The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-10-04
"EsQU1REs."
LITTLE Distinction Now Attached to q
Minor Title.


our first letter addressed to US as will
liam Smith, Esq., or as the case may
be. Again, many men regard letter
addressed to them as mere "Mr." as
nothing short Of personal atfront'
Yet how many of these have ever ask
ed themselves what might be the
grounds of their insistence on being
included among those who should be
termed Esquire" or even the s1gnl-
ficance of the term? .'tlslasss 5esw-.
It should be promised that no estate,
however large, confers this rank upon
it's owner. There is no notion more
prevalent than that the possession OF
a certain amount Of property is the
one and only qualification needed in
order to be esquire, nor is any idea
more erroneous.
The title "esquire" is derived from
the French word ecuyer Ia shield bear
er) and originated in the old days OF
chivalry, when, as is we'll known, each
knight and their heirs in perpetuity
Of gentle birth to carry his shield and
perform other honorable services.
These persons were known as squires,
or more accurately esquires, and were
Of such birth as would permit OF their
being in their turn created knights
when they should have merited the dis
tinction by deeds Of valor or otherwise.
In the reign of Richard II the status
of an esquire was granted for the hrst
time by letters patent as a title OF
honor merely, no duties being attach
ed. This method of creation is aoW
obsolete, but it marks an advanced
stage in the decay of chivalry, which
decay resulted in the titles knight and
"esquire" becoming wholly honorary
At the present day we can see some
trace of the origin Of the title in that
every newly created Knight Comman.
der of the Bath tx. c. b. has the right
to nominate three esquires on his III
stallation. Again younger sons OF
peers and baronets and eldest sons OF
knights and their heirs in perpetuity
are esquires by birth, or hereditary es-
uuires. This is due to the fact that
such was the class Of persons from
whom esquires were selected in the
old days Of chivalry. It may be added
that the eldest and other sons Of peers.
though commonly as matter of cour-
tesy addressed in terms Of peerage, are
nevertheless but esquires in the eyes
of the law. Thus the eldest son Of the
Marquis Of Lansdowne is usually re-
ferred to as the Earl of Kerry; yet he
is nevertheless described in the certi-
hcate Of his election to the house OF
commons as an esquire.
Since the decay Of chivalry there ex-
lists other means of becoming an es-
quire than that of hereditary right.
Barristers at law are always termed
esquires. Again, all persons holding
an office of trust under the crown and
described in their commissions Of ap-
pointment as esquires attain to the
dignity Of an esquire. Examples OF
such persons are justices of the peace,
recorders of boroughs, mayors, men,
bers of parliament and civil servants
of the more important grades. We may
conclude our list by adding foreign no
blemen, for the law of England does
not recognize any foreign title, but
ranks it's bearer as an esquire.
It may now be queried, what signif1'
canoe attaches to the distinction Of be-
ing an esquire at the present day
Such as advantage as exists lies in the
fact that at public functions esquires
take precedence of persons who do not
attain to that rank.
Such precedence will be more read
lily understood by the enumeration in
order of the ranks more Immediately
preceding and following the esquire.
Such ranks are:
Barorets' younger sons, knights
Younger sons, colonels, kings counsel.
.toctors of the three learned profess
...,..5. :sG..;ces. gentlemen, yeomcn