Longworth Ridge Yelverton was born in 1876 in New Zealand

- his father was Augustus Barrymore Yelverton (1829-1909)
- his grandfather was Hon. Augustus Yelverton (1802-1864)
- his great grandfather was William Charles Yelverton, 2nd Viscount Avonmore (1762-1814) - this William Charles married Mary Reade in 1787 and they had 2 daughters and 3 sons.
One of their sons, Barry John Yelverton became 3rd Viscount Avonmore.
- Barry John married Jane Boothe in 1811, he married again in 1822 to his cousin Cecilia O'Keefe. They had 5 daughters and 2 sons. One of the sons, William Charles Yelverton (1824-1883) became the 4th Viscount Avonmore. He married Maria Teresa Longworth in 1857 so she became Th?r?se Yelverton, Viscountess Avonmore.
... This infamous pair met in 1852, shortly after the battle of Balaclava. He was a decorated officer and she a nurse, with the French Sisters of Charity, who had tended to the wounded in the aftermath of the battle. They fell in love and maintained an amorous correspondence. They were married by Scots Law in April 1857 at Killowen in August 1857. After the wedding they traveled in England, Scotland, and France. When in Bordeaux, Theresa fell ill, and also was pregnant (she lost the baby). The major left her there. When she was well, she wrote to him, imploring him to make their marriage public. He said that this would ruin him, (Irish law forbade Protestants and Catholics to marry) he told her to find some rich man to marry and go to New Zealand. This was the last she heard from him.
She had nowhere to go but to friends, so she went to one in Scotland. Imagine her surprise when she heard the news of her husband's marriage on the 26th June to the Widow Forbes, a woman of large fortune from Edinburgh - she was Emily Marianne (nee Ashworth), the youngest daughter of Major General Sir Charles Ashworth, KCB (Knight Commander, Order of the Bath)
When Theresa began legal proceedings against her "husband" he countered that their so-called marriage had not taken place. Though the legal question of the case concerned events which occurred in Britain after the war, the trial nevertheless focused much attention on Yelverton's alleged seduction of the nurse.
The Viscount used his influence with the British House of Lords to annul his earlier marriage to Th?r?se Yelverton.
The case had much notoriety, with great support for her by the public.
The Viscount Avonmore was hung in effegy and he had to briefly go into hiding.
Yelverton said they openly indulged in illicit sexual relations with no thought of marriage.
Defending her reputation Maria Theresa swore she had remained chaste after the Scottish marriage until they celebrated Roman Catholic Nuptials whilst on a trip to Ireland (thereby marrying him twice)
The Major alleged the Irish Marriage Ceremony was merely a Catholic blessing, procured to ease Theresa?s conscience and so far as he was concerned she was just his concubine . . .
Because she was Catholic and Major William Yelverton was a Protestant, the marriage was declared illegal.
Despite deserting her and marrying another woman, Theresa spent many years in litigation establishing her right to her husband?s name. She took a great interest in the death of Prince Louis Napoleon and when the Empress Eugenie visited Zululand Theresa followed and travelled extensively in South Africa, dying in 1882 of paralysis in Pietermaritzburg

A bio of Theresa, an orphaned daughter of a Manchester silk merchant
How an English Orphan Girl Became a Viscountess

You can read the trial of July 1867 here: LONGWORTH v YELVERTON

A very good site on the family history of
The Yelvertons, Viscounts Avonmore

It was through this ancestor that 'our' Longworth Yelverton got his first name
His father, Augustus Barrymore Yelverton, married Eliza Jane Ridge, which was where he got his second name from

- the children of Augustus and Eliza Yelverton were all born in New Zealand
Cecilia Yelverton born 1860
- Cecilia died aged 2 in 1862

Cecilia Ann Yelverton born 1863
- no husband found
- Cecilia Ann died aged 45 in 1908

