Misplaced Pages

Baronage of Scotland

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

A charter is the grant of authority or rights , stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty ), and that the recipient admits a limited (or inferior) status within the relationship, and it is within that sense that charters were historically granted, and it is that sense which is retained in modern usage of the term. In early medieval Britain, charters transferred land from donors to recipients.

#703296

109-475: In Scotland, " baron " or "baroness" is a rank of the ancient nobility of the Baronage of Scotland , a hereditary title of honour , and refers to the holder of a barony, formerly a feudal superiority ( dominium directum ) or prescriptive barony attached to land erected into a free barony by Crown Charter, this being the status of a minor baron, recognised by the crown as noble, but not a peer. The Court of

218-535: A barony were entitled to style themselves as a baron ( French : baron ) if they were nobles ; a roturier ( commoner ) could only be a seigneur de la baronnie (lord of the barony). French baronies could be sold freely until 1789, when the Constituent Assembly abolished feudal law. The title of baron was assumed as a titre de courtoisie by many nobles, whether members of the Nobles of

327-478: A rank in the nobility, without implication of allodial or feudal status. Since 1919, hereditary titles have had no legal status in Germany. In modern, republican Germany, Freiherr and Baron remain heritable only as part of the legal surname (and may thereby be transmitted to husbands, wives and children, without implication of nobility). In Austria, hereditary titles have been completely banned. Thus,

436-663: A tenant-in-chief of the early Norman kings who held his lands by the feudal tenure of " barony " (in Latin per barōniam ), and who was entitled to attend the Great Council ( Magnum Concilium ) which by the 13th century had developed into the Parliament of England . Feudal baronies (or "baronies by tenure ") are now obsolete in England and without any legal force, but any such historical titles are held in gross , that

545-404: A "prescriptive feudal grant" allowed developers to impose perpetual conditions affecting the land. The courts became willing to accept the validity of such obligations, which became known as "real burdens". In practical and commercial terms, these real burdens were like English leasehold tenure. The first Scottish Executive was committed to abolishing the feudal system . On 28 November 2004,

654-527: A Russian baron. There were two main groups of nobility which held the baronial title. One was the Baltic German nobility, for which Russia merely recognized their pre-existing titles; the other was new barons created by the Emperors of Russia after 1721. Like in many other countries, new baronial titles were often created by ennoblement of rich bourgeoisie . The title of baron, along with the rest of

763-438: A baron as Lord [Barony] and his wife as Lady [Barony] , and baronesses in their own right as Baroness [X] or Lady [X] . In direct address, barons and baronesses can also be referred to as My Lord , Your Lordship , or Your Ladyship or My Lady . The husband of a baroness in her own right gains no title or style from his wife. The Right Honourable is frequently abbreviated to The Rt Hon. or Rt Hon. When referred to by

872-591: A baron is a nobile dei baroni and in informal usage might be called a baron, while certain baronies devolve to heirs male general. Since 1948 titles of nobility have not been recognised by the Italian state. In the absence of a nobiliary or heraldic authority in Italy there are, in fact, numerous persons who claim to be barons or counts without any basis for such claims. Baron and noble ( nobile ) are hereditary titles and, as such, could only be created or recognised by

981-568: A barony, formerly a feudal superiority or prescriptive barony attached to land erected into a free barony by Crown Charter. The Court of the Lord Lyon will officially recognise those possessing the dignity of baron (and other titles that are but nobler titles of baron within the Baronage of Scotland lord/earl/marquis/duke see lordships in the Baronage of Scotland ) on petition who meet certain criteria, and will grant them baronial arms with

1090-679: A certain ancient stick, "The Bachuil Mór", which was once the bishop's staff of Saint Moluag in the year 562. Unlike all other barons in Scotland, the lawful possessor of the stick is the Baron of the Bachuil, regardless of landholdings. On 28 November 2004 the Abolition of Feudal Tenure Act came into force in Scotland. Prior to the Act, Scottish baronies (including lordships and earldoms ) remained

1199-580: A helmet befitting their degree. Scottish barons rank below Lords of Parliament and while noble have the status of minor baron, being a non- Peerage rank; as such it can be transferred by either inheritance or assignation. In showing that Scottish barons are titles of nobility, reference may be made, amongst others, to the Lyon Court in the Petition of Maclean of Ardgour for a Birthbrieve by Interlocutor dated 26 February 1943 which "Finds and Declares that

SECTION 10

#1732794306704

1308-481: A list of Lordships in the Baronage of Scotland Earl is the third degree of baronage nobility, nobler than Baron (first) and Lord (second). Click here for a list of Earldoms in the Baronage of Scotland Fourth and fifth degrees of baronage nobility, the noblest forms in the hierarchy. Click here for a list of Marquisates and Dukedoms in the Baronage of Scotland Higher dignities compared to baronage titles, erected in liberam regalitatem . Click here for

1417-424: A list of Lordships of Regality Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary , in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness . Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight , but lower than a viscount or count . Often, barons hold their fief – their lands and income – directly from

