History of the British peerage facts for kids

The history of the British peerage tells the story of a special system of nobility in the United Kingdom. This system has changed a lot over the last thousand years. Some titles, like baron and earl, existed even before the British peerage officially began. Other titles, such as duke and marquess, were first used in England in the 1300s. The title of viscount came a bit later, in the mid-1400s.

Important noblemen, called peers, were called to join the Parliament. They formed a special group known as the House of Lords.

When England and Scotland joined to form Great Britain in 1707, new peerages were created for Great Britain. Later, when Great Britain and Ireland united in 1801 to form the United Kingdom, new peerages were created for the United Kingdom. This meant that new peerages were no longer made in the old English or Scottish systems.

Scottish and Irish peers did not automatically get a seat in the House of Lords. Instead, they chose some representative peers from their group to represent them.

For a long time, most peerage titles were passed down through families (hereditary). But in the second half of the 1900s, the government started creating more life peers. These titles last only for the person's lifetime and are not passed on. The last time a non-royal hereditary peerage was created was in 1984, which was quite unusual even then. Today, life peers and 92 hereditary peers can still sit and vote in the House of Lords. However, their power is limited, and there are talks about changing the House of Lords even more.

English Peerage History

Early Anglo-Saxon Times (600-1066)

Life in Early England

Around the 400s, groups of Germanic peoples called Anglo-Saxons moved to Britain. They settled in the eastern and southeastern parts of the island. Early records show that these communities did not have a clear social class system. About half the people were free farmers, called ceorlas in Old English. They owned enough land to support their families. The other half were slaves, many of whom were native Britons.

By the late 500s, things began to change. More important burials and buildings show that a social elite was forming. Early laws in Kent used the Old English word eorl to describe a nobleman. By the 700s, the word gesith (meaning "companion") became the common term for a nobleman.

The Rise of Thegns (900-1066)

By the 900s, Anglo-Saxon society had three main groups: slaves, ceorlas (free men), and þegnas (nobles or aristocrats). The word thegn meant "servant" or "warrior." It replaced gesith in the 900s. Laws set a value for each person's life, called a weregeld. A ceorl was valued at 200 shillings, while a thegn was worth 1,200 shillings. Children inherited their thegn status from their fathers. Even if a noble woman married a ceorl, she kept her noble status.

Not all ceorlas were poor farmers. Some owned land and were quite wealthy. These successful free men could even become thegns. For example, Archbishop Wulfstan of York wrote that a ceorl needed to own five hides of land to become a thegn. Another legal text said this land ownership had to last for three generations.

In 1066, there were about 5,000 thegns in England. They were divided into three ranks: ealdormen, king's thegns, and median thegns. An ealdorman was a high official chosen by the king to manage a region. In the 1000s, this role changed to earl. After the king, the earl was the most powerful person in the land. During Edward the Confessor's rule (1042–1066), there were four main earldoms: Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia.

Below the ealdormen were the king's thegns, who served only the king. The lowest rank were the median thegns, who served other thegns. Thegns were very important for local government and the army. They often became Sheriffs and had to attend local courts to make judgments. Historian David Carpenter called them the "country gentry of Anglo-Saxon England."

High-ranking church leaders, like archbishops, bishops, and abbots, were also very powerful. The church had spiritual power and was almost the only place for education. The government relied on educated clergy, and these church leaders were important politicians and advisers to the king.

Barons After the Conquest (1066–1299)

The Norman System

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, William the Conqueror took land from the old Anglo-Saxon nobles. He gave it to his Norman followers using a system called feudalism. In this system, people called vassals were given land (fiefs) in exchange for military service and advice. These main landholders, called tenants-in-chief, then gave land to their own vassals. The most important tenants-in-chief were known as feudal barons. They held their land "by barony" and had special rights and duties.

There were about 170 barons. Most barons did not have a special title. But a small number, never more than 25 at a time, were called earl. This was the only hereditary title in England before 1337. Historian David Crouch described barons as "the greatest men in the aristocracy." They were often at court, owned large estates, and were consulted by the king.

The lands held by earls and barons were called "honours." These lands were not all in one place. William the Conqueror purposely spread out the estates to prevent barons from becoming too powerful. For example, Robert, count of Mortain, held 793 estates spread across twenty different regions. It was rare for a lord's lands to be connected, except in northern England and near Wales.

Barons had special access to the king and did not have to serve on juries. If they were fined, only special officials or the king himself could decide the amount. As tenants-in-chief, barons had a duty to advise the king when called to great councils. During the rule of Henry III (1216–1272), these great councils slowly became the Parliament. Parliament began to demand the right to agree to new taxes. At first, only tenants-in-chief could join Parliament. Earls and important barons received a direct summons from the king. Less important barons were called through local sheriffs.