Barry Squance Yelverton born 1865
- no wife found
- Barry died aged 73 in 1938

Foster Goring Yelverton born 1867
- he married Anne/Annie Caroline Mason in 1895
- she was one of 12 children of Alfred Mason & Jane Elizabeth Macey
- Foster and Anne had 3 (known) sons
1895 - 1960 Barry Augustus Yelverton
1896 - 1973 Hermann Stratton Yelverton
1898 - Macey Goring Yelverton
- Foster probably got his name through the 3rd Viscount Avonmore's eldest daughter, the Hon. Sydney Eloise Yelverton who married Forster Goring (1810-1893), fourth son of Sir Charles Forster Goring, (1810-1893, died in Wellington of bronchitis) 7th Battalion, Sheriff of Sussex. The Gorings were an old Sussex family who came to prominence with the Tudors. Forster served as a Cornet in the 1st King's Dragoon Guards and was Clerk of the Executive Council of New Zealand (1862-89). Their son Forster Yelverton Goring (1846-1923) served in the New Zealand War of 1861-1866 and became Lieutenant Colonel of the New Zealand Royal Artillery.
- Foster died aged 84 in 1952

Ada Caroline Yelverton born 1869
- she married Henry Benton (1865-1939) in 1891 in Greytown, Wairarapa
- he was a son of Thomas Benton (1829-1902) of Featherston, Wairarapa
- (Thomas was living in Featherson in at least 1864 and was in the Featherston Militia Volunteer Rifles winning a silver medal. The obverse consisted of crossed rifles with ribbons interlace bearing the insciption: "The Featherston Volunteer Rifles, established 1863". On the reverse it read: "Presented to Thomas Benton the successful competitor at the trial shot of 100, 200 and 300 yards, May 24, 1864", surrounded by a foliated shield. On the outer edge was engraved: "The gift of J. H. Marriott, Sc" - Thomas was living in Carterton in at least 1880)
- Henry was a brother of Charles Benton who married his wifes sister
- they had 6 (known) children
1892 - Hilda Kathleen Eliza Benton
- married John Herbert McWilliam Finlayson in 1915
1894 - 1969 Cora Cecilia Benton
- married Frank Martin Quigley in 1918
1896 - Rhoda Longworth Benton
1898 - Eileen Niniwa Benton
- married Charles Roy Keeling Bourke in 1926
1904 - 2004 Muriel Yelverton Benton
- married ? Dyer
- Muriel was born 5th July 1904 and died 5th March 2004, 4 months from 100
1907 - 1962 Gordon Henry Benton
- Gordon is buried in Plot 340 - Block 27 of Taruheru cemetery, Gisborne
- Caroline died aged 91 in 1961

Catherine Amelia Yelverton born 1871
- she married Charles Richard Benton (1870-1947) in 1892 in Featherston, Wairarapa
- Charles was a son of Thomas Benton of Featherston, Wairarapa
- Charles was a brother of Henry Benton who married his wifes sister
- he and Catherine farmed in Newstead, Featherston
- they had 5 (known) children
1895 - 1962 Yelverton Hamley Benton
- married Muriel Blanche Thorburn in 1922
1896 - Cos/Eos Sibyl Maimoa Benton
- married Cyril Frederick Lionel Everton in 1916
1898 - 1977 Otho Charles Benton
- served in WWI, Private 76699, NZEF, 40th Reinforcements E Company
- married Jessie McKenzie in 1929
1900 - 1975 Gifford Warrington Benton
- married Mary Harris MacDonald in 1920
1908 - 1928 Terence Longworth Benton
- Catherine died aged 57 in 1928

William Henry Yelverton "Willie" born 1875 in Featherston
- he died aged 12 on 9th January 1888 of Concussion of the brain

Longworth Ridge Yelverton born 1876
- he married Beatrice Lawry in 1900
- she was a daughter of Thomas & Caroline Lawry of Featherston, Wairarapa
- they farmed in Te Rehunga, Dannevirke
- they had:
1901 - Octavia Mervyn Yelverton
- she married Robert Henry Sinclair of Opunake in 1928
1903 - 1982 William Henry Yelverton
- he married Doris Elizabeth Rose Miller of Dannevirke in 1934
- he married Gwendolen Hilda Carter of Southampton in 1954
- he married Zoe May Burnett of Wairoa in 1960

Longworth Ridge Yelverton died aged 58 in 1936
- his wife Beatrice died aged 75, 17 years later and they are buried together in Plot 3 - Block AE - Main Section at Mangatera Cemetery Dannevirke