1526-412: A member of the formerly reigning House of Habsburg or members of the former nobility would in most cases simply be addressed as Herr/Frau (Habsburg) in an official/public context, for instance in the media. Still, in both countries, honorary styles like "His/Her (Imperial/Royal) Highness", "Serenity", etc. persist in social use as a form of courtesy. In Luxembourg and Liechtenstein (where German

1635-416: A peerage in the rank of baron is entitled to a coronet bearing six silver balls (called pearls) around the rim, equally spaced and all of equal size and height. The rim itself is neither jeweled nor " chased " (which is the case for the coronets of peers of higher degree). The actual coronet is worn only for the coronation of a new monarch, but a baron can bear his coronet of rank on his coat of arms above

1744-413: A three-pointed coronet. Families which had been ennobled at a definite point in time ( Briefadel or "nobility by patent ") had seven points on their coronet. These families held their fief in vassalage from a suzerain . The holder of an allodial (i.e. suzerain-free) barony was thus called a Free Lord , or Freiherr . Subsequently, sovereigns in Germany conferred the title of Freiherr as

1853-656: A unified Parliament of Great Britain (since January, 1801, the Parliament of the United Kingdom ), at Westminster , was responsible for passing legislation affecting private law both north and south of the Scottish border. In 1999, the devolved Scottish Parliament was established, and private law measures can now be passed at Holyrood , the seat of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh . Using

1962-427: A university. The form of charter used varies by period and jurisdiction. A charter of " Inspeximus " (Latin, literally "We have inspected") is frequently a royal charter, by which an earlier charter or series of charters relating to a particular foundation (such as a monastery or a guild) was recited and incorporated into a new charter, usually in order to confirm and renew its validity under present authority. Where

2071-416: Is a Lord of Parliament . Scottish barons were entitled to a red cap of maintenance ( chapeau ) turned up ermine if petitioning for a grant or matriculation of a coat of arms between the 1930s and 2004. This chapeau is identical to the red cap worn by an English baron, but without the silver balls or gilt. This is sometimes depicted in armorial paintings between the shield and the helmet. Additionally, if

2180-546: Is a jewelled rim of gold surmounted by seven visible pearls , set upon the rim directly or upon stems; alternately, the French style coronet (entwined in a string of small pearls, with or without four bigger visible pearls set upon the rim) is used. In the medieval era, some allodial and enfeoffed lands held by nobles were created or recognized as baronies by the Holy Roman Emperors , within whose realm most of

2289-399: Is disputable. They are known as minor barons currently treated as noble titles of less than peerage rank. The Scottish equivalent of an English baron is " Lord of Parliament ". The baronial title tends to be used when a landed family is not in possession of any United Kingdom peerage title of higher rank, subsequently granted, or has been created a knight of the realm . The name recorded by

SECTION 20

#1732794306704

2398-613: Is evidenced by several sources. For instance, the Lyon Court's Petition of Maclean of Ardgour for a Birthbrieve, dated 26 February 1943, finds and declares that the minor barons of Scotland are recognised as titled nobility in both the Lyon Court and the Court of Session . This confirms that the estate of the Baronage, comprising the barones minores (minor barons), is part of the ancient feudal nobility of Scotland. Sir Thomas Innes of Learney in his 'Scots Heraldry' (2nd Ed., p. 88, note 1) states that 'The Act 1672, cap 47, specially qualifies

2507-475: Is not subject to the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 , a law for new grants and these are existing titles and Scottish baronies by their nature were erected in crown charters as free baronies and are thus freely assignable. Crown charters refer to "heirs and assignees" , unlike other hereditary noble titles with rules of succession. That said, titles in the Baronage of Scotland are often passed down through

2616-540: Is one that has different rules, regulations, and statutes from a state school. Charter can be used as a synonym for "hire" or "lease", as in the "charter" of a bus , boat or plane . A charter member (US English) of an organization is an original member; that is, one who became a member when the organization received its charter. A chartered member (British English) is a member who holds an individual chartered designation authorized under that organization's royal charter. Anglo-Saxon charters are documents from

2725-421: Is put before the name. The prefix honorific "Much Honoured" is used to distinguish Scottish Barons from honorifics attaching to peers : e.g. The Much Hon. The Baron of Inverglen / Much Hon. Baron of Inverglen / Much Hon. John Smith, Baron of Inverglen / Much Hon. John, Baron of Inverglen. The former Lord Lyon declined to award the following baronial additaments to the arms of those barons registering arms now that

2834-516: Is relevant when a baron or baroness's title is completely different from his or her personal surname (e.g. William Thomson, Lord Kelvin ) or includes a territorial designation in addition to his surname (e.g. Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow ). This also means that including a baron or baroness's forename before his or her title is incorrect and potentially misleading. For example, "Lady Margaret Thatcher" (as opposed to "Lady Thatcher") would imply that she

2943-475: Is simply "baron." Heraldry for Scottish baronies is governed by the Court of the Lord Lyon . This court issued a ruling in April 2015 that may recognise a person possessing a barony (and other titles that are but nobler titles of baron within the Baronage of Scotland lord/earl/marquis/duke see lordships in the Baronage of Scotland ) on petition. The Lord Lyon King of Arms now prefers the approach of recognising

