Peerage and Titles
Peerage and titles can get very complicated. These hereditary titles are granted by the ruling monarch and are passed on. It is typical for additional titles to be granted to the same families as the generations pass, resulting frequently in one person who may possess a number of peerage titles and the lands associated. If a family is once ennobled and subsequent title-holders continue to impress the crown with their valor, services, friendship, or sometimes their money, additional titles could be granted to the same family. The higher one’s rank, the more likely he holds other lesser titles. Think of it as an academic who furthers his or her education with higher degrees; the lower degrees are not null and void, but the higher degree takes precedence and is the one primarily referred to.
However, the difference between Dr. Smith with his dozens of degrees and Lord Jones with his six titles, is that Dr. Smith’s name stays the same whereas Lord Jones’ will keep growing and growing with each added title! Furthermore, when formally introducing a peer it would be essential to list each title in proper order from highest to lowest. To not include each name would be a serious breach of protocol! The waters get very murky here as well, but I shall try to do some justice to how the names follow the title. Bear with me.
Duke: From the Latin dux- a military leader or general under the Roman Empire. Originally Dukedoms were granted to powerful military men with the necessity to rule over large regions, especially those along the borders; however, this military distinction would fade with time. Dukes were exclusively close blood relatives of the monarch, and thus royal, until the 16th century. Still, this rank is one of extremely high prestige, the crowning glory of very rich noblemen who controlled several seats in the House of Commons. Always referred to as ‘Your Grace’ or ‘The Duke of ____’ utilizing a place name and never a family surname.
Marquess: Derived from the term ‘march’ as in the border zones, and first created in 1385. Also known as Marquis, which is the French spelling. Almost always associated with a place and referred to as ‘The Marquess of ____’ or ‘Lord _____’ although on rare occasions a surname may be preferred.
Earl: From the Norse jarl via the Anglo-Saxon eorl it is the sole peerage to not have a Latin etymology. Originally designed as a chief administrator to a particular region. Holder of an Earldom, this third highest ranking peer is on par with the continental Count. Like the Marquess, the Earl is usually associated with a place name, but can be a family surname in some instances. Therefore, ‘The Earl of ____’ or ‘Lord ____’
Viscount: Originally denoted as the deputy to an Earl, or vice-comes in the Latin derivation (comes being a Count as in Comte in France). This is the newest peerage, the first conferred in 1430. Very rarely associated with a place name. Typically utilizes the surname with perhaps the place attached, ie- ‘Viscount Smith of ____’ or Viscount Smith.
Baron: The lowest rank, but usually the most numerous. Administrator of smaller portions of a county. Addressed same as a Viscount, that is, ‘Baron Jones of ____’ or ‘Lord Jones.’Now that we have the titles of nobility all figured out….yea, right!…..Lets move on to a few other terms to make it all crystal clear.
Lord: A general term for all dignitaries. It may be a specific, hereditary title, or a courtesy title. Technically anyone in the House of Lords wears this title, although Dukes are never referred as such. It is also a term of honor for judges, magistrates, bishops in the Church, and high ranking political appointees. Remember, not all Lords are Peers, but all Peers are Lords!
Courtesy Title: Any honorific prefix, ie- Honorable, Lady, etc., extended by custom to relatives and wives of a Peer. A Peer of high rank who possesses several titles can actually ‘loan’ one of his titles to a son, but this does not allow the son to be considered a Peer. This can get very confusing and detailed, so I will refer you to one of the links above for illumination.
Orders of Precedence: The incredibly detailed list of all nobility in the precise order of their rank. There are separate lists for males and females.
Baronet: A wholly unique title in the British Isles created in the 17th century by James I. It is a hereditary title of honor, higher than a Knight but below a Baron and not a Peer. However, a Baronet could later become a Peer through attaining a higher rank, and a Peer could attain a Baronetcy. He is not a Lord, referred to as ‘Sir Smith of ____’ although his wife is called ‘Lady Smith’ or ‘my Lady.’