By the 1200s, the rules for being a baron were unclear. People often relied on old records to decide who was a baron. During the reign of Edward I (1272–1307), the first hereditary barons were created by a special document called a writ. Over time, creating baronies by writ became the main way, and the old system of baronies based on land ownership faded away.

Medieval Peerage (1300–1500)

The Idea of Peerage

The idea of "peerage" came from France. In France, the peerage included only the highest-ranking nobles. These were six church leaders and six powerful lords.

The Magna Carta, first written in 1215, stated that "No free man shall be seized, imprisoned... except by the lawful judgement of his peers." In this document, "peer" meant "equal." But this led to arguments about who was equal to an earl or baron and could judge them. When a lord named Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, used the word "peerage" in 1233, the king's minister angrily said there were no peers in England like there were in France. This was probably because the king feared a recognized peerage could challenge his power. However, by the time of Edward II (1307–1327), it was common to call important lords "peers of the realm."

At first, the peerage was not hereditary. Kings could choose who to summon to Parliament. But over time, the idea of passing titles down through families became stronger. Being called to Parliament was seen as a burden at first. Later, as Parliament gained more power, it became a sign of royal favor. Since the king's own title was hereditary, it seemed natural for seats in the House of Lords to be hereditary too. By the early 1300s, the peerage had become hereditary. Because land was passed down to the eldest son, seats in Parliament followed the same rule.

Barons sat in Parliament because they held land and received a writ of summons. If a woman held a barony, her husband would be summoned to Parliament in her place. The idea of a barony as a personal honor, not tied to land, began around 1388. This was when Richard II created John Beauchamp a baron using letters patent. This meant Lord Beauchamp was a baron by the king's will, not because he owned certain lands. Both letters patent and writs of summons were used to create peerages until Henry VIII's time, when letters patent became the main method.

Earls seemed to sit in Parliament because of their baronies, not their earldoms. The separation of these two honors happened after letters patent became common. Sometimes, a baron who received a writ of summons was also made an Earl. Later, the barony might go to a female heir, while the earldom went to a male heir.

New Ranks and Changes

English kings also held the titles of Duke of Normandy and Duke of Aquitaine. But no English duchy was created before the 1300s. Perhaps kings did not want their subjects to have the same high title as themselves. The first English duke was Edward III's oldest son, Edward the Black Prince. He was made Duke of Cornwall in 1337. In 1351, Henry of Grosmont became Duke of Lancaster. This was the first dukedom given to someone who was not part of the royal family.

In 1385, Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, a favorite of Richard II, was made Marquess of Dublin for life. This was the first time someone held a rank between a duke and an earl. Marquess titles were rarely created after this. The title of viscount was brought from Europe in 1440. John, Baron Beaumont, became Viscount Beaumont, ranking between earls and barons.

During the reign of Henry VI of England in the 1400s, just before the Wars of the Roses, attending Parliament became more important. This was when the first claim of a hereditary right to a writ appeared. Also, the first official document (patent) declaring a man a Baron was issued. The five ranks of nobility began to be called Peers. Older peerages also started to receive more respect than newly created ones of the same rank.

If a peer had a son, the son would inherit the title. If there were no children, a brother would inherit. If there was only one daughter, her husband would usually inherit the family lands and the peerage. Rules for more complicated cases changed over time. Earls were the first to have hereditary titles. In the 1200s, if an Earl had no sons but several married daughters, the eldest daughter's husband would automatically inherit the Earldom. By the 1400s, the Earldom would return to the Crown, who might grant it again. In the 1600s, it would only be inherited if all but one of the daughters died without children.

During Henry VIII's reign, peers tried to make their position stronger. They said they were "ennobled in blood." This meant they believed a peerage could only end if all heirs died, or if the peer committed treason. Church leaders (Spiritual Lords) tried to keep their church privileges while also getting peerage privileges. But they lost both attempts. Still, they were the majority in the House of Lords until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This event removed abbots and priors from the House, making the non-church peers the majority for the first time.

Scottish and Irish Peerages

Scotland developed a similar system, but with some differences. The first Scottish Earldoms came from seven ancient leaders called mormaers. They were later named Earls by Queen Margaret. The Parliament of Scotland is as old as the English one. The Scottish version of baronies are called lordships of Parliament.

After Henry II became Lord of Ireland, he and later kings started to copy the English system there. Irish Earls were first created in the 1200s. Irish Parliaments began in the 1400s, with seven Barons of Parliament. Irish peers had a unique political situation. Because they were subjects of the King of England but peers in a different kingdom, they could sit in the English House of Commons. Many did. In the 1700s, Irish peerages often became rewards for English politicians.