3052-452: Is the literal translation for "knight", and persons who held that title enjoyed a distinct, but lower, rank in Germany's nobility than barons ( Freiherren ). The wife of a Freiherr (Baron) is called a Freifrau or sometimes Baronin , his daughter Freiin or sometimes Baroness . Families which had always held this status were called Uradel ('primordial/ancient/original nobility'), and were heraldically entitled to

3161-455: Is the official language), barons remain members of the recognized nobility, and the sovereigns retain authority to confer the title ( morganatic cadets of the princely dynasty received the title Baron of Lanskron , using both Freiherr and Baron for different members of this branch.) Generally, all legitimate males of a German baronial family inherit the title Freiherr or Baron from birth, as all legitimate daughters inherit

3270-583: Is to say are deemed to be enveloped within a more modern extant peerage title also held by the holder, sometimes along with vestigial manorial rights and tenures by grand serjeanty . After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Norman dynasty introduced an adaptation of the French feudal system to the Kingdom of England . Initially, the term "baron" on its own was not a title or rank, but the "barons of

3379-461: Is wrong if the lady in question does not hold a Scottish barony in her own right. Orally, Scottish barons may be addressed with the name of their barony, as in Edinburgh or else as Baron without anything else following, which if present would suggest a peerage barony. Informally, when referring to a Scots baron in the third person, the name Baron of [X] is used or simply [X] . Scottish Barons may record [surname] of [territorial designation] in

Baronage of Scotland - Misplaced Pages Continue

3488-601: The grandeza . The sovereign continues to grant baronial titles. Charter The word entered the English language from the Old French charte , via Latin charta , and ultimately from Greek χάρτης ( khartes , meaning "layer of papyrus"). It has come to be synonymous with a document that sets out a grant of rights or privileges. The term is used for a special case (or as an exception) of an institutional charter. A charter school , for example,

3597-489: The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 came into full force and effect, putting an end to Scotland's feudal system. Under Scots law , a Scottish Prescriptive Barony by Tenure is now an incorporeal hereditament , no longer a feudal title, not attached to the land and remains the only genuine, prescriptive , degree of title of UK nobility capable of being transferred or conveyed – since under Section 63(1) of

3706-570: The British model . Baron-peer was the lowest title, but the heirs to pre-1789 barons could remain barons, as could the elder sons of viscount -peers and the younger sons of count -peers. This peerage system was abolished in 1848. In pre-republican Germany all the knightly families of the Holy Roman Empire (sometimes distinguished by the prefix von or zu ) eventually were recognised as of baronial rank, although Ritter

3815-535: The Baronetcy Warrants of King Charles I show the non-peerage Table of Precedence as: Baronets , Knights , Barons , Lairds , Esquire and Gentlemen . A General Register of Sasines was set up by statute in 1617, with entry in the Register giving the prescriptive right (right by normal or correct usage), after so many years, to the caput or essence of the barony. The individual who owned

3924-592: The County Court presided over by the sheriff, who themselves formed the precursor of the House of Commons . Thus appeared a definite distinction, which eventually had the effect of restricting to the greater barons alone the privileges and duties of peerage. Later, the king started to create new baronies in one of two ways: by a writ of summons directing a chosen man to attend Parliament , and in an even later development by letters patent . Writs of summons became

4033-572: The Dutch kings. But such recognition was not automatic, having to be authenticated by the Supreme Council of Nobility and then approved by the sovereign. This ceased to be possible after the Dutch constitution was revised in 1983. More than one hundred Dutch baronial families have been recognized. The title is usually inherited by all males descended patrilineally from the original recipient of

4142-631: The Foreigners' Isles ", which had preceded the kingdom of Scotland, became eligible to attend the Scots Parliament – appearing in the record of the parliament at St Andrews in 1309. Historically they have a chapeau, "gules doubled ermines", ermines being white tails on black. There is a unique exception: the Barony of the Bachuil is not of feudal origin like other baronies, but is allodial in that it predates (AD 562) Scotland itself and

4251-630: The King's Council , which evolved into the Parliament and later into the House of Lords , while as was stipulated in Magna Carta of 1215, the lesser barons of each county would receive a single summons as a group through the sheriff , and representatives only from their number would be elected to attend on behalf of the group. These representatives developed into the Knights of the Shire , elected by

4360-546: The Lord Lyon as part of any grant of arms or matriculation becomes the holder's name for all official purposes. The holder of a Scottish barony ( e.g. , "Inverglen") may add the title to their existing name ( e.g. , "John Smith, Baron of Inverglen" or "Jane Smith, Baroness of Inverglen") or add the territorial designation to their surname if still in possession of the caput ("John Smith of Inverglen, Baron of Inverglen" or "Jane Smith of Inverglen, Baroness of Inverglen"); some of

4469-847: The Low Countries lay. Subsequently, the Habsburgs continued to confer the baronial title in the Southern Netherlands , first as kings of Spain and then, again, as emperors until abolition of the Holy Roman Empire, but these had become titular elevations rather than grants of new territory. In the Netherlands after 1815, titles of baron authorized by previous monarchs (except those of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland ) were usually recognized by

