Peerage: Encyclopedia II - Peerage - Ranks

Peerage - Ranks

Peers are of five ranks: duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron. In Scotland, the fifth rank is called a lord of Parliament, as "barons" in Scotland are not peers, but holders of feudal dignities. Baronets, while holders of a hereditary title, are not peers.

The word "duke" traces its origin to the Latin word dux, meaning leader. "Marquess" comes from the Germanic word "Mark" (for "border"), referring to the border ("marches") between England and either Wales or Scotland; the relationship is more evident in the feminine form: Marchioness. The term "earl" derives from eorl, signifying a military leader in the Old English language, or Anglo-Saxon. The meaning of this word may have been affected by the Old Norse jarl, meaning free-born warrior or nobleman, during the time of the Danelaw, to give rise to the modern sense of earl. Since there was no Old English or Old Norse feminine equivalent for the term, the word "countess" is used, which itself derives from the Latin comes, or "Count" (the equivalent of an earl in continental Europe). Similarly, the term "viscount" comes from the Latin vicecomes, or vice-count. Finally, "baron" comes ultimately from the Old Germanic Baro, meaning freeman.

The various titles are in the form of Rank Name or Rank of Name. The name of the title can either be a place name or a surname. The precise usage depends on the rank of the peerage and on certain other general considerations. Dukes always use of. Marquesses and earls whose titles are based on place names normally use of, while those whose titles are based on surnames normally do not. Viscounts, barons and lords of Parliament do not use of. However, there are several exceptions to the rule. For instance, Scottish viscomitial titles theoretically include of, though in practice, it is most often dropped. (Thus, the "Viscount of Falkland" is commonly known as "Viscount Falkland.") Also, of is normally not used when the place in question is outside British territory, as using of might imply that the nation has sovereignty over such a place. For instance, the title Marquess Douro is based on the River Douro in Portugal, over which the British monarch has neither sovereignty nor suzerainty.

Often, a territorial designation is added to the main peerage title, especially in the case of barons and viscounts: for instance, Baroness Thatcher, of Kesteven, County Lincoln or Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, of Hindhead, County Surrey. In such cases, any designation following the first comma generally does not form a part of the main title and is dropped, leaving, in the aforementioned cases, Baroness Thatcher and Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. Territorial designations in titles are not updated with local government reforms, but new creations do take them into account. Thus there is a Baroness Airey, of Abingdon in the County of Oxford, and a Baron Johnston of Rockport, of Caversham in the Royal County of Berkshire.

It was once the case that a peer administered the place associated with his title. However, such has not been true since the Middle Ages. The only remaining peerage with associated lands controlled by the holder is the Duchy of Cornwall, which is associated with the Dukedom of Cornwall, a dukedom held by the eldest son and heir to the Sovereign.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Ranks", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki