The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-01-19
TITLES or ENGLISH woMen
Distinctions That May Seem Rather Co
plicatCd to an American.

W
PlicatCd to an American.
1t is little wonder that FOREIGNERS mr.
gle over our titles as they 90. when
u own public speeches and new
pers 1t Is often made plain that MANY
not understand how to use English til
FOR instance, a marquis daughter
married a man without a title keeps
Cltle of lady" and her own Cir.sti.
name and adds to these the husban.,
surname.
Thus, when Lady Evelyn Fitzmauric..
the daughter of the Marquis of LanH,
downe, married Mr.. Victor Cavendis.
she became Lady Evelyn Cavendish:
but the London dailies spoke of Lad
Victor Cavendish's going away Dress"
The only case in which a lady of title
Is called by her husbands Christian
narne as we'll as his surname is in tn,
case of the wives of the younge sons OF
lukes and marquises.
These men bear courtesy titles of
lord" before their Christian names
and surnames, as Lord George Hamil-
ton, Lord Charles B~eresford, and so on,
and the only correct way of addressing
or speaking of their wives is the samo
way, putting "lady" in the place OF
lord"
To call the wives of younger sons
Lady Hamilton, Lady Beresford, or
whatever is the surname, without the
male Christian name, is as incorrect as
60 call Lady Evelyn Cavendish by her
husbands full name.
On the other hand, the wife Of a bar
onet or Of a knight is lady" with his
surnan alone after it.
Confusion grows in many minds from
The fact that any peerless (under the
rank 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 no equal would say, II saw the
Marchioness 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 peeress who escapes
his equality Of title in the everyday
language of her equals in society. She
s. never called lady" only, but is
poken Of as 1.-The Duchess of So-and-so"
n full always, and is addressed in con-
yersation by her friends as duchess"
he name Of the peerage not added.
Moreover, every other lady of title,
from q knights wife (Which is not a
real title), right away up to a march
.oness, is equally my lady" to her 60
cial interiors.
Sir John Smiths wife is Lady Smith.
The wife of Lord John Smith, who is a
peers younger son, is Lady John Smith,
md if you know her on terms Of equal
ty you may call her Lady John, but
lever Lady Smith. Lady Mary, daugh-
,er Of either the earl or the marquis, or
he duke Of somewhere, and the wife of
Mr.. John Smith, is Lady Mary Smith;
;all her Lady Mary if she seems friend
~, but not Lazy 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
Smithville.
IL you IHIIlh IudG Suo Will HOI SHuU
you as toe familiar, you may call her
simply duchess" You may say, Ouch.
SIS, may l get you some tea:' for ex-
ample. But till you know her well, or
feel on quite friendly terms, it had bet
er be, "Will your grace take a cup Of
ear
p Fi"ally, 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 saying, your royal highness."
You must say "sir" and "ma'am.'
Not, if you please. madam" but
''ma'am," as your housemaid says to
your own meek better half, Mrs. Smith.
Even a duchess calls a princess
''ma'am."-London Letter.