Baronet
Part of a series on |
Imperial, royal, noble, gentry and chivalric ranks in Europe |
---|
|
A baronet (
Baronets rank below
The precise quality of this dignity is not yet fully determined, some holding it to be the head of the nobiles minores, while others, again, rank Baronets as the lowest of the nobiles majores, because their honour, like that of the higher nobility, is both hereditary and created by patent.[5]
Comparisons with continental titles and ranks are tenuous due to the British system of primogeniture and because claims to baronetcies must be proven; currently the Official Roll of the Baronetage is overseen by the Ministry of Justice. In practice this means that the UK Peerage and Baronetage consist of about 1,200 families (some peers are also baronets), which is roughly less than 0.01% of UK families.[citation needed]
History of the term
The term baronet has medieval origins.
The title of baronet was initially conferred upon
Present-day baronets date from 1611 when
As a result of the
Under
Conventions
Like knights, baronets are accorded the style "
Unlike knighthoods – which apply to the recipient only – a baronetcy is hereditarily entailed. The eldest son of a baronet who is born in wedlock succeeds to a baronetcy upon his father's death, but will not be officially recognised until his name is recognised by being placed on the Official Roll. With some exceptions granted with special remainder by letters patent, baronetcies descend through the male line.
A full list of extant baronets appears in
A baronetcy is not a peerage; so baronets, like knights and junior members of peerage families, are commoners and not peers of the realm. Originally, all first baronets were knighted. Baronets also had other rights, including the right to have the eldest son knighted on his 21st birthday. However, at the beginning of George IV's reign, these rights were eroded by orders-in-council on the ground that sovereigns should not necessarily be bound by acts of their predecessors. Although never having been automatically entitled to heraldic supporters, baronets were allowed them in heredity in the first half of the 19th century if the title holder was also a Knight Grand Cross of a Crown order.
Baronets of Scotland or Nova Scotia were allowed to augment their armorial bearings with the Arms of Nova Scotia and the privilege of wearing a neck badge signifying "of Nova Scotia", suspended by an orange-tawny ribbon. This consists of an
Baronets of England and Ireland applied to King Charles I for permission to wear a badge. Although a badge was worn in the 17th century, it was not until 1929 that King George V granted permission for all baronets (other than those of Scotland) to wear badges.
Addressing a baronet and the wife of a baronet
A baronet is referred to and addressed as, for example, "Sir Joseph" (using his forename). The correct style on an envelope for a baronet who has no other titles is "Sir Joseph Bloggs, Bt." or "Sir Joseph Bloggs, Bart." A formal letter would commence with the salutation "Dear Sir Joseph".
The wife of a baronet is addressed and referred to by her married surname, as "Lady Bloggs"; the salutation would be "Dear Lady Bloggs". Her given name is used only when necessary to distinguish between two holders of the same title. For example, if a baronet has died and the title has passed to his son, the widow (the new baronet's mother) will remain "Lady Bloggs" while he (the son) is not married, but if he is or becomes married, his wife becomes "Lady Bloggs" while his mother will be known by the style "Alice, Lady Bloggs". Alternatively, the mother may prefer to be known as "The Dowager Lady Bloggs". A previous wife will also become "Alice, Lady Bloggs" to distinguish her from the current wife of the incumbent baronet. She would not be "Lady Alice Bloggs", a style reserved for the daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls (and now Ladies Companion of the Garter and Ladies of the Thistle without higher styles).[7]
The children of a baronet are not entitled to the use of any courtesy titles.
Baronetess
In history, there have been only four baronetesses:
- Dame Mary Bolles, 1st Btss (née Witham) (1579–1662); the only woman apparently to be created a baronetess (of Nova Scotia)[8]
- The Binns passed to her son, the former Labour politician Tam Dalyell MP(who chose not to use the title)
- Dame Daisy Dunbar, 8th Btss of Hempriggs (1906–1997), cr. 1706[9]
- Lyon Court in 2005 as 11th holder of the baronetcy (formerly Stirling-Maxwel/Stirling-Maxwell) under the 1707 remainder and succeeded her father in 1956[10]
In 1976,
As of 2020[update], there are no living baronetesses.[11]
For a baronetess one should write, for example, "Dame Daisy Smith, Btss" on the envelope. At the head of the letter, one would write "Dear Dame Daisy", and to refer to her, one would say "Dame Daisy" or "Dame Daisy Smith" (never "Dame Smith").
