This is not a TL, just a question to anyone and everyone. In creating a peerage in the United Kingdom, how are the titles selected? Ex. Arthur Wellesley was created Duke of Wellington, how was "Wellington" selected? Why not Duke of "insert word here"? Who did the selecting? Were there any disqualifications to holding a peerage? Specifically, I'm wondering about the laws, customs, and regulations of around 1800-1830. Also, what were the protocols for assigning an extinct peerage to someone? Was there a law that stated it couldn't be done? Or was it just not done? Thanks for any help.
Need Help: Peerage of the United Kingdom
- Thread starter William_Dellinger
- Start date
archaeogeek
Banned
1. Arthur Wellesley owned an estate in Wellington in Somerset, and was already made Viscount Wellington, Earl of Wellington and Marquess of Wellington (he basically had every title in the hierarchy covered, including prince and baron 
)
2. The sovereign and the government
3. None that I know of (there were even duchesses in their own right despite claims of the title of duchess being only for the wife of a duke)
4. If the peerage is truly extinct it's not problem to revive it to someone else, but sometimes peerages have extant claimants and will be revived to them instead (e.g. the earldom of Devon was created twice in the house of Courtenay) - old baronies sometimes went in abeyance when there were succession problems, often because of female heiresses and conflicting claims. The sovereign arbitrates abeyances.
)2. The sovereign and the government
3. None that I know of (there were even duchesses in their own right despite claims of the title of duchess being only for the wife of a duke)
4. If the peerage is truly extinct it's not problem to revive it to someone else, but sometimes peerages have extant claimants and will be revived to them instead (e.g. the earldom of Devon was created twice in the house of Courtenay) - old baronies sometimes went in abeyance when there were succession problems, often because of female heiresses and conflicting claims. The sovereign arbitrates abeyances.
Alex Richards
Donor
OK. To start with the last point, extinct peerages reverted to the Crown (essentially being added to the Monarch's titles officially, but not being recorded), hence if the Monarch wants to grant an extince peerage to someone, essentially they just can as it's merely the equivelent of willing a peerage to a second member of the family. That said, it has been traditional that the 'Royal' Dukedoms are not awarded (Lancaster and Cornwall/Rothersay are reserved for HM and the the Prince of Wales, York, Clarence, Gloucester and now Edinburgh, Kent, Sussex and Cambridge for other members (William may be granted Sussex, Cambridge or Clarence after the marriage, or as he's already very well as 'Prince William of Wales' known HM may just issue a writ making Kate 'Princess Catherine of Wales' to avoid confusion by being suddenly referred to by a different title.).
In terms of the creation of a new peerage, this is essentially a royal writ, though it may have to be approved by Parliament thesedays (I suspect not officially, but it may require the approval of Parliament). In terms of naming, an extant earldom can be raised to a Dukedom (for example 4th Earl of Devonshire becoming 1st Duke of Devonshire), the Dukedom may be named after a major city of the realm (such as Edinburgh for Prince Phillip of London that was offered to Churchill), or after a battle (for example Earl of St. Vincent), or alternatively may be suggested to by the recipient for a particularly prominent personal connotation. Default for lower elements of the peerage is the surname.
Wellington is named after the town of Wellington in Somerset (the family title of Earl of Mornington belonging to his elder brother Richard), so essentially if you want to alter it just choose any prominant town in England (preferrably the South) that sounds nice, such as Exeter, Dorchester, Hastings, Oxford etc. if the main estate is there.
In terms of the creation of a new peerage, this is essentially a royal writ, though it may have to be approved by Parliament thesedays (I suspect not officially, but it may require the approval of Parliament). In terms of naming, an extant earldom can be raised to a Dukedom (for example 4th Earl of Devonshire becoming 1st Duke of Devonshire), the Dukedom may be named after a major city of the realm (such as Edinburgh for Prince Phillip of London that was offered to Churchill), or after a battle (for example Earl of St. Vincent), or alternatively may be suggested to by the recipient for a particularly prominent personal connotation. Default for lower elements of the peerage is the surname.
