. On the death of the seventh earl in 1616, the barony fell into abeyance. The abeyance was terminated naturally in favour of the earl's daughter Alethea Howard in 1651 and passed through her to the Dukes of Norfolk. On the death of the ninth Duke in 1777, the barony again fell into abeyance. In 1913 the abeyance was terminated again in favour of Mary Frances Katherine Petre, daughter of Bernard Petre, 14th Baron Petre.[1] Through her father she was a great-great-great-granddaughter of the ninth Baron Petre and his first wife Anne Howard, niece of the ninth Duke of Norfolk (and 18th Baron Furnivall), who became co-heir to the Barony on her uncle's death in 1777. On Lady Furnivall's death in 1968 the barony fell into abeyance for the third time.
Thomas de Furnivall, 2nd Baron Furnivall (1301–1339), son; summoned from 1318 onward as Baron Furnivall (acceleration or new creation?). He married firstly Joan, daughter and co-heir of Theobald de Verdun, 2nd Baron Verdun.
Thomas de Furnivall, 3rd Baron Furnivall (1322–1364), son
William de Furnivall, 4th Baron Furnivall (1326–1383), brother
Joane de Furnival, 5th Baroness Furnival (born in or before October 1368 - d. c. 1401), daughter
Mary Dent, 19th Baroness Furnivall (1900–1968) (abeyance terminated by Crown 1913; abeyant 1968)
The co-heiresses since the 19th Baroness's death have been her daughters the Hon. Rosamond Mary Dent and the Hon. Mrs. Patricia Mary Bence. As Rosamond is a nun (Sister Ancilla Dent, OSB), and therefore without issue, the barony will upon her death come out of abeyance either to the Hon. Mrs. Bence or, if she predeceases her sister, to Francis Hornsby (b. 21 April 1958), Mrs. Bence's son.