Baronage of Scotland - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-516: The Old French baron , from a Late Latin barō "man; servant, soldier , mercenary " (so used in Salic law ; Alemannic law has barus in the same sense). The scholar Isidore of Seville in the 7th century thought the word was from Greek βᾰρῠ́ς "heavy" (because of the "heavy work" done by mercenaries), but the word is presumably of Old Frankish origin, cognate with Old English beorn meaning "warrior, nobleman". Cornutus in

4687-458: The Peerage of England , the Peerage of Great Britain , the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of the United Kingdom (but not in the Peerage of Scotland ), barons form the lowest rank, placed immediately below viscounts . A woman of baronial rank has the title baroness . In the Kingdom of England , the medieval Latin word barō (genitive singular barōnis ) was used originally to denote

4796-514: The Riksdag of the Estates . In 1561, Sweden's King Eric XIV granted the hereditary titles of count and vapaaherra to some of these, but not all. Although their cadet family members were not entitled to vote or sit in the Riksdag , they were legally entitled to the same title as the head of the family, but in customary address they became Paroni or Paronitar . Theoretically, in

4905-401: The Scottish peerage and they coexist to this day. The Scottish equivalent of an English baron is a Lord of Parliament . A "Scottish Prescriptive Barony by Tenure " was, until 2004, the description of the only genuine degree of title of British nobility capable of being disponed along with the caput (or property), rather than passing strictly by blood inheritance. Statutes of 1592 and

5014-529: The Swedish nobility ( baron is used orally, while it is written as friherre ), and vapaaherra in the nobility of Finland . In the beginning, Finnish nobles were all without honorific titulature, and known simply as lords. Since the Middle Ages , each head of a noble family had been entitled to a vote in any of Finland's provincial diets whenever held, as in the realm's House of Nobility of

5123-576: The early medieval period in Britain which typically make a grant of land or record a privilege. They are usually written on parchment , in Latin but often with sections in the vernacular, describing the bounds of estates, which often correspond closely to modern parish boundaries. The earliest surviving charters were drawn up in the 670s; the oldest surviving charters granted land to the Church , but from

5232-406: The terms of reference ) is provided by the sponsor to formally authorize the existence of a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project purpose and objectives, identifies key stakeholders, and defines the authority of the project manager. It serves as a reference of authority for future planning of the project. The project scope is developed from

5341-462: The 16th and 17th centuries, families elevated to vapaaherra status were granted a barony in fief , enjoying some rights of taxation and judicial authority. Subsequently, the "barony" was titular, usually attached to a family property, which was sometimes entailed . Their exemptions from taxes on landed properties continued into the 20th century, although in the 19th century tax reforms narrowed this privilege. Nobility creations continued until 1917,

5450-438: The 1930s and 2004, when new arms were granted or a matriculation of existing arms took note of a barony, the owner was given a chapeau or cap of maintenance as part of his armorial achievement on petitioning for the same. This chapeau is described as "gules doubled ermine" for barons in possession of the caput of the barony. An azure chapeau is appropriate for the heirs of ancient baronial families who are no longer owners of

5559-510: The 8th century surviving charters were increasingly used to grant land to lay people . The British Empire used three main types of colonies as it sought to expand its territory to distant parts of the earth. These three types were royal colonies, proprietary colonies , and corporate colonies. A charter colony by definition is a "colony chartered to an individual, trading company, etc., by the British crown ." Although charter colonies were not

SECTION 50

#1732794306704

5668-483: The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 is in force. However, the current Lord Lyon has confirmed in a recent policy statement that he will officially recognise barons or those possessing the dignity of baron who meet certain conditions and will grant them arms with a helmet befitting their degree. Scottish Barons rank below Lords of Parliament; while noble, they are not conventionally considered peerage titles. The status of Scottish barons as titled nobility

5777-498: The Act, the dignity of baron is preserved after the abolition of the feudal system. However, the Abolition Act did end the ability to obtain feudal land privileges by inheriting or acquiring the caput (land or castle) in Scotland. In common law jurisdictions, land may still be owned and inherited through a barony if the land is titled in "the Baron of X" as baron rather than in the individual's name. In America, it passes with

5886-617: The Crown , or the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland . It was an essential element of a barony title that there existed a Crown Charter erecting the land into a barony, recorded in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland . Often the original Charter was later lost; however an Official Extract has the same legal status as the original Charter. From the Treaty of Union of 1707 until 1999,

5995-562: The Feudal Tenure Act (1662), and the Fines and Recoveries Act of 1834, titles of feudal barony became obsolete and without legal force. The Abolition Act 1660 specifically states: baronies by tenure were converted into baronies by writ. The rest ceased to exist as feudal baronies by tenure, becoming baronies in free socage, that is to say under a "free" (hereditable) contract requiring payment of monetary rents. Alfred, Lord Tennyson

