The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-13
IHs TITLES.
ess Those to
Born and
no Wed 1t.
AND MA'AM.
reathing Through the
a-A Heroine in
Real Life.

1t is 1fttre% gonder that foreigners bun
gle over our titles as they do. says an
English paper, when in our W public
speeches it is so often made plain thai
many do not understand how to use Eug-
lish titles.
For instance, a marquis's daughter VINO
married a man without a title keeps the
title of Lady" aud her own Christian
name, and adds to these the husbands
surname. Thus when Lady Evelyn
Fitznaurice, the daughter of the Mar
quis of Landsdowne. married Victor Cav
endIsh last July she became Lady Eve
Ign Caveudish; but the London dailies
spoke of Lady Victor Cavendish's going
away dress"
The only case in which a lady of title is
called by her husbands Christian name
as well as his surn8ne is in the case of
the younger sons of Dukes and MarqulseS.
These men bear courtesy titles OF lord"
before their Christian names and sur
n~ainess as Lord George Hamilton, Lord
Charles Beresford, and so on, aud the
only correct way Of addressing or speak
lug of their wives is in the same way,
putting Lady" in the place of Lord"
10 call the wives of younger sons
Lady Hamilton Lady Beresford" or
whatever is the surname, without the
mule Christian name, is as Incorrect as to
call LAZY Evelyn Cavendish" by her
husbands full name.
On the other hand, the wife of a baronet
or of a knight is Lady" with his sur
name alone after it.
Confusion grows in many minds from
the fact that n peeress under the ran
Of a duchess is also spoken of, and to, by
her equals as merely Lady" So-and-So-
the name added. however, not being the
family name. but the title of the husband.
Thus DO equal would say, 81 saw the
Warehouses of Salisbury" or "There is
the Countess of Lathom"-it would be
Lady Salisbury and Lady Lathom."
A duchess, the highest rank in the
peerage, is the only Deeress who escapes
this equality of title in the everyday
language OF her equals in society. She is
never called Lady" ouly, but is spoken
of as the Duchess of So-and-So." in full
always, aud is addressed in conversation
by her friends as Duchess" the name of
the peerage not added.
Moreover. every other lady OF title,
from a knights wife (Which is not a real
titlel right away Up to a marchioness, is
equally My Lady" to her social inferi-
OrS.
Sir John Smiths wife is Lady Smith.
The wife of Lord John Smith, who is a
peers younger son. is Lady John Smith.
and if you know her on terms of equality
you may call her Lady Smith. Lady
Mary. daughter of either the earl, of the
marquis or the duke of somewhere, and
the wife of John Smith, is Lady Mary
Smith: call her Lady Mary if she seems
friendly. but not Lady Smith or Lady
John Smith. The wife of Lord Smith, or
the earl or the marquis of Smithville. you
may call Lady Smith or Lady Smithville,
as the case may be. but if Smithville is a
duke, on no account call his wife Lady
S~mithviile."
If you think that that she will not snub
you as too familiar. you may call her
simply Duchess You may say,
Duchess, may I get you some tear" for
example. But till you know her we'll. or
feel on quite friendly terms, it had better
be. "WilI your Grace take a cup of tea?''
Finally. the oldest thing of all, if fate
should make you acquainted with a
prince or princess of the blood royal. you
will seem very second rate if you keep
saving your Royal Highness." You
must say sir" and "ma'am," as your
housemaid says to your own meek better
half. Mrs. Smith. Even a duchess calls a
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