Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1893 — IN THEIR ORDER. [ARTICLE]

IN THEIR ORDER.

Information for Those Carious Concerning the English Nobility. It sometimes happens that in writing of the English nobility young authors are not quite familiar with their subject, and make mistakes concerning the different steps or degrees in the peerage. Perhaps a simple explanation of the matter may be found useful in clearing up loose Conceptions. The highest, though not the oldest, rank in Britain below royalty is that of duke. The first dukedom created was the dukedom ol Cornwall, bestowed on Edward th< Black Prince, and it now appertains, as a matter of right, from the moment of his birth, to the eldest sor, of the reigning monarch. The formal manner of addressing a duke—his “stylo,” as it is technically called—is “Ilis Grace, the Duke of” so-and-so. A duke is the only nobleman whom it is allowable in conversation to address by the name of his rank, as for instance, “As I was remarking, Duke.” Next to a duke comes a marquis, or marquess, as the word is now more usually spelled. The word means lord of the marches or border. A marquess is addressed as “The Most Noble, the Marquess,” etc. The next degree below a marquess is an earl. It is a distinctively English term, its equivalent abroad being count, although, curiously enough, an earl’s wife is known as a countess. An earl is addressed as “The Right Honorable, the Earl of, ” etc. After the earl comes the viscount. The name bears its foreign origin on its face, and was formerly applied to a person who acted as sheriff of a county in place of the count or earl. Like the ear], he is addressed as “The Right Honorable, the Viscount,” etc. The lowest rank in the British peerage is that of baron, although, in one sense of the word, every peer is a baron. This arises from the fact that, according to the old feudal law, every man who possessed certain lands was called a baron, and as a condition of his possessing them had to bring into the Held a certain number of armed men at the call of the sovereign. Below the peerage are the baronets, knights and esquires. The latter title Is now applied promiscuously; at law, however, there are only certain classes of the Queen’s subjects entitled to this ancient and honorable appellation. These are sons of peers, and the eldest sons, of the youngest sons of peers, and their eldest sons; th£ eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons; gentlemen specially created esquires by the Queen; esquires of Knights of the Bath; Justices of the Peace, and others with similar ex-officio title; and barristers.