Knight: A title of honor conferred to the individual for his lifetime only; is not hereditary. Originally granted as reward for a special service rendered, primarily in the military field. The lowest of all the ranks. Referred to as ‘Sir John Smith’ or just ‘Sir John’ although the latter is considered more familiar. His wife would be called ‘Lady Smith’ never with a first name attached unless she is the daughter of a Peer. A fascinating aside: There are 3 hereditary Knighthoods of feudal origin in Ireland, the only hereditary knighthoods in existence. They are The Black Knight, The Green Knight, and the White Knight.
Let’s talk about the women! As confounding as the men and their titles go, I think the women are the worse. I will attempt to keep it very simple. Wives first with the same rules of place name vs. surname applying…..
Duke = Duchess ‘The Duchess of ____’ or ‘Her Grace’
Marquess = Marchioness ‘The Marchioness of ____’ or ‘Lady ____’
Earl = Countess ‘The Countess of ____’ or ‘Lady ____’
Viscount = Viscountess ‘The Viscountess ____’ or ‘Lady ____’
Baron = Lady ‘Lady ____’
In general all peerages are passed to the eldest male. In the case of there being no direct heir, the rules are detailed and inclusive as to who inherits the title. I will not go into that here, but would again refer to either of the above noted links. In rare cases peerages are passed to women, or a woman possesses a title ‘in her own right.’ For instance, a Baroness is a woman who has earned a Barony in her own right and not the title to the wife of a Baron. Apparently this is very common among the Scottish peers of the realm as titles are conferred to ‘heirs general’ rather than specifically to a male. Over time there have been Duchesses, Marchionesses, Countesses, and so on, but like all of this stuff the rules are convoluted. Nonetheless, women, even those who held Peerage titles, were excluded from the House of Lords until 1958!
Dowager: The widow of a Peer possessed of a dower, or life interest in part of her husband’s property. Of course, like all of this it is never simple and there are rules! She will continue to retain her courtesy title until the heir marries. She will only be called ‘The Dowager Countess ____’ if the new Lord is married. Or, another way to put it is, if there is a new ‘Lady ____’ If she remarries, then she will assume a new title if her husband is a Peer, or if he is a commoner she will keep her courtesy title of ‘Lady ____’
Believe it or not, all that I have written here is but the tip of the iceberg in how intricate it is. I did not even touch on daughters and sons of peers! It really astounds me how many regulations there are, and how often the rules have been changed over the centuries, or even at a particular time for a given situation. I hope this is fairly coherent and has been interesting.
However, the difference between Dr. Smith with his dozens of degrees and Lord Jones with his six titles, is that Dr. Smith’s name stays the same whereas Lord Jones’ will keep growing and growing with each added title! Furthermore, when formally introducing a peer it would be essential to list each title in proper order from highest to lowest. To not include each name would be a serious breach of protocol! The waters get very murky here as well, but I shall try to do some justice to how the names follow the title. Bear with me.
Duke: From the Latin dux- a military leader or general under the Roman Empire. Originally Dukedoms were granted to powerful military men with the necessity to rule over large regions, especially those along the borders; however, this military distinction would fade with time. Dukes were exclusively close blood relatives of the monarch, and thus royal, until the 16th century. Still, this rank is one of extremely high prestige, the crowning glory of very rich noblemen who controlled several seats in the House of Commons. Always referred to as ‘Your Grace’ or ‘The Duke of ____’ utilizing a place name and never a family surname.
Marquess: Derived from the term ‘march’ as in the border zones, and first created in 1385. Also known as Marquis, which is the French spelling. Almost always associated with a place and referred to as ‘The Marquess of ____’ or ‘Lord _____’ although on rare occasions a surname may be preferred.
Earl: From the Norse jarl via the Anglo-Saxon eorl it is the sole peerage to not have a Latin etymology. Originally designed as a chief administrator to a particular region. Holder of an Earldom, this third highest ranking peer is on par with the continental Count. Like the Marquess, the Earl is usually associated with a place name, but can be a family surname in some instances. Therefore, ‘The Earl of ____’ or ‘Lord ____’
Viscount: Originally denoted as the deputy to an Earl, or vice-comes in the Latin derivation (comes being a Count as in Comte in France). This is the newest peerage, the first conferred in 1430. Very rarely associated with a place name. Typically utilizes the surname with perhaps the place attached, ie- ‘Viscount Smith of ____’ or Viscount Smith.
Baron: The lowest rank, but usually the most numerous. Administrator of smaller portions of a county. Addressed same as a Viscount, that is, ‘Baron Jones of ____’ or ‘Lord Jones.’Now that we have the titles of nobility all figured out….yea, right!…..Lets move on to a few other terms to make it all crystal clear.
Lord: A general term for all dignitaries. It may be a specific, hereditary title, or a courtesy title. Technically anyone in the House of Lords wears this title, although Dukes are never referred as such. It is also a term of honor for judges, magistrates, bishops in the Church, and high ranking political appointees. Remember, not all Lords are Peers, but all Peers are Lords!
Courtesy Title: Any honorific prefix, ie- Honorable, Lady, etc., extended by custom to relatives and wives of a Peer. A Peer of high rank who possesses several titles can actually ‘loan’ one of his titles to a son, but this does not allow the son to be considered a Peer. This can get very confusing and detailed, so I will refer you to one of the links above for illumination.
Orders of Precedence: The incredibly detailed list of all nobility in the precise order of their rank. There are separate lists for males and females.
Baronet: A wholly unique title in the British Isles created in the 17th century by James I. It is a hereditary title of honor, higher than a Knight but below a Baron and not a Peer. However, a Baronet could later become a Peer through attaining a higher rank, and a Peer could attain a Baronetcy. He is not a Lord, referred to as ‘Sir Smith of ____’ although his wife is called ‘Lady Smith’ or ‘my Lady.’
Knight: A title of honor conferred to the individual for his lifetime only; is not hereditary. Originally granted as reward for a special service rendered, primarily in the military field. The lowest of all the ranks. Referred to as ‘Sir John Smith’ or just ‘Sir John’ although the latter is considered more familiar. His wife would be called ‘Lady Smith’ never with a first name attached unless she is the daughter of a Peer. A fascinating aside: There are 3 hereditary Knighthoods of feudal origin in Ireland, the only hereditary knighthoods in existence. They are The Black Knight, The Green Knight, and the White Knight.
Let’s talk about the women! As confounding as the men and their titles go, I think the women are the worse. I will attempt to keep it very simple. Wives first with the same rules of place name vs. surname applying…..
Duke = Duchess ‘The Duchess of ____’ or ‘Her Grace’
Marquess = Marchioness ‘The Marchioness of ____’ or ‘Lady ____’
Earl = Countess ‘The Countess of ____’ or ‘Lady ____’
Viscount = Viscountess ‘The Viscountess ____’ or ‘Lady ____’
Baron = Lady ‘Lady ____’
In general all peerages are passed to the eldest male. In the case of there being no direct heir, the rules are detailed and inclusive as to who inherits the title. I will not go into that here, but would again refer to either of the above noted links. In rare cases peerages are passed to women, or a woman possesses a title ‘in her own right.’ For instance, a Baroness is a woman who has earned a Barony in her own right and not the title to the wife of a Baron. Apparently this is very common among the Scottish peers of the realm as titles are conferred to ‘heirs general’ rather than specifically to a male. Over time there have been Duchesses, Marchionesses, Countesses, and so on, but like all of this stuff the rules are convoluted. Nonetheless, women, even those who held Peerage titles, were excluded from the House of Lords until 1958!
Dowager: The widow of a Peer possessed of a dower, or life interest in part of her husband’s property. Of course, like all of this it is never simple and there are rules! She will continue to retain her courtesy title until the heir marries. She will only be called ‘The Dowager Countess ____’ if the new Lord is married. Or, another way to put it is, if there is a new ‘Lady ____’ If she remarries, then she will assume a new title if her husband is a Peer, or if he is a commoner she will keep her courtesy title of ‘Lady ____’
Believe it or not, all that I have written here is but the tip of the iceberg in how intricate it is. I did not even touch on daughters and sons of peers! It really astounds me how many regulations there are, and how often the rules have been changed over the centuries, or even at a particular time for a given situation. I hope this is fairly coherent and has been interesting.
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