A baronet ( or ;
abbreviated Bart or Bt
) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (,
,
or ;
abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the
British Crown
The Crown is the state (polity), state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, overseas territories, Provinces and territorie ...
. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th century, however in its current usage was created by
James I of England in 1611 as a means of raising funds for the crown.
A baronetcy is the only British
hereditary honour that is not a
peerage
A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks.
Peerages include:
Australia
* Australian peers
Belgium
* Belgi ...
, with the exception of the
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establi ...
Black Knights,
White Knights, and
Green Knights (of whom only the Green Knights are extant). A baronet is addressed as "Sir" (just as is a
knight) or "Dame" in the case of a baronetess, but ranks above all knighthoods and damehoods in the
order of precedence, except for the
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...
, the
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The ...
, and the dormant
Order of St Patrick
The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a dormant British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, The 3rd Earl Temple (later cre ...
. Baronets are conventionally seen to belong to the lesser nobility, even though
William Thoms claims that:
The precise quality of this dignity is not yet fully determined, some holding it to be the head of the , while others, again, rank Baronets as the lowest of the , because their honour, like that of the higher nobility, is both hereditary and created by patent.
Comparisons with continental titles and ranks are tenuous due to the British system of
primogeniture
Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...
and because claims to baronetcies must be proven; currently the
Official Roll of the Baronetage is overseen by the
Ministry of Justice. In practice this means that the UK Peerage and Baronetage consist of about 1,200 families (some peers are also baronets), which is roughly less than 0.01% of UK families.
History of the term
The term ''baronet'' has medieval origins.
Sir Thomas de La More (1322), describing the
Battle of Boroughbridge, mentioned that baronets took part, along with barons and knights.
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
created eight baronets in 1328.
The title of baronet was initially conferred upon
noblemen who lost the right of
individual summons to Parliament, and was used in this sense in a
statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
of
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
. A similar title of lower rank was
banneret.
Present-day baronets date from 1611 when
James I granted
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
to 200 gentlemen of good birth with an income of at least £1,000 a year; in return for the honour, each was required to pay for the upkeep of thirty soldiers for three years amounting to £1,095, in those days a very large sum. In 1619 James I established the
Baronetage of Ireland
Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain.
Baronetage of England (1611–1705)
James I of E ...
;
Charles I in 1625 created the Baronetages of
Scotland and
Nova Scotia. The new baronets were each required to pay 2,000
marks or to support six colonial settlers for two years. Over a hundred of these baronetcies, now familiarly known as Scottish baronetcies, survive to this day.
As a result of the Union of England and Scotland in 1707, all future creations were styled
baronets of Great Britain. Following the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, new creations were styled as
baronets of the United Kingdom.
Under
royal warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law.
Royal warrant may refer to:
* Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...
s of 1612 and 1613, certain privileges were accorded to baronets. Firstly, no person or persons should have place between baronets and the younger sons of peers. Secondly, the right of
knighthood was established for the eldest sons of baronets (this was later revoked by
George IV in 1827), and thirdly, baronets were allowed to augment their armorial bearings with the
Arms
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
*Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
**Fi ...
of
Ulster on an
inescutcheon: "in a field Argent, a Hand
Geules (or a bloudy hand)". These privileges were extended to baronets of Ireland, and for baronets of Scotland the privilege of depicting the Arms of Nova Scotia as an augmentation of honour. The former applies to this day for all baronets of Great Britain and of the
United Kingdom created subsequently.
Conventions
Like knights, baronets are accorded the style "
Sir" before their first name. Baronetesses in their own right use "
Dame
''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the British honours system and those of several other Commonwealth realms, such as Australia and New Zeala ...
", also before their first name, while wives of baronets use "
Lady
The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...
" followed by the husband's (marital) surname only, this by longstanding courtesy. Wives of baronets are not baronetesses; only women holding baronetcies
in their own right are so styled.