The Acts of Union 1707, which joined England and Scotland, stated that new peerages would be for Great Britain. The rules for these peers would follow the English model. Because there were many more Scottish peers, they chose only sixteen Scottish representative peers to sit in the British House of Lords. The Acts of Union 1800 changed this to peers of the United Kingdom. It also allowed Irish peerages to still be created. However, Irish peers worried their honors would become less valuable. So, they insisted that a new Irish peerage could only be created after three old ones had died out. This rule lasted until there were only 100 Irish peers left. In the early 1800s, Irish peerages were created as often as this rule allowed. But only three have been created since 1863, and none since 1898.

Stuart Monarchs and Peerage Changes

In 1603, James VI of Scotland also became King James I of England. Scotland's peerage then began to follow many of the same rules as the English peerage. However, some unique Scottish laws still apply today. Scotland, like England, had lesser and greater barons, as well as earls. There was only one Duke in Scotland: the Duke of Rothesay, who was the heir to the Crown. The Scottish Crown was not as strong, which allowed lesser feudal barons to keep attending the Scottish Parliament until the 1400s. After that, only Earls and Lords of Parliament (the greater barons) were called to Parliament. In Scotland, peerage titles remained connected to land until after the Union. Every earldom or lordship of Parliament came with a grant of land. After the Union of the Crowns, the idea of peerage as a personal honor, not tied to land, became common in Scotland.

King James I had a difficult relationship with the English Parliament. He was used to the Scottish Parliament, which was more obedient. To raise money without taxes, James started selling titles. For example, people could pay £1095 to become a baronet, which was a hereditary title but not a peerage. Even peerage titles were sold. James I added 62 new peers to the House of Lords, which had only 59 members when he started his reign. His successors, the Stuart kings, also created many new peerages.

Challenges and Changes

The position of the peerage was questioned after the English Revolution that overthrew Charles I. In 1648, the House of Commons passed a law to get rid of the House of Lords. They said it was "useless and dangerous to the people of England." The peerage itself was not abolished, and peers could be elected to the remaining House of Parliament. Later, Oliver Cromwell, who was the leader of England, decided it would be useful to bring back a second chamber to reduce the power of the Commons. About sixty writs of summons were issued, similar to those given to peers in the House of Lords. The people called were Lords, but their titles were not hereditary. However, Cromwell soon dissolved this Parliament and took full power as Lord Protector.

Soon after Cromwell's death, the monarchy was brought back, and so was the House of Lords. King Charles II continued to create many peerages, even more than James I. Some of these titles went to Charles's many mistresses and illegitimate sons. Charles II's reign also saw the persecution of Roman Catholics. This happened after Titus Oates falsely claimed there was a "Popish Plot" to kill the King. Catholic peers were prevented from sitting in the House of Lords. They had to make a statement saying that some Roman Church beliefs were "superstitious and idolatrous." These rules were not removed until 1829.

A major event in the history of the peerage happened in 1707. This was when England and Scotland united to form Great Britain. At that time, there were 168 English peers and 154 Scottish ones. English peers did not want their individual importance in the House of Lords to decrease. So, they agreed that Scotland would elect only sixteen Scottish representative peers to sit in the House of Lords. After the Union, no new peerages were created in the old English or Scottish systems. All new peerages were created in the Peerage of Great Britain.

The individual power of peers did decrease as more peerages were created. At one point, Queen Anne created twelve peers in one day. The government asked for these new peers, known as Harley's Dozen, to get enough votes for their peace plans in the House of Lords. To stop so many new peerages from being created, the House of Lords tried to pass a bill in 1719 to limit its numbers. But this bill failed in the House of Commons.

Hanoverian Monarchs and Modern Changes

Shifting Power

Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701. This law stated that after Queen Anne's death, the Crown would go to George, Elector of Hanover. He was the Queen's closest Protestant relative, even though about 50 other people were ahead of him in the line of succession. As the power of the monarch slowly shifted to Parliament, peerage titles began to be given out by government ministers, not just by the king's choice.

King George III's reign was very important for the history of the peerage. The number of new peers created during his time was huge: almost 400 new peers. Prime Ministers like Lord North and William Pitt the Younger were especially generous in giving out peerage titles. They used this to gain more votes in the House of Lords. It became clear that the Scottish peers were not represented enough. They still elected only sixteen peers, while the number of British peers had grown a lot. To fix this, British hereditary peerages were given to Scottish peers, allowing them to sit in the House of Lords.

In 1801, Ireland united with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom. Ireland was allowed to elect twenty-eight of its peers to sit in the House of Lords as representative peers. Unlike the Union with Scotland, the Crown kept the right to create one new Irish peerage every time three old ones died out. This rule lasted until there were only 100 Irish peers without British peerages. After that, new Irish peerages could be created as needed to keep that number. Since Irish peers were not automatically allowed to sit in the Lords, people could be made Irish peers to honor them without adding more members to the House of Lords. Only 21 new Irish peerages were created after the Union. All other new peerages since 1801 have been created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

In 1832, the Reform Act was passed. This law got rid of many "rotten boroughs" in England. These were small areas, like Old Sarum with only seven voters, that were often "owned" by peers. The peers could easily get their chosen candidates elected. The Reform Act and later laws reduced the influence of peers in the lower house of Parliament, which meant they had less political power overall.

