Page:Dod's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage etc. of Great Britain and Ireland.djvu/655

 BRIEF VIEW OF TITULAR DISTINCTIONS AND TERMS RELATING TO RANKS In the following pages is a summary of description, in alphabetical order, of the variovis ranks which confer titles upon individuals ; together with a brief account of a few terms which frequently occur in the personal memoirs of each possessor of these dignities : — Abeyance. — When the possessor of a barony which had been created by writ of summons, dies without issue male, his daughters become his " co-heirs," and the barony falls into " abey- ance " amongst them. In this condition it will remain — unenjoyed by any of them, yet undestroyed — until death or the favour of the Crown " terminates the abeyance." By the death of all the daughters except one, and the extinction of any direct descendants of these daughters, the abeyance is terminated in favour of the survivor, and she becomes a Baroness in her own right. By the favour of the Crown, on the other hand, any co-heir may be selected, and the barony revived in his or her person, the eo-heir so selected being summoned by writ, and taking precedence as if sole heir. Archbishops. — The highest dignity in the Church is that of " metropolitan prelate " or archbishop. He exercises control over Bishops ; and the limit of his archiepiscopal jurisdiction is called " a province," of which there are two in England (Canterbury and York), and have been hitherto two in Ireland (Dublin and Armagh). But in addition to these functions, he has the actual care of a diocese, in which he performs all the duties of a suffragan prelate, owing obedience, however, only to the Crown and the Parliament. The Archbishop of Canterbury can issue licences for marriages to be solemnized at any time or place ; and he has the power of granting degrees like those of a University. Attainder. — A capital conviction for treason or felony, when judgment has actually been pronounced, renders a man " attaint, attmcius.'" His dignities are not only destroyed in his own person, but their further descent arrested. The obstruction of an attaint may be removed by Parliament reversing judgment ; and the dignity is thereby revived in precisely the same condition as if it never had been attainted. Baron. — This, though now the lowest rank in the peerage, is the most ancient. It may be derived froni a writ of summons or from letters patent. The former, if followed by an actual sitting in the House of Lords, constitutes a title heritable by heirs male and female of the body of the person summoned. The latter always perscribes the course of descent in express words. Both these kinds of Baronies are in existence ; but formerly another class drew their honours from the possession of certain lands. These "Baronies by tenure" are obsolete, though many heirs of such titles exist, possessing baronies by writ or patent. Baronets. — This Order of titled persons was formded in England by James I, 1611 ; in Ireland, to promote the plantation of Ulster, by the same King, 1619 ; and in Scotland, for the advancement of Nova Scotia (see p. 20), by Charles I, 1625. It owes its birth to the necessi- ties of James, who sought to recruit his finances by the condition annexed to the title of paying mto the Exchequer about £1095, being ostensibly three years' pay of thirty soldiers at 8c?. a day per man. The institution of the Order in Scotland was connected with a scheme for colonizing Nova Scotia, and down to 1638 the patents contained a grant of lands in that colony, though it had before that date passed into the possession of the French. The dignity in modern times has always been created by jaatent, in which the course of its descent is i^rescribed — usually to the heir male of the body of the first grantee. Many patents, previous to 1827, contained a clause, under which the eldest son of a Baronet may claim Knighthood on coming of age. The rank of Baronet is a "necessary" addition to the name in all cases, and has to be wi-itten in full in official signatures. The abbreviation " Bt." (not " bart.") is permissible in ordinary Bishop. — Every Bishop must have been in priest's orders, must be at least thirty years of age, must be born in lawful wedlock, and must be recommended by the Crown to the dean and chapter by whom he is elected. Each new Bishoj? is " consecrated ; " but when a prelate is removed from one see to another the process is called " translation." The majority of the Bishops have no seats in the House of Lords, being Prelates of Scotland or Ireland, or Colonial or Missionary Bishops. Of the English and Welsh Prelates, the two Archbishops, the Bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester, and 21 of the remaining 30 Bishops, sit as spiritual peers^ the eight junior Bishops being excluded. Tfie Bishop of Sodor and Man has a seat but no vote. Countess. — The wife of an Earl, or the female possessor of a peerage of that rank in her own right by descent or by creation. Distinguished Service Order. — This Order was instituted by Royal Warrant dated 6th September, 1886, for the purjjose of adequately rewarding the distinguished services of com- missioned ofificers of the Naval and Military services who have been honourably mentioned in despatches. It is to consist of the Sovereign and Companions. Dormant. — A title which is vested de jure, but is not claimed or assumed, or the right to which camiot be established, is styled dormant. Titles, not bemg within the statute of limitations, can be claimed at any distance of time and caimot be lost by disuse. Duke. — This, the highest rank in the British peerage, dates its origin from the 11th of Edward III, in which year that King created his eldest son a Duke ; previously the Kings of England had themselves been styled " Dukes " of Normandy, and were naturally restrained from conferring an.