Unlike knighthoods – which apply to the recipient only – a baronetcy is hereditarily entailed. The eldest son of a baronet who is born in wedlock succeeds to a baronetcy upon his father's death, but will not be officially recognised until his name is recognised by being placed on the Official Roll. With some exceptions granted with special remainder by letters patent, baronetcies descend through the male line.
A full list of extant baronets appears in ''
Burke's Peerage and Baronetage'', which also published a record of extinct baronetcies.
A baronetcy is not a peerage; so baronets, like knights and junior members of peerage families, are
commoner
A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...
s and not
peers of the realm. Originally, all first baronets were knighted. Baronets also had other rights, including the right to have the eldest son knighted on his 21st birthday. However, at the beginning of
George IV's reign, these rights were eroded by
orders-in-council on the grounds that sovereigns should not necessarily be bound by acts of their predecessors. Although never having been automatically entitled to heraldic
supporters, baronets were allowed them in heredity in the first half of the 19th century if the title holder was also a Knight Grand Cross of a Crown order.
Baronets of Scotland or Nova Scotia were allowed to augment their armorial bearings with the Arms of Nova Scotia and the privilege of wearing a neck badge signifying "of Nova Scotia", suspended by an orange-tawny ribbon. This consists of an
escutcheon
Escutcheon may refer to:
* Escutcheon (heraldry), a shield or shield-shaped emblem, displaying a coat of arms
* Escutcheon (furniture), a metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder on a door
* (in medicine) the distribution of pubic ha ...
argent with a
saltire azure, an inescutcheon of the
Royal Arms of Scotland
The royal arms of Scotland is the official coat of arms of the King of Scots first adopted in the 12th century.
With the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James VI inherited the thrones of England and Ireland and thus his arms in Scotland were now Qua ...
, with an Imperial Crown above the escutcheon, and encircled with the motto ''Fax Mentis Honestae Gloria''. This badge may be shown suspended by the ribbon below the escutcheon.
Baronets of England and Ireland applied to
King Charles I for permission to wear a badge. Although a badge was worn in the 17th century, it was not until 1929 that King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Q ...
granted permission for all baronets (other than those of Scotland) to wear badges.
Addressing a baronet and the wife of a baronet
A baronet is referred to and addressed as, for example, "Sir Joseph" (using his forename). The correct style on an envelope for a baronet who has no other titles is "Sir Joseph Bloggs, Bt." or "Sir Joseph Bloggs, Bart." The letter would commence: "Dear Sir Joseph".
The wife of a baronet is addressed and referred to as "Lady Bloggs"; at the head of a letter as "Dear Lady Bloggs". Her given name is used only when necessary to distinguish between two holders of the same title. For example, if a baronet has died and the title has passed to his son, the widow (the new baronet's mother) will remain "Lady Bloggs" if he (the son) is unmarried or never marries, but if he is married or becomes married then his wife becomes "Lady Bloggs" while his mother will be known by the style "Alice, Lady Bloggs". Alternatively, the mother may prefer to be known as "The
Dowager Lady Bloggs". A previous wife will also become "Alice, Lady Bloggs" to distinguish her from the current wife of the incumbent baronet. She would not be "Lady Alice Bloggs", a style reserved for the daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls.
The children of a baronet are not entitled to the use of any
courtesy title
A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title).
In some c ...
s.
Baronetess
In history, there have been only four baronetesses:
*
Dame Mary Bolles, 1st Btss (née
Witham) (1579–1662); the only woman apparently to be ''created'' a baronetess (of Nova Scotia)
*
Dame Eleanor Dalyell, 10th Btss (1895–1972), cr. 1685, whose title and estate of
The Binns passed to her son, the former
Labour politician
Tam Dalyell MP (who chose not to use the title)
*
Dame Daisy Dunbar, 8th Btss of Hempriggs (1906–97), cr. 1706
*
Dame Anne Christian Maxwell Macdonald, 11th Btss (née Stirling-Maxwel; 1906–2011) was recognised by the
Lyon Court in 2005 as 11th holder of the baronetcy (formerly Stirling-Maxwel/Stirling-Maxwell) under the 1707 remainder and succeeded her father in 1956
In 1976,
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new gra ...
stated that, without examining the patent of every Scottish baronetcy, he was not in a position to confirm that only these four title creations could pass through female lines.