6104-608: The King" were the men of the king. Previously, in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England, the king's companions held the title of earl and in Scotland , the title of thane . All who held their feudal barony " in-chief of the king ", that is with the king as his immediate overlord , became alike barones regis ("barons of the king"), bound to perform a stipulated annual military service and obliged to attend his council. The greatest of

6213-573: The Lord Lyon representing the monarch in Scotland, institutional writers, the registry of Scots Nobility, the Scottish Law Commission Government Website, UK Government Legislation Website and the Scottish Parliament all refer to the noble title of a Scottish baron. A Scottish barony is the only UK title of nobility which can be legally alienated from the bloodline of its previous possessor. It

6322-667: The Lord Lyon for a grant of arms , as he falls under the jurisdiction of the Lyon's Court . A policy statement has been made to this effect by the Lord Lyon. The Lyon Court has no jurisdiction in relation to the assignation, or legal transfer of, baronial titles. An English barony is a peerage (yet Article 10 of the Tenures Abolition Act 1660 allows for some remaining non-peer baronies not converted by writ to remain as feudal baronies of free socage "incorporeal hereditament"); but whether Scottish barons rightfully rank as peers

6431-538: The Minor Barons of Scotland are, and have both in this Nobiliary Court, and in the Court of Session, been recognised as 'titled' nobility, and that the estait of the Baronage (The Barones Minores) is of the ancient Feudal Nobility of Scotland". Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, in his Scots Heraldry (2nd Ed., p. 88, note 1), states that "The Act 1672, cap 47, specially qualifies the degrees thus: Nobles (i.e. peers,

6540-478: The Normans during the 11th century. Whereas originally a barony might consist of two or more manors, by 1700 we see what were formerly single manors erected into baronies, counties or even marquisates. Since the early 1800s, when feudalism was abolished in the various Italian states, it has often been granted as a simple hereditary title without any territorial designation or predicato . The untitled younger son of

6649-522: The Robe or cadets of Nobles of the Sword who held no title in their own right. Emperor Napoléon ( r.  1804–1815 ) created a new imperial nobility in which baron appeared from 1808 as the second-lowest title. The titles were inherited through a male-only line of descent and could not be purchased. In 1815, King Louis XVIII created a new peerage system and a Chamber of Peers , based on

SECTION 60

#1732794306704

6758-534: The Sovereign in public instruments, The Right Honourable is changed to Our right trusty and well-beloved , with Counsellor attached if they are a Privy Counsellor . Children of barons and baronesses in their own right, whether hereditary or for life, have the style The Honourable [Forename] [Surname] . After the death of the father or mother, the child may continue to use this style. Courtesy barons are styled Lord [Barony] , and their wives Lady [Barony] ;

6867-415: The applicant to include the territorial designation as part of their surname (Surname of territorial designation e.g. Smith of Inverglen ). The Observation would then show the holder's full name, followed by their baronial title, e.g. The holder is John Smith, Baron of Inverglen . Sometimes (for example on the envelope of a letter or place name) the prefix honorific style The Much Hon. ( The Much Honoured )

6976-420: The article "The" is always absent. If the courtesy baron is not a Privy Counsellor, the style The Right Honourable will also be absent. It is very common for the surnames of barons and baronesses to be identical to or included in the formal title of their barony. However, when addressed as a peer, the title of Lord , Lady , or Baroness is followed by the name of his or her barony, not his personal name. This

7085-440: The baron is the head of a family, he may include a chiefly coronet which is similar to a ducal coronet, but with four strawberry leaves. Because the chapeau was a relatively recent innovation, a number of ancient arms of Scottish feudal barons do not display the chapeau. Now, Scottish barons are principally recognised by the baron's helm, which in Scotland is a steel helmet with grille of three grilles, garnished in gold. Occasionally,

7194-458: The barony as a fee simple appurtenance to an otherwise incorporeal hereditament , the barony being treated like a landowning corporation . In Scotland, the practice has not been tested in a Court of Session case since the Act. One of the oldest baronage titles in Scotland, the Baron of the Bachuil , has not depended on land ownership for centuries; the barony passes along with the possession of

7303-451: The degrees thus: Nobles (i.e. peers, the term being here used in a restricted seventeenth-century English sense), Barons (i.e. Lairds of baronial fiefs and their "heirs", who, even if fiefless, are equivalent to heads of Continental baronial houses) and Gentlemen (apparently all other armigers).' Baronets and knights are evidently classed as 'Gentlemen' here and are of a lower degree than Barons. The Scottish Head of Baronial Houses, includes all

7412-536: The end of Finland's grand ducal monarchy . Muscovite Russia had no traditional baronial titles of its own; they were introduced in early Imperial Russia by Peter the Great . In the hierarchy of nobility introduced by Peter the Great, barons ( барон ) ranked above untitled nobility and below counts ( граф , graf ). The styles "Your Well-born" ( Ваше благородие , Vashe blagorodiye ) and "Master Baron" ( Господин барон , Gospodin baron ) were used to address

7521-455: The end of her name, e.g. "Sandra Smith, Maid of Inverglen". The husband of a Baroness is not afforded a courtesy title. The United Kingdom policy of using titles on passports requires that the applicant provides evidence that the Lord Lyon has recognised a barony, or the title is included in Burke's Peerage . If accepted (and if the applicant wishes to include the title), the correct form is for

