Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 1.djvu/7

 OF THE PLAN OF THE WORK, AND OF THE ABBREVIATIONS USED.
 * 1) The Roman numerals indicate the number of persons who have borne the dignity, while the 'figures show how many of the same family have inherited it.
 * 2) In the case of the English Baronies by tenure, where one of such Barons is summoned to Parliament, the Roman numerals commence again with the person so summoned, in order to shew the descent of the Barony by writ so created; but the figures, supposing such Baron to be of the same family, (but not if otherwise) are continued; so also in the case of such of the few Irish feudal Baronies here given, where, though the figures are continued, the Roman numerals re-commence with the actual creation of their respective Peerage dignities, and in the case of Power (La Poer), with the writ of summons (of 1375) such writ having (in 1767) been held to have created an Irish barony in fee, independent of the Barony afterwards conferred by patent on the heir general of the Baron who was summoned in 1375.
 * 3) The date after the Roman numeral is that of the creation of, or succession to, the dignity. When such date is not accurately known, the name of the king in whose reign it is supposed to have occurred is substituted.
 * 4) The limitation of all patents of creation is to be understood as being to the heirs male of the body of the grantee, unless otherwise stated.
 * 5) All Peerages and other dignities are to be considered as either of England, Great Britain, or of the United Kingdom, unless followed by the letters [S.] or [I.], which respectively denote them to be of Scotland or of Ireland.
 * 6) In the succession to any Barony the proper designation thereof is given, but, when such Barony is but incidentally mentioned, it is described (as is usual; by the term "Lord;" e.g., the peerage of Strabane is in the succession thereto described as "Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane," but, when mentioned incidentally, merely as "Lord Strabane."
 * 7) In Scotch Peerages the title is given as in the appendix to "Douglas;" in Irish Peerages as in "Lib. Hib." unless at variance with any higher authority.
 * 8) In the account of each Peer or Peeress, as also of any Peer connected with him or her by alliance, the surname is given within brackets; but when a Peer is but incidentally mentioned, his surname is often omitted, more especially if it is the same as the title of the Peerage.
 * 9) The words "Knight" and "Esquire" are omitted. The former is applicable, in this work, to all who have the designation of "Sir" before their names, unless expressly stated to be Baronets.
 * 10) All wills and administrations are to be considered, unless stated otherwise, a having been registered in the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury, or, after its abolition, in the Principal Registry, London.

* prefixed to the name denotes that there is proof of sitting in the rolls of Parliament.

◴ denotes that the Baron so marked occurs in the rolls of Parliament before the record of writs of summons commenced.

◇ denotes that the Baron so marked signed the letter to the Pope, 1301.