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Ranks of nobility in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. From that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were closed to new creations, and new peers were created in a single Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in the United Kingdom in total. English Peeresses obtained their first seats in the House of Lords under the Peerage Act 1963 from which date until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999 all Peers of England could sit in the House of Lords.
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The ranks of the English peerage are, in descending order, duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. While most newer English peerages descend only in the male line, many of the older ones (particularly older baronies) can descend through females. Such peerages follow the old English inheritance law of moieties so all daughters (or granddaughters through the same root) stand as co-heirs, so some such titles are in such a state of abeyance between these.
Baronets, while holders of hereditary titles, as such are not peers and not entitled to stand for election in the House of Lords. Knights, dames and holders of other non-hereditary orders, decorations, and medals are also not peers.
The following tables only show peerages, still in existence. For lists of every peerage created at a particular rank, including extinct, dormant, and abeyant peerages, see:
Each peer is listed only by their highest English title. Peers known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are shown in blue, and peers with more than one title of the same rank in the Peerage of England are shown in orange.
Title | Creation | Other dukedom or higher titles |
---|---|---|
The Duke of Cornwall | 1337 | Usually Prince of Wales as the heir to the British throne; Duke of Rothesay in the Peerage of Scotland |
The Duke of Norfolk[lower-alpha 1] | 1483 | |
The Duke of Somerset | 1547 | |
The Duke of Richmond | 1675 | Duke of Gordon in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; Duke of Lennox in the Peerage of Scotland; Duke of Aubigny in the Peerage of France |
The Duke of Grafton | 1675 | |
The Duke of Beaufort | 1682 | |
The Duke of St Albans | 1684 | |
The Duke of Bedford | 1694 | |
The Duke of Devonshire | 1694 | |
The Duke of Marlborough | 1702 | |
The Duke of Rutland | 1703 | |
Title | Creation | Other marquessate or higher titles |
---|---|---|
The Marquess of Winchester[lower-alpha 2] | 1551 | |
The Marquess of Worcester | 1643 | Duke of Beaufort in the Peerage of England |
The Marquess of Tavistock | 1694 | Duke of Bedford in the Peerage of England |
The Marquess of Hartington | 1694 | Duke of Devonshire in the Peerage of England |
The Marquess of Blandford | 1702 | Duke of Marlborough in the Peerage of England |
The Marquess of Granby | 1703 | Duke of Rutland in the Peerage of England |
Title | Creation | Other viscountcy or higher titles |
---|---|---|
The Viscount Hereford[lower-alpha 4] | 1550 | |
The Viscount Townshend | 1682 | Marquess Townshend in the Peerage of Great Britain |
The Viscount Weymouth | 1682 | Marquess of Bath in the Peerage of Great Britain |
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