Wellington is named after the town of Wellington in Somerset (the family title of Earl of Mornington belonging to his elder brother Richard), so essentially if you want to alter it just choose any prominant town in England (preferrably the South) that sounds nice, such as Exeter, Dorchester, Hastings, Oxford etc. if the main estate is there.
archaeogeek
Banned
Indeed, a lot generals in WW2 got victory titles (Mountbatten of Burma, Montgomery of El-Alamein).
The British System is as follows:
The Peerage of England - all titles created before the Act of Union 1707
The Peerage of Scotland - all titles created before the Act of Union 1707
The Peerage of Ireland - titles created in the Kingdom of Ireland before the Irish Act of Unionof 1801
The Peerage of Great Britain - titles created 1707 to 1801
The Peerage of the UK - titles created since 1801
The Monarch is the fount of all honour and all titles are created by the Crown - Parliament is responsible for attaching any privileges to such titles.
Most new peerages (with the exception of members of the Royal Family) are life peerages only.
Most modern peerages are created by Letters Patent which usually specify inheritance etc - for example the Marlborough Dukedom's patent was amended to enable the title to pass via semi salic succession as the First Duke only had daughters. Most titles us salic succession with no provision for female inheritance (though there are notable exceptions particularly within the Scots Peerage).
In the medieval period many titles were acknowledged simply by a Writ of summons which was used to summon someone to Parliament - it effectively implied the existance or creation of a peerage - you can see it in many of the older rolls of parliament - you also see men (in the Baronage in particular) summoned by right of their wife - were she was the sole heir of her father - it is still debateable whether that implied the title could pass through the female line or whether it was effectively a new creation for the man.
The Ranks in Order are :
Duke
Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron (Lords of Parliament in Scotland)
In the British System only the title holder is a peer (his wife and children bear courtesty titles only)
The Peerage of England - all titles created before the Act of Union 1707
The Peerage of Scotland - all titles created before the Act of Union 1707
The Peerage of Ireland - titles created in the Kingdom of Ireland before the Irish Act of Unionof 1801
The Peerage of Great Britain - titles created 1707 to 1801
The Peerage of the UK - titles created since 1801
The Monarch is the fount of all honour and all titles are created by the Crown - Parliament is responsible for attaching any privileges to such titles.
Most new peerages (with the exception of members of the Royal Family) are life peerages only.
Most modern peerages are created by Letters Patent which usually specify inheritance etc - for example the Marlborough Dukedom's patent was amended to enable the title to pass via semi salic succession as the First Duke only had daughters. Most titles us salic succession with no provision for female inheritance (though there are notable exceptions particularly within the Scots Peerage).
In the medieval period many titles were acknowledged simply by a Writ of summons which was used to summon someone to Parliament - it effectively implied the existance or creation of a peerage - you can see it in many of the older rolls of parliament - you also see men (in the Baronage in particular) summoned by right of their wife - were she was the sole heir of her father - it is still debateable whether that implied the title could pass through the female line or whether it was effectively a new creation for the man.
The Ranks in Order are :
Duke
Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron (Lords of Parliament in Scotland)
In the British System only the title holder is a peer (his wife and children bear courtesty titles only)
Peerage title
Occasionally there is a fuss about the place name. In Duff Cooper's biography there is a protracted discussion of the complex considerations that led him to choose "Norwich" for his Viscountcy. Ironically, Norwich itself objected to his title, but as several (including Cooper's son the historian) pointed out the city had no right whatsoever to object-- once the honoree chooses and the Crown issues the patent, that's the end of the story.
Occasionally there is a fuss about the place name. In Duff Cooper's biography there is a protracted discussion of the complex considerations that led him to choose "Norwich" for his Viscountcy. Ironically, Norwich itself objected to his title, but as several (including Cooper's son the historian) pointed out the city had no right whatsoever to object-- once the honoree chooses and the Crown issues the patent, that's the end of the story.
Very rarely the descendants of a peer will object to it being revived for someone unrelated, as with H. H. Asquith, who was going to be created Earl of Oxford until descendents of the last Earl of Oxford objected. (He was created Earl of Oxford and Asquith, and known simple as "Lord Oxford" instead.)