, there are no living baronetesses.
For a baronetess one should write, for example, "Dame Daisy Smith, Btss" on the envelope. At the head of the letter, one would write "Dear Dame Daisy", and to refer to her, one would say "Dame Daisy" or "Dame Daisy Smith" (never "Dame Smith").
Territorial designations
All baronetcies are created with a
territorial sub-designation, however only more recent creations duplicating the original creation require
territorial designations. So, for example, there are baronetcies Moore of Colchester, Moore of Hancox, Moore of Kyleburn, and Moore of Moore Lodge.
Baronetcies with special remainders
Baronetcies usually descend through
heirs male of the body of the
grantee, and can rarely be inherited by females or collateral
kins Kins may refer to:
People
* Ian Kinsler, nicknamed Kins (born 1982), American baseball player
Organisations
* KINS-FM, a radio station (106.3 FM) licensed to serve Blue Lake, California, United States
* Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS)
To ...
, unless created with
special remainder, for example:
* with remainder to heirs male forever (
Broun baronetcy, ''of Colstoun'' (1686),
Hay baronetcy of Alderston (1703), ''etc.'')
* with remainder to the sons of the grantee's daughters, and the heirs male of their bodies (
Hicking (''later'' North) baronetcy, ''of Southwell'' (1920), ''etc.'')
* with remainder to the grantee's daughter's son (
Amcotts baronetcy, ''of Kettlethorp'' (1796), ''etc.'')
* with remainder to the grantee's son-in-law (
Middleton (''later'' Noel) baronetcy, ''of The Navy'' (1781),
Rich baronetcy, ''of London'' (1676), ''etc.'')
* with remainder to the grantee's brother(s) (
Chapman baronetcy, ''of Killua Castle'' (1782),
Pigot baronetcy, ''of Patshull'' (1764),
White baronetcy of Tuxford and Wallingwells (1802) ''etc.'')
* with remainder, in default of male issue of the grantee, to the grantee's brothers and to the grantee's father's second cousin, and the heirs male of their bodies (
Robinson baronetcy, ''of Rokeby Park'' (1730))
* with remainder to
tailzie succeeding the grantee in the estate (
Dalyell baronetcy of The Binns (1685))
* with remainder specifically excluded the grantee's eldest son (
Stonhouse baronetcy, ''of Radley'' (1628))
Heraldic badges
Red Hand of Ulster
Baronets of England, Ireland, Great Britain or the United Kingdom (''i.e.'' all except
baronets of Nova Scotia) can display the
Red Hand of Ulster (
sinister (left) hand version) as a heraldic badge, being the arms of the ancient
kings of Ulster. This badge (or augmentation of honour) is
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visua ...
ed as follows: ''Argent a Hand sinister couped at the wrist extended in pale Gules''. King James I of England established the hereditary Order of Baronets in England on 22 May 1611, in the words of
''Collins' Peerage'' (1741): "for the plantation and protection of the whole Kingdom of Ireland, but more especially for the defence and security of the Province of Ulster, and therefore for their distinction those of this order and their descendants may bear the badge (Red Hand of Ulster) in their
coats of arms either in
canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative division terminology
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and ent ...
or an
escutcheon
Escutcheon may refer to:
* Escutcheon (heraldry), a shield or shield-shaped emblem, displaying a coat of arms
* Escutcheon (furniture), a metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder on a door
* (in medicine) the distribution of pubic ha ...
at their election". Since 1929 such baronets may also display the Red Hand of Ulster on its own as a
badge
A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fi ...