Territorial designations
All baronetcies are created with a territorial sub-designation; however, only more recent creations duplicating the original creation require territorial designations. So, for example, there are baronetcies Moore of Colchester, Moore of Hancox, Moore of Kyleburn, and Moore of Moore Lodge.
Baronetcies with special remainders
Baronetcies usually descend through
- with remainder to heirs male forever (Broun baronetcy, of Colstoun (1686), Hay baronetcy of Alderston (1703), etc.)
- with remainder to the sons of the grantee's daughters, and the heirs male of their bodies (Hicking (later North) baronetcy, of Southwell (1920), etc.)
- with remainder to the grantee's daughter's son (Amcotts baronetcy, of Kettlethorp (1796), etc.)
- with remainder to the grantee's son-in-law (Middleton (later Noel) baronetcy, of The Navy (1781), Rich baronetcy, of London (1676), etc.)
- with remainder to the grantee's brother(s) (Chapman baronetcy, of Killua Castle (1782), Pigot baronetcy, of Patshull (1764), White baronetcy of Tuxford and Wallingwells (1802) etc.)
- with remainder, in default of male issue of the grantee, to the grantee's brothers and to the grantee's father's second cousin, and the heirs male of their bodies (Robinson baronetcy, of Rokeby Park (1730))
- with remainder to tailzie succeeding the grantee in the estate (Dalyell baronetcy of The Binns (1685))
- with remainder specifically excluding the grantee's eldest son (Stonhouse baronetcy, of Radley (1628))
Heraldic badges
Red Hand of Ulster
Baronets of England, Ireland, Great Britain or the United Kingdom (i.e. all except
Arms of Nova Scotia
Baronets of Nova Scotia, unlike other baronets, do not use the Baronet's Badge (of Ulster), but have their own badge showing the
-
Theheraldic badge
-
Arms of Nova Scotia: Argent, a Saltire Azure anbadge
-
Baronet of Nova Scotia (Coat of arms of Nova Scotia) in chief
-
Coat of arms of the Agnew baronets (1895) with the badge of aBaronet of the United Kingdom (Red Hand of Ulster) in canton
-
A baronet'smedal ribbon
Number of baronetcies
Creations | Total | Baronets | Peers |
---|---|---|---|
Baronets of England | 134 | 84 | 50 |
Baronets of Ireland | 57 | 34 | 23 |
Baronets of Nova Scotia | 103 | 73 | 30 |
Baronets of Great Britain | 121 | 90 | 31 |
Baronets of the United Kingdom | 777 | 671 | 106 |
Total | 1192 | 952 | 240 |
The first publication listing all baronetcies ever created was C. J. Parry's Index of Baronetcy Creations (1967). This listed them in alphabetical order, other than the last five creations (Dodds of West Chillington, Redmayne of Rushcliffe, Pearson of Gressingham, Finlay of Epping and Thatcher of Scotney). It showed the total number created from 1611 to 1964 to have been 3,482. They include five of Oliver Cromwell, several of which were recreated by Charles II. Twenty-five were created between 1688 and 1784 by James II in exile after his dethronement, by his son James Stuart ("The Old Pretender") and his grandson Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie"). These "Jacobite baronetcies" were never accepted by the English Crown, have all disappeared and should properly be excluded from the 3,482, making the effective number of creations 3,457. A close examination of Parry's publication shows he missed one or two,[17] so there might well have been some more.
As of 2000, including baronetcies where succession was dormant or unproven, there was a total of 1,314 baronetcies divided into five classes of creation included on The Official Roll of the Baronetage – 146 of England, 63 of Ireland, 119 of Scotland, 133 of Great Britain and 853 of the United Kingdom.