7630-485: The estates. This chapeau was a relatively recent armorial invention of the late Lord Lyon, Sir Thomas Innes of Learney . Accordingly, a number of ancient arms of barons do not display the chapeau, and now it is no longer granted. By the Treaty of Perth in 1266, Norway relinquished its claim to the Hebrides and Man, and they became part of Scotland. In 1292, Argyll was created a shire, and "The Barons of all Argyll and

7739-574: The feudal system, dating from the Gaelic Kingdom of Dál Riata . In recognition as allodial Barons par la grâce de Dieu not barons by a feudal crown grant, the Baron of the Bachuil has the only chapeau allowed to have a vair ( squirrel fur) lining. Below is an incomplete list of Baronies created in the baronage, you can help by suggesting edits on the Talk page with evidence links. Titles in italics are subsidiary baronial titles held by

7848-516: The first century already reports a word barones which he took to be of Gaulish origin. He glosses it as meaning servos militum and explains it as meaning "stupid", by reference to classical Latin bārō "simpleton, dunce"; because of this early reference, the word has also been suggested to derive from an otherwise unknown Celtic * bar , but the Oxford English Dictionary takes this to be "a figment". In

7957-515: The generations, staying within the family lineage. The dignity of baron is protected in law by the Scottish Parliament after the abolition of the feudal system in the Abolition of Feudal Tenure, etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 , which came into force in 2004. After this date extant feudal titles ceased to be feudal, becoming personal titles, no longer attached to the land. Therefore, it is incorrect to refer to them as "feudal barons" today. The correct term

8066-519: The grand duchy's prime ministers inherited baronial titles that were used during their tenures in office, Victor de Tornaco and Félix de Blochausen . In Norway, king Magnus VI of Norway (1238–1280) replaced the title Lendmann with Baron, but in 1308 Haakon V abolished the title. The present corresponding title is baron in the Danish nobility and the Norwegian nobility , friherre in

8175-590: The great tilting-helm garnished with gold is shown, or a helmet befitting a higher rank, if held. Scottish barons style their surnames similarly to Clan Chiefs if they own the caput, with the name of their barony following their name, as in John Smith of Edinburgh, Baron of Edinburgh otherwise John Smith, Baron of Edinburgh . Most formally, and in writing, they are styled as The Much Honoured Baron of Edinburgh . Their wives are styled Lady Edinburgh , or The Baroness of Edinburgh . The phrase Lady of Edinburgh

8284-472: The holder of any large (non-feudal) landed estate calling himself a baron. Nevertheless, both were common practices. In most of peninsular Italy the widespread medieval introduction of the title was Longobardic , while in Sicily and Sardinia it was coeval with Norman rule some centuries later, and one referred to the baronage when speaking of landed nobles generally. The heraldic coronet of an Italian baron

8393-550: The husband is the holder of the Barony, the wife receives a courtesy title. Therefore, they may be styled "The Baron and Baroness of Inverglen", "Inverglen and Madam Smith of Inverglen", "Inverglen and Lady Inverglen", or "The Baron of Inverglen and Lady Inverglen." The oldest son of a baron/baroness may be known by the territorial designation with the addition of "yr" (abbreviation for "younger"), e.g. "John Smith of Inverglen, yr". The eldest daughter may be known as "Maid of Inverglen" at

8502-573: The kings of Italy or (before 1860) the pre-unitary Italian states such as the Two Sicilies , Tuscany , Parma or Modena , or by the Holy See (Vatican) or the Republic of San Marino . Beginning around 1800, a number of signori ( lords of the manor ) began to style themselves barone but in many cases this was not sanctioned legally by decree, while there was even less justification in

8611-505: The laws of the state or province in which they are located. Often, this event is marked by the award or declaration of a municipal charter, a term used because municipal power was historically granted by the sovereign, by royal charter . Charters for chivalric orders and other orders, such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta . In project management , a project charter or project definition (sometimes called

8720-415: The legal fiction that the King had granted it "voluntarily, and by the free exercise of [his] royal authority", in the manner of medieval charters. At one time a royal charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be formed, but other means (such as the registration process for limited companies ) are generally now used instead. A university charter is a charter issued to create or recognise

8829-470: The monarch. Barons are less often the vassals of other nobles. In many kingdoms, they were entitled to wear a smaller form of a crown called a coronet . The term originates from the Latin term barō , via Old French . The use of the title baron came to England via the Norman Conquest of 1066, then the Normans brought the title to Scotland and Southern Italy . It later spread to Scandinavian and Slavic lands. The word baron comes from

8938-862: The most prevalent of the three types of colonies in the British Empire, they were by no means insignificant. A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority, and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code . A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body , including (but not necessarily limited to) cities , counties , towns , townships , charter townships , villages , and boroughs . Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under

