Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-05-06
The British Peerage.

is one of the oldest. Originally, the
dignity was attached to the posses.
sion of certain lands held according
to the feudsl system, and the posses,
sor was, therefore, a Baron by ten.
ure. In the reign of King John. the
greater Barons were specially sum-
moned to the council of the nations,
and hence arose the Barons by writ,
in place of Barons by tenure. The
practice OF creating Barons by letters
patent, by which rank was converted
into mere title of honor, was first
introduced by Richard H., who, in
1887, created John Beauchamp, OF
Holt Castle, Baron Beauchamp Of
Kidderminster. Viscount was first
introduced as hereditary title into
the English pesrage by Henry vi,
who made John, sixth Baron Beau.
mont, Viscount Beaumont, by letters
patent. in 144o. Previously, the
name Welcomes had been used by
the Sheriff of q county as the deputy
OF the Earl. Of the FIVE titles 10
which we are now drawing attention,
Earl Is the only one with a Saxon
name, and it is a curious linguistic
fact that this characteristic only ap
piled to the man himself, as his wife
is styled Countess The eynony-
nous names Earl and Count had a
tight for time, but the former sur.
vived as the filter of the two. There
was different descriptions of Earl
doms, but they were each, as the
names Comes would show, intimately
connected with the country. In
course of time this was changed, and
Roger Mortimer, Lord Of Wigmer,
on the Welsh March, created Earl of
March in 1928, was the first Earl
whose dignity was unconnected with
a shire. The custom OF adopting
titles taken from counties and towns
was extended to villages and private
estates, and in some instances family
names have even been used instead
of place names. The original Mar.
quesses were guardians Of the from
tier marches, but the first English
marquessate In them ojern sense was
conferred in 1886 upon Robert De
We're, Earl of Oxford, who was ere
ated Marques of Dublin by Richard
III. The Earl of Somerset was made
Marques OF Dorset by the same
King, but the title was taken from
him in the next reign. The House
OF Commons petitioned that it might
be restored, but the Earl did not
wish for ne higher honor, rs it was
considerec IN innovation. At one
period in the reign of George Ill.
there was only one Marques an the
roll of the peerage. Dukes, in the
older European sense of Government
OF Dukedoms, do not appear to have
been known in England. Edward
the black Prince, who was created
Duke of Cornkoll in 1895, was the
first English Duke, and for time
this rank was confined to the royal
family. Although others afterws I'd,
obtained the title, they were very
few. and it was not until the reign oil
William Ill. and Anne that its char.
acter was changed. Although all
holders of these different titles take
precedence according to their rela
tive rank, they sit as peers or equals
in tho House of Lords. The eldes
son of the Duke, OF the Marques, OIL
of the Earl, although he remains (
commoner, bears one of the titles o.
his father by courtesy. These are
sometimes changed, but usually Tbs
same title is used for several genera
tons. The son Of Duke is com
monty Marquis, of Marquis al
Earl, and of an Earl Viscount bu
this is not always the case; for in
stance, the Marquis of Salisbury
second title is Earl of Salisbury; so
in order to obvlate confusion, hi.
eldest son is forced to take the thirt
title, which is Viscount Cranborno.-
| Temple Bar.