▁it ▁has ▁been ▁merged . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 st ▁Baron ▁West ▁was ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁West , ▁of ▁O akh anger , ▁North am pton . ▁ ▁He ▁married ▁the ▁he ir ess ▁Joan ▁De ▁la ▁W arr , ▁through ▁whom ▁his ▁second ▁son ▁eventually ▁became ▁Baron ▁De ▁La ▁W arr . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁titles ▁desc ended ▁together ▁until ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Thomas ▁West , ▁ 6 th ▁Baron ▁West ▁and ▁ 9 th ▁Baron ▁De ▁la ▁W arr . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁point , ▁the ▁precise ▁legal ▁situation ▁becomes ▁deb atable . ▁ ▁As ▁C ok ay ne ▁points ▁out , ▁ab ey ance ▁is ▁merely ▁a ▁modern ▁rule ▁that ▁approxim ates ▁medieval ▁practice . ▁However , ▁in ▁applying ▁the ▁modern ▁rule , ▁both ▁titles ▁descend ▁to ▁he irs ▁general , ▁which ▁left ▁them ▁in ▁ab ey ance ▁between ▁the ▁daughters ▁of ▁Sir ▁O wen ▁West , ▁and ▁this ▁situation ▁pers ists ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁with ▁their ▁respective ▁he irs . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 2 ▁William ▁West , ▁the ▁he ir ▁male ▁and ▁nep hew ▁of ▁the ▁co - he irs ▁general , ▁was ▁created ▁Baron ▁De ▁la ▁W arr , ▁but ▁not ▁Baron ▁West , ▁by ▁letters ▁pat ent . ▁ ▁Depending ▁on ▁one ' s ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁law , ▁this ▁can ▁be ▁interpreted ▁as ▁either ▁a ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁Bar ony ▁of ▁De ▁la ▁W arr ▁or ▁a ▁ ▁new ▁creation ▁that ▁ex ting u ished ▁the ▁old ▁bar ony . ▁ ▁C