Irish feudal barony
Encyclopedia
In Ireland
, most originally-feudal titular baronies have long disappeared through obsolescence or disuse. The Lordship of Finegal was granted to Walter de Lacy for seven knight's fees, "although the lords thereof hold elsewhere in capite", according to the unusual grant in 1208 by John
, Lord of Ireland, who allowed de Lacy to retain custody of his fees. Fingal at the time spread from the River Liffey to the River Delvin, north of Dublin, similar to the administrative boundary of today's County Fingal
(minus Dublin City) created from part of County Dublin
in 1994. A small number of other titular baronies continued to exist either as submerged titles of members of the Peerages of Ireland, Great Britain
or the United Kingdom, or as titles held by grand serjeanty
, such as, originally, Fingal. Those few that thus survive at all are traditionally considered "incorporeal hereditaments", and may continue to exist as interests or estates in land
, registrable as such upon conveyance or inheritance under the Registry of Deeds of the Government of Ireland, although increasingly these are seen today as titles held in gross as personal rights, and not as real interests in land.
Following a report by the Law Reform Commission
, a Bill for proposed legislation has been presented and lies before the Oireachtas
to abolish the concept of the feudal system of land tenure in the Republic of Ireland
. The submerged feudal titles of surviving Irish or British peers are not affected, and continue to exist as personal rights
. However, the obsolete or unregistered feudal titles, and those that lapsed into desuetude after 1662, when the Irish Parliament
passed the abolition of tenures act, no longer exist as incorporeal hereditaments, nor as personal rights, and cannot be revived.
Examples of hereditary baronial knighthoods that remain in Ireland include the Knight of Glin
and the Knight of Kerry
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, most originally-feudal titular baronies have long disappeared through obsolescence or disuse. The Lordship of Finegal was granted to Walter de Lacy for seven knight's fees, "although the lords thereof hold elsewhere in capite", according to the unusual grant in 1208 by John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, Lord of Ireland, who allowed de Lacy to retain custody of his fees. Fingal at the time spread from the River Liffey to the River Delvin, north of Dublin, similar to the administrative boundary of today's County Fingal
Fingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
(minus Dublin City) created from part of County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
in 1994. A small number of other titular baronies continued to exist either as submerged titles of members of the Peerages of Ireland, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
or the United Kingdom, or as titles held by grand serjeanty
Serjeanty
Under the feudal system in late and high medieval England, tenure by serjeanty was a form of land-holding in return for some specified service, ranking between tenure by knight-service and tenure in socage...
, such as, originally, Fingal. Those few that thus survive at all are traditionally considered "incorporeal hereditaments", and may continue to exist as interests or estates in land
Estate in land
An estate in land is an interest in real property that is or may become possessory.This should be distinguished from an "estate" as used in reference to an area of land, and "estate" as used to refer to property in general....
, registrable as such upon conveyance or inheritance under the Registry of Deeds of the Government of Ireland, although increasingly these are seen today as titles held in gross as personal rights, and not as real interests in land.
Following a report by the Law Reform Commission
Law Commission
A Law Commission or Law Reform Commission is an independent body set up by a government to conduct law reform; that is, to consider the state of laws in a jurisdiction and make recommendations or proposals for legal changes or restructuring...
, a Bill for proposed legislation has been presented and lies before the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
to abolish the concept of the feudal system of land tenure in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The submerged feudal titles of surviving Irish or British peers are not affected, and continue to exist as personal rights
Personal rights
Personal rights are the rights that a person has over their own body. Among personal rights are associated rights to protect and safeguard the body, most obviously protected by the torts of assault and battery...
. However, the obsolete or unregistered feudal titles, and those that lapsed into desuetude after 1662, when the Irish Parliament
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
passed the abolition of tenures act, no longer exist as incorporeal hereditaments, nor as personal rights, and cannot be revived.
Examples of hereditary baronial knighthoods that remain in Ireland include the Knight of Glin
Knight of Glin
The Knight of Glin, also called the Black Knight, was a hereditary title in the Fitzgeralds of Limerick, Ireland since the early 14th century. The family was a branch of the FitzGerald dynasty or Geraldines, related to the Earls of Desmond , who were granted extensive lands in County Limerick by...
and the Knight of Kerry
Knight of Kerry
Knight of Kerry, also called the Green Knight, is one of three Anglo-Irish hereditary knighthoods, all of which existed in Ireland since feudal times. The others are the White Knight and the Knight of Glin...
.
See also
- Barony (Ireland)Barony (Ireland)In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...
- List of Baronies in Ireland
- English feudal baronyEnglish feudal baronyIn England, a feudal barony or barony by tenure was a form of Feudal land tenure, namely per baroniam under which the land-holder owed the service of being one of the king's barons. It must be distinguished from a barony, also feudal, but which existed within a county palatine, such as the Barony...
- Scottish feudal baronyScottish feudal baronyA Scottish feudal barony used to be attached to a particular piece of land on which is the "caput" , or the essence of the barony, normally a building, such as a castle or manor house...
- Scottish feudal lordship
- Marcher lordship
- BaronBaronBaron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
- LordLordLord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
- List of baronies in the peerages of the British Isles
- FeudalismFeudalismFeudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
Sources
- A View of the Legal Institutions, Honorary Hereditary Offices, and Feudal Baronies established in Ireland, by William Lynch, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, published by Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, Paternoster Row, London, 1830.