Here’s the info post on the British system of nobility I’ve been promising you all. It started as a brief history and some general information and then just… got out of hand. I had been working on it for a couple of weeks and then intended to stop and come back to it to clean it up, but when I started working on it again it started getting out of hand… again. So - here it is. I kind of just… ended it. So if you’ve got specific questions, please feel free to ask.
{PS: Read at your own risk. It’s about 5 pages, double spaced. And no, you can’t use it for your History research papers. But I did cite two really good sources I found, although the majority of my sources were just Wikipedia searches and so I left all but one of them off.}
Feudal Nobility
Prior to the Norman Conquest in 1066, England existed in a series of assorted tribes (Saxon, Welsh, Roman-British, Scottish, and some smaller denominations) all loosely organized under one elected[i] king.
Essentially, any man could – at this point – elevate his status by acquiring more land and support than another. Once a landowner reached an elevated status, he would begin conferring items of value to those lower to him, in order to assure their loyalty. In exchange for a share of the farmers’ crops, the chieftain would provide them with rare spices, or precious metals for them to build or trade with. Thus, the status of chieftain had more to do with one’s own volition and motivation, rather than being any specific reward from a king or government.
However, those who were close with the king were also typically living the life of a noble, as their relationship with the king made those in the lower echelons of society gravitate toward them in hope of protection and reward, and they were – undoubtedly – given favors by the kings on occasion for their service or friendship. And, since the position of King, at the time, was an appointed position, rather than an inherited one, the kings knew that they had to keep the Earls (those he had put in place and those who were there before his reign) happy in order to prevent any uprisings that may displace them in favor of another.[ii]
This system of nobility, as you have probably already realized, is quite different than the system we know today. King William I, better known to history as William the Conqueror, brought with him from Normandy a new system of nobility. Upon conquering the Anglo-Saxon tribes, William I replaced almost every single member of the pre-existing nobility (and the clergy, for that matter) with those who were loyal to him and had followed him from Normandy. By the end of his reign, William had created 180 “honors,” and had 5,000 knights ready and willing to fight for him, augmented by native Englishmen.
Unlike the modern nobility, the earldoms bestowed on those loyal to William I and the successive kings were not heredity, nor were they considered to be a part of the nobility. Earldoms were held by those that the king favored, and could be easily revoked and re-assigned on the king’s whim. Upon the death of the title-holder, the title did not automatically get inherited by any heirs, but rather had to be bestowed to the heir or would revert to the crown.
Prior to the conquest and just after, earls ranked higher than a sheriff but were not distinguished as separate ranks than a baron. The term “baron” came from the phrase “per baroniam,” which meant that the holder of the title held it in exchange for being in the King’s service. It also meant that the barons were given land by the king, along with the title, in exchange for their services to the king. Barons were, essentially, the stepping-stone to what is today known as Parliament. In the feudal system barons had those under him that assisted him in undertaking his duties, and the barons – as the next tier down from the king – assisted the king in his administrative duties.
An earl, meanwhile, was the highest-ranking executive office within a shire, and could also be a baron if he was holding land, as at the time, being an earl was not considered being a part of the nobility. The duties of an earl within a shire were different than those of a baron (which involved serving as the king’s cabinet, and managing his own feudal estates).
In 1265, barons-by-writ began being issued, setting the foundation for the nobility as we know it today. As the feudal system began to decline, barons were created purely by favor of the king, rather than due to their land holdings, however the land was attained. Around this time, the position of sheriff absorbed most of the administrative responsibilities of an earl, and earls became a part of the noble class. When it came time for the modern class system to develop, the title of earl ranked higher than the title of baron by virtue of the fact that earls had held the highest position within a shire, rather than just within their own estates.
Modern Nobility
In most cases, titles of the peerage have existed in a linear succession until they’ve become extinct. When lines become extinct the associated titles are sometimes then re-created for another branch of the same family, or later reassigned to an entirely different family. In fact, there are very few titles that existed in the time of King Henry VIII still exist today in a singular liner path of succession, without reversion or disruption.
Today’s British system of nobility is known as the “peerage.” The peerage is broken down into sub-divisions of rank and honor, which denote the status of the title-holder. These ranks are:
- Duke
- Marquess
- Earl
- Viscount
- Baron
The female equivalent of the above titles are, as follows:
- Duchess
- Marchioness
- Countess
- Viscountess
- Baroness
Due to the laws of primogeniture, most titles within the peerage are passed from one male to another in a direct line of succession dictated by familial relations. Some creations of certain titles have been made with the intention of allowing the title to pass to a female, rather than having the title become extinct.
However, there are few examples of females who hold titles in their own right, and even fewer examples of woman who had titles created specifically for them. Notably, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, held the title Marchioness of Pembroke in her own right, though the title was to pass through her male line. (It may also be noted that this title was not stipulated to have to pass through a legitimate male line – presumably because it was bestowed upon her prior to her marriage to Henry, and he assumed that any sons she had would be his sons as well.)
In addition to the various ranks within the peerage there are also various ranks of the peerage itself. All titles within the Peerage of England, for example, are superior to any titles in the Peerage of Great Britain, which are superior to titles in the Peerage of The United Kingdom. Additionally, within each title class there is an order of precedence. The Duke of Norfolk is the preeminent non-royal duke in the peerage, ranking above all over dukes. Interestingly, the Marquess of Winchester is the oldest and highest-ranking Marquess, being the only one within the Peerage of England without a higher title. However, since all other Marquesses within the Peerage of England are also dukes, it is – incidentally – also the lowest ranking Marquess. There are two other Marquesses that do not hold dukedoms, but those are in the Peerage of Great Britain, which automatically ranks lower than the Peerage of England.
The nobility of modern times has changed regarding the scope of official responsibilities pertaining to the state/monarchy, but not in tradition. Peers, as members of the Peerage are called, are no longer expected to collect taxes, act as judge and jury of their dependents, or provide military protection of boarders. They are, however, required to attend certain state occasions, such as coronations, dressed in their traditional coronets and robes.
Additionally, some peers, such as the Duke of Norfolk, retain ceremonial duties in relation to the monarch. The Duke of Norfolk also holds the hereditary title of Earl Marshal, which levies him with the responsibility of arranging all state funerals and coronations.[iii]