The total number of baronetcies today is approximately 1,204, although only some 1,020 are on The Official Roll of the Baronetage.[17] It is unknown whether some baronetcies remain extant and it may be that nobody can prove himself to be the actual heir. Over 200 baronetcies are now held by peers; and others, such as the Knox line, have been made tenuous by internal family disputes. According to the Ministry of Justice, it is not necessary to prove succession to a baronetcy in order to use the title, but a person cannot be referred to as a baronet in any official capacity unless their name is on the Official Roll.[18]
Baronetage decline since 1965
There were 1,490 baronetcies extant on 1 January 1965. Since then the number has reduced by 286 through extinction or dormancy: a gross decline of 19.2% (up to 2017). Extant baronetcies numbered about 1,236 in 2015,[19] and 1,204 as of 2017.
Since 1965 only one new baronetcy has been created, for Sir Denis Thatcher on 7 December 1990, husband of a former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher (later Baroness Thatcher); their only son, Sir Mark Thatcher, succeeded as 2nd Baronet upon his father's death in 2003.[20]
Seven baronetcies dormant in 1965 have since been revived: Innes baronetcy, of Coxton (1686), Nicolson baronetcy of that Ilk and of Lasswade (1629), Hope baronetcy, of Kirkliston (1698), St John (later St John-Mildmay) baronetcy, of Farley (1772), Maxwell-Macdonald baronetcy of Pollok (1682),[19] Inglis baronetcy, of Cramond, Edinburgh (1687) and Von Friesendorff baronetcy, of Hirdech, Sweden (1661).
Premier Baronet
England
The Premier Baronet (of England) is the unofficial title afforded to the current holder of the oldest extant baronetcy in the realm. The Premier Baronet is regarded as the senior member of the Baronetage, and ranks above other baronets (unless they hold a
Scotland
The Premier Baronets of Nova Scotia (Scotland) were the Gordon baronets of Gordonstoun and Letterfourie until the title's extinction in 1908.[21] Subsequently, the Premier Scottish Baronets are the Innes baronets of that Ilk (cr. 28 May 1625),[22] the present Premier Baronet being Charles Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe.
Ireland
The Premier Baronetcy of Ireland was created for
Baronetcies conferred upon British expatriates and non-British nationals
In fiction
See also
- Standing Council of the Baronetage
- List of extant baronetcies
- List of baronetcies (currently incomplete)
- British Honours System
- Canadian peers and baronets
References and sources
- References
- ^ a b "Baronet". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ "Baronetess". Dictionary.com Unabridged. n.d. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ "baronetess". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "Baronetess". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ William J. Thoms (1844). The Book of the Court (2nd edition). London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden, p. 132
- ^ Stubbs, Vol. II, Part IV, p 303
- ^ Debrett's Correct Form. Addressing the family of a Baronet. Archived 15 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cokayne's Complete Baronetage
- ^ Leigh Rayment's baronetage: Draper to Dymoke[usurped]
- ^ (See page B 599 of the Baronetage section of the latest edition of Debrett.)
- ^ "Official Roll of the Baronetage (as at 3 March 2020)» The Standing Council of the Baronetage -".
- ^ Collins, 1741, p.287
- ^ Collins, Arthur, The English Baronetage: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of all the English Baronets now Existing, Volume 4, London, 1741, p.287 [1]
- ^ Collins, 1741, vol.4, p.287
- ^ a b Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.1235
- ^ Kershaw, Stephen. "Baronets of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom". The Standing Council of the Baronetage. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ a b Sir Martin Lindsay of Dowhill, Bt (1979). The Baronetage, 2nd edition.
- ^ "Guidance Notes on Succession to a Baronetcy other than of Nova Scotia" (PDF). baronetage.org. Ministry of Justice (UK). January 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Baronetage decline since 1965". Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "The Baronetage". Debretts. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
The creation of baronetcies lapsed in 1964; in 1990 the Conservative Government announced that this honour would be given to Denis Thatcher, but there have been no further creations
- ^ Cokayne, vol ii, pp277-280
- ^ Cokayne, vol ii, p 280
- ^ Cokayne, vol i, pp223-224
- ^ Cokayne, vol ii, p 224
- Sources
- Sir Martin Lindsay of Dowhill, Bt (1979). The Baronetage, 2nd edition. published by the author.
- William Stubbs (1883). Chronicles of the Reigns of Edward I and Edward II, Vol. 2, Part IV – Vita Et Mors Edwardi II Conscripta A Thoma de La More. Longman & Co.
- Debrett's website
- Burke's website