Peerage of England

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: England

(Text copied from deleted category page)

Peers of the Realm

Peers are nobles who were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords.

The Peerage of England (including Wales) covers the period prior to 1707.

Ranks of the English peerage are:

• Duke
• Marquess
• Earl
• Viscount
• Baron

Female Inheritance
While most newer English peerages descend only in male line, many older ones (particularly older baronies) can descend through females. Under English inheritance law all daughters are co-heirs, so many older English peerage titles fell into abeyance between various female co-heirs.

• Knights, Dames, and holders of other non-hereditary Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom are not peers but might be part of the Order of Precedence on the Honours System of the United Kingdom.

• Baronets are not peers, but may be regarded as a lower rank in the nobility: see below.

See The standard and usually authoritative reference is Complete Peerage, 2nd edn, 1910-1998, by Gibbs, Doubleday and others, 14 vols in 15.

This superseded Complete Peerage, 1st edn, by G.E Cokayne, 8 vols.

Other useful works include:

Collins's Peerage of England

Brydges, Egerton. (1812). Collins's Peerage of England: genealogical, biographical, and historical. London. (various editions; available in nine volumes):

1. Vol 1 - showing blood royal, and part of the dukes;
2. Vol 2 - rest of dukes and all marquises;
3. Vol 3 - earls to end of 17th century;
4. Vol 4 - earls from start of 18th century to death of George II
5. Vol 5 - earls from accession of George III;
6. Vol 6 - viscounts and barons whose honours existed before Queen Elizabeth died
7. Vol 7 - barons from accession of James I to end of Coalition Ministry in 1783;
8. Vol 8 - barons from start of Mr. Pitt's ministry 1784, to end of 18th century;
9. Vol 9 - barons from start of 19th century and Union of Ireland; and short extinct peerage from accession of Henry VII with account of peerage claims.

The Official Baronage of England

Doyle, (1866). The official baronage of England: showing the succession, dignities, and offices of every peer from 1066 to 1885, with sixteen hundred illustrations. London. (three volumes)"

1. Vol 1;
2. Vol 2;
3. Vol 3.

The Baronage of England
Dugdale. The Baronage of England: or an historical account of the lives and most memorable actions of our English nobility in the Saxons time to the Norman conquest, and from thence, of those who had their rise before the end of King Henry the Third's reign deduced from publick records, antient historians, and other authorities - Note that this work sometimes borders on fanciful.

For Dormant and Extinct Baronage see Thomas Banks:

Banks, T. (1807). The Dormant and Extinct Baronage of England or an historical and genealogical account of the lives, public employments, and most memorable actions of the English nobility who have flourished from the Norman conquest. London. (three volumes):

1. Vol 1;
2. Vol 2;
3. Vol 3.

For an account of all Baronies in Fee see Thomas Banks:

Banks, T. (1844). Baronia Anglica Concentrata: or, A concentrated account of all the baronies commonly called baronies in fee; deriving their origin from writ of summons, and not from any specific limited creation, whereto is added The proofs of parliamentary sitting, from the reign of Edw. I to that of Queen Anne; also A glossary of dormants English, Scotch, and Irish peerage titles. London. (two volumes):

1. Vol 1
2. Vol 2.

Wikipedia: Peerage of England

peer list with links to various titles.

Baronets

Baronets are holders of hereditary titles but are not peers.

The Complete baronetage

Cokayne, G.E. (1900), covers Baronetage in five volumes, four are applicable to this Peerage.

1. Vol 1 -English baronetcies, 1611-1800,1618-1625;
2. Vol 2 - English, Irish and Scottish, 1625-1649;
3. Vol 3 - English, Irish and Scottish, 1649-1664;
4. Vol 4 -English, Irish and Scottish, 1665-1707;
5. Vol 5 - Great Britain and Ireland, 1707-1800, and Jacobite, 1688-1788.

Baronetage of the United Kingdom

The Baronetage of the United Kingdom was founded after the formation of the United Kingdom in 1801, replacing the Baronetage of Great Britain. It is the current Baronetage.

Genealogy

A baronetcy becomes extinct when the holder has died and heirs cannot be traced and are believed not to exist. In this case the baronetcy will be removed from the Official Roll and declared extinct. As ordained by Royal Warrant in 1910, it is necessary to prove a claim of succession to be recognised as a Baronet and have a name entered on The Official Roll. The title would be re-activated should an heir emerge.

The Official List is managed by the Honourable Society of the Baronetage and they maintain the List of Baronetcies to which no succession has been proved which includes those who have chosen not to prove it because they prefer not to use it.

How to address

A baronet is entitled to the prefix “Sir” and the word “Baronet” after the name. This usually, although not always, precedes any other post-nominal letters to which he might be entitled. The word “Baronet” is usually shortened to “Bt” or “Bart”, the latter being regarded, today, as old fashioned but is often seen in research.

On wikitree use Sir in Prefix field and Bt in suffix field.

Categorisation

The category struction for the Peerage of England, along with other British and Irish nobility, is set out on Space:British_Isles_Nobility.