Feudal earldom
Encyclopedia
A feudal earldom is a Scottish
feudal title that is held en baroneum, which means that its holder, who is called a feudal earl, is also always a feudal baron
. A feudal earldom is an ancient title of nobility
in Scotland. The holder may or may not be a Lord of Regality, which meant that the holder was appointed by the Crown
and had the power of "pit and gallows", meaning the power to authorise the death sentence. A feudal earl ranks above a feudal lord and a feudal baron (being a feudal baron of a higher degree), but below a lord of parliament
which is a title in the Peerage of Scotland
. Feudal earldoms are very rare. A peer is invariably addressed as 'Lord Placename' or 'Lord Such-and-so', whilst those holding a feudal earldom are addressed 'Earl of Placename' or 'Baron of Placename'. Scottish titles, in order of precedence, are as follows: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Lord, Baronet, Knight, feudal Baron, Clan Chief, Esquire/Gentleman. Wallace states that "Lordships, Earldoms
, Marquisates and Dukedoms differ only in name from Baronies" but continues "one whose property was erected into a Lordship ranked before a simple Baron" and "A person to whom an Earldom belonged, would be superior to a person who had no more than a lordship ... One, whose lands were incorporated into a Marquisate, was superior to both ... A man, who owned a fief elevated into a Dukedom, was exhaulted above all three." However, Lord Stair
states that Lordships or Earldoms are "but more noble titles of a Barony" .
See also Peerage of Scotland
and List of feudal baronies.
a: The creation date is the earliest known date for the Earldom and subject to revision
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
feudal title that is held en baroneum, which means that its holder, who is called a feudal earl, is also always a feudal baron
Feudal baron
Feudal baron may refer to:*English feudal barony*Scottish feudal barony*Irish feudal barony...
. A feudal earldom is an ancient title of nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
in Scotland. The holder may or may not be a Lord of Regality, which meant that the holder was appointed by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
and had the power of "pit and gallows", meaning the power to authorise the death sentence. A feudal earl ranks above a feudal lord and a feudal baron (being a feudal baron of a higher degree), but below a lord of parliament
Lord of Parliament
A Lord of Parliament was the lowest rank of nobility automatically entitled to attend sessions of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. Post-Union, it is a member of the lowest rank of the Peerage of Scotland, ranking below a viscount...
which is a title in the Peerage of Scotland
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
. Feudal earldoms are very rare. A peer is invariably addressed as 'Lord Placename' or 'Lord Such-and-so', whilst those holding a feudal earldom are addressed 'Earl of Placename' or 'Baron of Placename'. Scottish titles, in order of precedence, are as follows: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Lord, Baronet, Knight, feudal Baron, Clan Chief, Esquire/Gentleman. Wallace states that "Lordships, Earldoms
Feudal earldom
A feudal earldom is a Scottish feudal title that is held en baroneum, which means that its holder, who is called a feudal earl, is also always a feudal baron. A feudal earldom is an ancient title of nobility in Scotland...
, Marquisates and Dukedoms differ only in name from Baronies" but continues "one whose property was erected into a Lordship ranked before a simple Baron" and "A person to whom an Earldom belonged, would be superior to a person who had no more than a lordship ... One, whose lands were incorporated into a Marquisate, was superior to both ... A man, who owned a fief elevated into a Dukedom, was exhaulted above all three." However, Lord Stair
James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair
James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair , Scottish lawyer and statesman, was born at Drummurchie, Barr, South Ayrshire.-Biography:...
states that Lordships or Earldoms are "but more noble titles of a Barony" .
See also Peerage of Scotland
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
and List of feudal baronies.
Feudal Earldoms (created before 1707)
Below is an incomplete list of Scottish feudal earldoms created in Scotland before 1707.| Earldom | County | Createda | Incumbent | Succeeded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arran Earl of Arran Earl of Arran is a title in both the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. The two titles refer to different places, the Isle of Arran in Scotland, and the Aran Islands in Ireland... |
Ayrshire Ayrshire Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the... |
Willi Ernst Sturzenegger | 1995 | |
| Wigtown Earl of Wigtown The title of Earl of Wigtown was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation was in 1341, and was surrendered in 1372, when the second earl sold the earldom and territory to Archibald the Grim , Lord of Galloway... |
Wigtownshire Wigtownshire Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway... (Wigtown Wigtown Wigtown is a town and former royal burgh in the Machars of Galloway in the south west of Scotland. It lies south of Newton Stewart and east of Stranraer. It has a population of about 1,000... ) |
1341 | ||
| Nithsdale Earl of Nithsdale Earl of Nithsdale was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1620 for Robert Maxwell, 9th Lord Maxwell, with remainder to heirs male. He was made Lord Maxwell, Eskdale and Carlyle at the same time... |
Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries... |
1620 | ||
| Rothes Earl of Rothes Earl of Rothes is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for George Leslie, 1st Lord Leslie. He had already been created Lord Leslie in 1445, also in the Peerage of Scotland. His grandson, the third Earl, having only succeeded his elder brother in March 1513, was killed at the... |
Moray Moray Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :... |
1458 | James Malcolm David Leslie | 2005 |
a: The creation date is the earliest known date for the Earldom and subject to revision