An important development in the 1800s was the creation of Law Lords. In 1856, it was decided that a legally trained peer was needed in the House of Lords. The Lords had, and still have, some judicial duties, but they did not always have enough peers who knew a lot about law. To avoid increasing the number of hereditary peers, Queen Victoria made Sir James Parke a life peer. He was called Baron Wensleydale. However, the Lords refused to let him join. They believed that only a new law from Parliament could change the hereditary nature of the Lords. Bills were later introduced to allow life peerages, but they failed. It was not until 1876, twenty years after the Wensleydale case, that the Appellate Jurisdiction Act was passed. This law allowed the appointment of two Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (called Law Lords) to sit in the House of Lords as barons. They would hold the rank of baron for life, but only sit in the Lords until they retired from their judge roles. In 1887, they were allowed to continue sitting in the Lords for life. The number of Law Lords was also increased later.

Modern Peerage (1900s-Today)

New Purposes for Peerages

In the 1900s, peers were almost always created to reward people for their political achievements. Creating new peerages became much more common. The peerage stopped being mainly about wealth or owning land. However, at the start of the century, some connections to wealth still remained. In 1909, the government proposed a land tax. Landowning peers opposed this, and the House of Lords rejected the budget. After the election in January 1910, the government introduced the Parliament Bill. This bill aimed to limit the powers of the Lords. When the Lords tried to block the bill, the prime minister, H. H. Asquith, threatened to ask the king to create 250 new Liberal peers. This would have removed the Conservative majority in the House of Lords. The Lords then passed the Parliament Act. This law means that the House of Lords can only delay most bills, not reject them completely.

Later in the same decade, the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 was passed. Some British peers had fought against Britain in World War I. This law allowed their titles to be suspended. In 1919, three peers had their titles suspended. Their descendants can ask for the titles to be restored, but none have done so.

Another issue in the 1920s was allowing women into the House of Lords. The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 stated that "A person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function." In 1922, Viscountess Rhondda, who held a peerage in her own right, tried to take a seat in the House of Lords. Even though legal experts said she was eligible under the law, she was not allowed in. Many Conservatives were against women joining the House of Lords. Liberals, on the other hand, felt that allowing hereditary peeresses would support the idea of hereditary titles, which they disliked.

Women in the Lords and Recent Reforms

Women were finally allowed into the House of Lords in 1958. The Life Peerages Act passed that year allowed the creation of life baronies for both men and women on a regular basis. Hereditary peeresses were allowed in 1963 under the Peerage Act. This Act also allowed peers to give up their hereditary peerages within a year of inheriting them, or within a year of turning 18. All eligible Scottish peers were allowed to sit in the House of Lords, and elections for representative peers stopped. Elections for Irish representative peers had already ended in 1922, when most of Ireland left the United Kingdom to become the Irish Free State.

Hereditary peerages continued to be created after 1958. However, when Harold Wilson of the Labour Party became prime minister in 1964, he stopped recommending the creation of hereditary peerages. His successors, Edward Heath (Conservative) and James Callaghan (Labour), also did not recommend hereditary peerage creations. Since then, hereditary peerages have not been regularly created, except for members of the royal family. Margaret Thatcher, a Conservative prime minister, did bring back the practice of creating hereditary peers for a short time. Harold Macmillan became Earl of Stockton in 1984. George Thomas became Viscount Tonypandy, and William Whitelaw became Viscount Whitelaw, both in 1983. The peerages of Thomas and Whitelaw ended when they died. The Earldom of Stockton still exists. Thatcher's husband received an hereditary baronetcy, but she herself was made a life baroness after her time as prime minister.

Hereditary peerages are still created for members of the royal family. For example, Prince Andrew became Duke of York in 1986. Prince Edward became Earl of Wessex in 1999. Prince William became Duke of Cambridge in 2011. And Prince Harry became Duke of Sussex in 2018. All these titles were given when they got married.

After the Labour Party came to power in 1997, they started more reforms of the House of Lords. Under the House of Lords Act 1999, hereditary peerages no longer automatically give people a seat in the House of Lords. However, the Act made exceptions for the Earl Marshal, the Lord Great Chamberlain, and ninety other hereditary peers who are elected by their fellow peers. More changes to the House of Lords are still being considered.

Images for kids

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  Edward, the Black Prince, Duke of Cornwall was the first Duke created in England. Depicted is the effigy above his tomb at Canterbury Cathedral

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  Queen Anne created twelve peers on one day.

See also

• Peerage
• Privilege of peerage