Page:Dod's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage etc. of Great Britain and Ireland.djvu/56

 32 PRECEDENCE 77. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Ban- neret. 78. Daughters of Knights Banneret. 79. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Grand Cross of the Bath. 80. M^ives of the eldest sons of Knights Grand Commander of the Star of India. 81. Daughters of Knights Grand Cross of the Bath. 82. Daughters of Knights Grand Commander of the Star of India. 83. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George. 84. Daughters of Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George. 85. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Grand Commander of the Indian Empire. 86. Daughters of Knights Grand Cross of the Indian Empire. 87. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. 88. Daughters of Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. 89 Wives of the eldest sons of Knight-Comman- der of the Bath. 90. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Com- mander of the Star of India. 91. Daughters of Knights Commander of the Bath. 92. Daughters of Knights Commander of the Star of India. 93. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Com- mander of St. Michael and St. George. 94. Daughters of Knights Commander of St. Michael and St. George. 95. Wives of Knights Commander of the Indian Empire. 96. Daughters of Knights Commander of the Indian Empire. 97. Wives of Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. 98. Daughters of Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. 99. Wives of Commanders of the Royal Vic- torian Order. 100. Daughters of Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order. 101. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Bach- elor. 101a. Wives of Members of the Royal Victorian Order (5th class). 102. Daughters of Knights Bachelor. 103. Wives of the younger sons of Peers' younger sons. 104. Wives of the younger sons of Baronets. 105. Wives of Escjuires. 106. Wives of younger sons of Knights of the Garter. 107. Wives of younger sons of Knights Banneret. 108. Wives of younger sons of Knights Grand Cross of the Bath. 109. Wives of younger sons of Knights Grand Commander of the Star of India. 110. Wives of the younger sons of Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George. 111. Wives of the younger sons of Knights Grand Commander of the Indian Empire. 112. Wives of yovmger sons of Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. 113. Wives of the younger sons of Knights Com- mander of the Bath. 114. Wives of younger sons of Knights Com- mander of the Star of India. 115. Wives of the younger sons of Knights Com- mander of St. Michael and St. George. 116. Wives of the younger sons of Knights Com- mander of the Indian Empire. 117 118. 119. Wives of the]younger sons of Knights Com- mander of the Royal Victorian Order. Wives of the younger sons of Comnaanders of the Royal Victorian Order. Wives of younger sons of Knights Bachelor.. LOCAL PRECEDENCE. By Warrant dated 18th February, 1904, as regards England and Wales, and by a subsequent Warrant in the same year as regards Ireland, His Majesty has declared that the Lord-Lieutenant of a County or Division of a County shall " dur- ing his term of office, and within the limits of his jurisdiction, have on all occasions place, pre- eminence, and precedence before the Sheriff having concurrent jurisdiction in the said County." (Similar provision is incorporated in the Scale of Precedence laid down for Scotland by Royal' Warrant in 1905.) By long-established precedent the Mayor, or in Scotland, the Provost, of any Town or City when within the limits of his j lu-isdiction, and when present in his official capacity, takes prece- dence of everybody., except members of the Royal Family. PRECEDENCE OF FOREIGNERS IN ENGLAND No foreigners wliatever are entitled to precedence in this country, excejat they be members of th© diplomatic body ; but all foreigners enjoy 6y courtesy some share of distinction in mixed society. Mere hospitality to strangers is the foundation of this ; but no rule or principle can be established on any titular analogies between foreign and English dignities : the cadets of families abroad often bear the titles of Prince, Dulce, Covuit, or Baron, and occasionally receive in British society, on the strength of a mere nominal honour and ita analogies, a place to which thej^ are in no respect entitled. A foreign count is often really of lower position than an English country gentleman, and his wife is no countess in the English sense of that word. Each case requires to be investigated ; and when the foreigner is found to be the head of a family in possession of its titular honours, the custom is to yield him the precedence enjoyed by envoys, viz. after dukes. It has long been the practice to yield to ambassadors and their wives the most distinguished jjlace in society, and even the uncles or aunts of a sovereign, who are not themselves children of a king, have been required to yield the place to this high diplomatic char- acter. Ambassadors are allowed at the Palace to precede all the peerage, and envoys to precede marquesses. But the extreme limit of hospitable courtesy is exceeded when ordinary titled for- eigners, being heads of families, are allowed a higher place than envoys, and the cadets of foreign families possessed of titles have no claim to precede any British peer. British subjects in possession of foreign titles by purchase of land or otherwise, have no right to precedence here on the strength of their foreign dignities ; and with respect to all genuine for- eigners, it is essential that their position in the land of their birth should be investigated before they are honoured with the place or precedence attached by law to British subjects. The ana- logies derived from that position, and not the nominal resemblances between their titles and ours, are the foundation of such rank as is yielded to distinguished foreginers at the court of the King.