 His courtesy title was "Shimōsa-no-shō", and his Court rank was Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade.He was born in Edo as the eighth son of Manabe Akikatsu, and was posthumously adopted as heir and made "daimyō" on the death of Manabe Akizane.He was received in formal audience by Shōgun Tokugawa Ieshige in 1865, and underwent his "genpuku" ceremony in 1867.