NOBLE TITLES and LANDS

[Plumpett@aol.com]

LAUREL ---

You may wish to include some of this in your commentary -- I will  cite the 
major sources . It may also help others to understand the " Middle ages "  -- 
some of what many now believe , was of recent origin , not ancient custom .

By way of introduction , I was at a family reunion of one of the older 
branches of my family ( not Sinclair ) in the USA , this past Sunday , the 
27th .

By "older " that is to say , the "" Plantations ""( Delaware / Pennsyvania 
USA ) were established  in the 1600's !!  Plantation then did not in any way 
denote the later usage adopted to describe the slave owners " farms " in the 
southern USA , although these were as large ( hundeds/thousands of acres ) . 

This same line of mine is one of the oldest in England , apparently being 
well established at the time of Alfred the Great ( c.850 ) and its Manor and 
" Wapintake"
are described as " anciently ... and in the DOMESDAY survey "
in the "MAGORA BRITANIA ( 1817 ) .

I was able to extract some reference data from the " family " archives  !!

First , the calling of land names after their owners is a custom of remote 
antiquity . It is written , " They call their lands after their own names " 
OLD TESTAMENT , PSALMS .

Second , from English usage " A MANOR was a district of ground held by LORDS 
or GREAT PERSONAGES , as was necessary for the use of their families, which 
were called terroe, domicales , or demesne lands, being occupied by the Lord 
, or dominus manerii , and his servants,( i.e. dependents )". LAW DICTIONARY 
(POTS ) 1813 , p.264 .

With respect to TITLES , I will amplify on my previous letter ::

" EARL " was the oldest title and rank of English nobles and was the highest 
until 1337, when the BLACK PRINCE was created DUKE of Cornwall by Edward 
III." 

" The EARL was a great Royal Officer , who might be set over several Counties 
(but never less than one County ) . The EARLS of  "Chester and Durham were 
almost petty Sovereigns ".

At this time , it would be appropriate to characterize the other main Peer 
"STYLES." 

DUKE -- The first was the "Black Prince "in 1337 . " The original intention  
may have been to confine the dignity to the blood royal ". Note : The "Black 
Prince " was one of the most dynamic figures of the entire Middle Ages . Heir 
to the throne , the overwhelmingly victorious Commanding General of his 
father,  the King's,  armies ; had he lived to assume the throne he may well 
have changed the history of all of Europe dramatically .

MARQUESS --""In 1385 , Richard II  created , Robert de Vere , "MARQUESS " of 
Dublin , thus importing an entirely new and unknown title into the Peerage "".

VISCOUNT --  ' Henry the VI added yet another order , and the last in point 
of time ...in 1440 "

The important thing to note,  is that although these preceding three titles 
had 
" Precedence " socially  i.e. reception lines , seating ,etc. , etc. --

""NONE of the new titles above mentioned  , ever carried with them , any 
official position ; they were conferred as additional honours on men who were 
already members of the Peerage ." 

To restate , the GREATER BARONS ( EARLS and BARONS )  historically were the 
great landowners in England and from the land they drew wealth , power , 
military might , etc.

A similar situation was in force on the continent :

GERMANY , AUSTRIA , etc.-- "In the 11th century... all feudatories (BARONS) 
holding in fief of the Crown , ranked as princes ."

FRANCE --- " Towards the end of the 13th century , the title ( BARON ) , had 
come to mean that the bearer held his principal fief direct from the Crown 
and was therefore more important than that of  Count , since many counts were 
only mediate vassals . "  

" Princes .... in the 15th / 16th century , the title of " PRINCE " ranked 
below that of Duke , being sometimes bourne by cadet branches of ducal 
Houses."

ENGLAND --"" It was not until the reign of Henry VII , that the king's son's 
began to be ranked as " PRINCES "."

"Until recent years , the title " PRINCE " was not conferred on anybody 
except the Heir Apparent to the throne ."    

See :: REPORTS ON THE DIGNITY OF A PEER ( Lord ) ;
          TITLES OF HONOUR (Selden ) ;
          PEERAGE LAW IN ENGLAND (Palmer ) ;
          ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITTANICA ( 1960 )

So, to conclude , I will say again , that BARON was a great honor when 
awarded to William The Seemly and conferred the potential of great wealth and 
power . 

Regads to all , 

JOE G.