9047-648: The noble hierarchy, was abolished in December 1917 after the Bolshevik Revolution ; however, certain leaders of the White movement like Baron Pyotr Wrangel and Roman von Ungern-Sternberg continued to use the title until the end of the Russian Civil War . In Spain, the title follows Vizconde in the noble hierarchy, and ranks above Señor . Baronesa is the feminine form, for

9156-624: The nobles, especially those in the Marches , such as the Earls of Chester and the Bishops of Durham , whose territories were often deemed palatine , that is to say "worthy of a prince", might refer to their own tenants as "barons", where lesser magnates spoke simply of their "men" ( homines ) and lords of the manor might reference "bondmen". Initially those who held land directly from the king by military service , from earls downwards, all bore alike

9265-493: The normal method in medieval times, displacing the method of feudal barony, but creation of baronies by letters patent is the sole method adopted in modern times. Since the adoption of summons by writ, baronies thus no longer relate directly to land-holding, and thus no more feudal baronies needed to be created from then on. Following the Modus Tenendi Parliamenta of 1419, the Tenures Abolition Act 1660 ,

9374-496: The oldest Scottish families prefer to be styled by the territorial designation alone ("Smith of Inverglen"). Formally and in writing, they are styled as The Much Honoured Baron/Baroness of Inverglen. A baron/baroness may be addressed socially as "Inverglen" or "Baron/Baroness" and introduced in the third person as "John Smith of Inverglen, Baron of Inverglen" or "The Baron of Inverglen" or "Jane Smith, Baroness of Inverglen" or "The Baroness of Inverglen". When referred to informally in

9483-448: The only noble titles in the UK that were transferable following the sale of land containing a caput ( i.e. superiority). With the implementation of the Act, all Scottish baronage titles became incorporeal heritable property , meaning they existed but without any physical attributes (e.g. land ownership which is corporeal property). Most baronies were created (erected) prior to 1745, but one

9592-629: The particular dignity as expressed in the Crown Charter that the petitioner presents. Scottish baronies may be passed to any person, of either sex, by inheritance or assignation. Scotland has a distinct legal system within the United Kingdom . Historically, in the Kingdom of Scotland , the Lord Lyon King of Arms, as the Sovereign's minister in matters armorial, was at once herald and judge . The Scottish baronage predates

9701-478: The project charter. In medieval Europe, royal charters were used to create cities (i.e., localities with recognised legal rights and privileges). The date that such a charter was granted is considered to be when a city was "founded", regardless of when the locality originally began to be settled. The Charter of 1814 , France's constitution during the Bourbon Restoration , was thus called to promote

9810-633: The royal family; for example, Maurice Roche, 6th Baron Fermoy is William's first cousin once removed, through William's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales , who was the 4th Baron Fermoy 's granddaughter. The title of baron ( Irish : barún ) was created in the Peerage of Ireland shortly after the Norman invasion of Ireland (1169). Ireland's first baronies included Baron Athenry (1172), Baron Offaly (c. 1193), Baron Kerry (1223), Baron Dunboyne (1324), Baron Gormanston (1365–70), Baron Slane (1370), Baron of Dunsany (1439), Baron Louth (c. 1458) and Baron Trimlestown (1461). A person holding

9919-564: The said piece of land containing the caput was hence the baron or baroness. Uncertainty over armorial right was removed by the Lyon Register being set up by statute in 1672, such that no arms were to be borne in Scotland unless validly entered in Lyon Register. Until 1874, each new baron was confirmed in his barony by the Crown by Charter of Confirmation. Until 28 November 2004, a barony was an estate of land held directly of

10028-451: The same baron. Titles linked and with The before the name is the holder's primary title. a: The creation date is the earliest known date for the barony and subject to revision. b: C before the date is circa around this date of before. C after the date = century. The second degree of baronage nobility. If a Barony has been raised to a Lordship then it will not be listed with baronies on this page, see Lordship list: Click here for

10137-568: The shield. In heraldry, the baron's coronet is shown with four of the balls visible. Formally, barons are styled The Right Honourable The Lord [Barony] and barons’ wives are styled The Right Honourable The Lady [Barony] . Baronesses in their own right, whether hereditary or for life, are either styled The Right Honourable The Baroness [Barony] or The Right Honourable The Lady [Barony] , mainly based on personal preference (e.g. Lady Thatcher and Baroness Warsi , both life baronesses in their own right). Less formally, one refers to or addresses

10246-491: The son and heir of an Earl or higher-ranked peer. The Scottish baronial title tends to be used when a landed family is not in possession of any United Kingdom peerage title of higher rank, subsequently granted, or has been created a knight of the realm. Several members of the royal family with the style of Royal Highness are also titled Barons. For example, William, Prince of Wales is also The Baron of Renfrew and The Baron Carrickfergus . Some non-royal Barons are related to

10355-460: The sovereign continues to exercise the prerogative to confer baronial and other titles of nobility. Baron is the third lowest title within the nobility system above knight ( French : chevalier , Dutch : ridder ) and below viscount . There are still a number of families in Belgium that bear the title of baron. Luxembourg's monarch retains the right to confer the baronial title. Two of

10464-538: The stile of their Court Barons, which is Curia Baronis, &c . And I have read hors de son Barony in a barr to an Avowry for hors de son fee ) But also the Judges of the Exchequer have it from antient time fixed on them." Within a century of the Norman Conquest of 1066, as in the case of Thomas Becket in 1164, there arose the practice of sending to each greater baron a personal summons demanding his attendance at

10573-404: The surname field and a standard observation is recorded giving the holder's full name and title. A Baron would therefore record his surname as Lord [Barony] , and the observation would note that The holder is The Right Honourable [given names] [surname] Lord [Barony] . However, if the title of an applicant's peerage is different from his surname, he can choose whether to use his surname or title in

10682-523: The surname field of their passport, and an official observation would then note that The holder is [given names] [surname] Baron of [territorial designation] ; applicants must provide evidence that the Lord Lyon has recognised their feudal barony, or else be included in Burke's Peerage. During the Ancien Régime , French baronies were very much like Scottish ones . Feudal landholders who possessed

10791-467: The surname field. A baroness in her own right would substitute "Baroness" for "Lord", and the wife of a Baron would similarly substitute "Lady". Titles of nobility are checked against Debrett's Peerage, Who's Who, or the London Gazette by the passport office on application. In Scotland , the rank of baron is a rank of the ancient nobility of the Baronage of Scotland and refers to the holder of

10900-408: The term being here used in a restricted seventeenth-century English sense), Barons (i.e. Lairds of baronial fiefs and their 'heirs', who, even if fiefless, are equivalent to heads of Continental baronial houses) and Gentlemen (apparently all other armigers)." Baronets and knights are evidently classed as 'Gentlemen' here and are of a lower degree than Barons. The Scottish equivalent of an English baron

11009-410: The third person it is incorrect to refer to them as "Baron/Baroness Inverglen" or "Lord Inverglen", as these would imply a peerage title (i.e. Lord of Parliament). However female barons, either the substantive holder or wife, can be interchangeably "Baroness of Inverglen" or "Lady Inverglen" without the "of" similarly to the social custom for female lairds or wives. In a heterosexual married couple, if

11118-472: The title of Freiin or Baroness . As a result, German barons have been more numerous than those of such countries where primogeniture with respect to title inheritance prevails (or prevailed), such as France and the United Kingdom. In Italy, barone was the lowest rank of feudal nobility except for that of signore or vassallo (lord of the manor). The title of baron was most generally introduced into southern Italy (including Sicily ) by

11227-761: The title of baron, which was thus the factor uniting all members of the ancient baronage as peers one of another. Under King Henry II , the Dialogus de Scaccario already distinguished between greater barons, who held per baroniam by knight's service, and lesser barons, who held manors. Thus in this historical sense, Lords of Manors are barons, or freemen ; however they are not entitled to be styled as such. John Selden writes in Titles of Honour , "The word Baro (Latin for Baron) hath been also so much communicated, that not only all Lords of Mannors have been from ancient time, and are at this day called sometimes Barons (as in

11336-479: The title, although in a few noble families baron is the title of cadet family members, while in a few others it is heritable according to primogeniture. After its secession in 1830, Belgium incorporated into its nobility all titles of baron borne by Belgian citizens which had been recognized by the Netherlands since 1815. In addition, its monarchs have since created or recognized other titles of baron, and

11445-413: The various styles and titles which designate the territorial nobility i.e. baron of X. Barons may also wear two eagle feathers when in traditional dress. If the baron is a member of a clan, it is advisable to consult the clan chief on clan customs and traditions. The Lord Lyon only gives guidance and not governance on the wearing of feathers and recommends consulting with a clan chief. Previously, between

11554-496: The wife of a baron or for a woman who has been granted the title in her own right. In general, titles of baron created before the 19th century originate from the Crown of Aragon . Barons lost territorial jurisdiction around the middle of the 19th century, and from then on the title became purely honorific. Although most barons have not held the rank of grandeza as well, the title has been conferred in conjunction with

11663-477: Was erected as late as 1824. Since the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 came into effect, the Lord Lyon, who is the Chief Herald of Scotland, has restored a more traditional form to the coat of arms of a baron. Barons are now identified by the helm befitting their degree. A new policy statement has been made by the Lord Lyon to this effect. The holder of the dignity of a barony may petition

11772-466: Was the daughter of an earl, marquess, or duke, or Lady of the Garter or Thistle not holding a peerage rather than a baroness. Likewise, in the case of men, "Lord Digby Jones " (as opposed to "Lord Jones of Birmingham") would imply that he was the younger son of a marquess or duke rather than a baron. The United Kingdom has a policy of including titles of nobility on passports: the title is entered into

11881-619: Was the first person to become a baron, which, for him, entailed being "granted a barony and a seat in the House of Lords by the crown," because of the popularity and acclaim of his poetry . In the 20th century, Britain introduced the concept of non-hereditary life peers . All appointees to this distinction have (thus far) been at the rank of baron. In accordance with the tradition applied to hereditary peers, they too are formally addressed in parliament by their peers as "The Noble Lord". In addition, baronies are often used by their holders as subsidiary titles, for example as courtesy titles for

#703296