, suspended by a ribbon below the shield of arms.
[Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.1235]
Arms of Nova Scotia
Baronets of Nova Scotia, unlike other baronets, do not use the
Baronet's Badge (of Ulster), but have their own badge showing the
escutcheon of the arms of Nova Scotia: ''Argent, a Saltire Azure with an
inescutcheon of the
Royal Arms of Scotland
The royal arms of Scotland is the official coat of arms of the King of Scots first adopted in the 12th century.
With the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James VI inherited the thrones of England and Ireland and thus his arms in Scotland were now Qua ...
''. From before 1929 to the present it has been customary practice for such baronets to display this badge on its own suspended by the
order's ribbon below the shield of arms.
Number of baronetcies
The first publication listing all baronetcies ever created was C. J. Parry's ''Index of Baronetcy Creations'' (1967). This listed them in alphabetical order, other than the last five creations (
Dodds of West Chillington,
Redmayne of Rushcliffe,
Pearson of Gressingham,
Finlay of Epping and
Thatcher of Scotney). It showed the total number created from 1611 to 1964 to have been 3,482. They include five of
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...
, several of which were recreated by
Charles II. Twenty-five were created between 1688 and 1784 by
James II James II may refer to:
* James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade
* James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier
* James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily
* James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...
in exile after his dethronement, by his son
James Stuart ("The Old Pretender") and his grandson
Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie"). These "Jacobite baronetcies" were never accepted by the English Crown, have all disappeared and should properly be excluded from the 3,482, making the effective number of creations 3,457. A close examination of Parry's publication shows he missed one or two,
so there might well have been some more.
As of 2000, including baronetcies where succession was dormant or unproven, there was a total of 1,314 baronetcies divided into five classes of creation included on ''The
Official Roll of the Baronetage'' – 146 of England, 63 of Ireland, 119 of Scotland, 133 of Great Britain and 853 of the United Kingdom.
The total number of baronetcies today is approximately 1,204, although only some 1,020 are on ''The Official Roll of the Baronetage''.
It is unknown whether some baronetcies remain extant and it may be that nobody can prove himself to be the actual heir. Over 200 baronetcies are now held by peers; and others, such as the Knox line, have been made tenuous by internal family disputes.
Baronetage decline since 1965
There were 1,490 baronetcies extant on 1 January 1965. Since then the number has reduced by 286 through extinction or dormancy: a gross decline of 19.2% (up to 2017). Extant baronetcies numbered about 1,236 in 2015,
and 1,204 as of 2017.
Since 1965 only one new baronetcy has been created, for
Sir Denis Thatcher
Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; in turn, he became the first male prime m ...
on 7 December 1990, husband of a former British prime minister,
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
(''later'' Baroness Thatcher); their eldest son,
Sir Mark Thatcher
Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet (born 15 August 1953) is an English businessman. He is the son of Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, and Sir Denis Thatcher; his sister is Carol Thatcher.
His early career ...
, succeeded as
2nd Baronet upon his father's death in 2003.
Seven baronetcies dormant in 1965 have since been revived:
Innes baronetcy, ''of Coxton'' (1686),
Nicolson baronetcy of that Ilk and of Lasswade (1629),
Hope baronetcy, ''of Kirkliston'' (1698),
St John (''later'' St John-Mildmay) baronetcy, ''of Farley'' (1772),
Maxwell-Macdonald baronetcy of Pollok (1682),
Inglis baronetcy, ''of Cramond, Edinburgh'' (1687) and
Von Friesendorff baronetcy, ''of Hirdech, Sweden'' (1661).
Premier Baronet
England
The Premier Baronet (of England) is the unofficial title afforded to the current holder of the oldest extant baronetcy in the realm. The Premier Baronet is regarded as the senior member of the Baronetage, and ranks above other baronets (unless they hold a
peerage title) in the
United Kingdom Order of Precedence
The order of precedence in the United Kingdom is the sequential hierarchy for Peers of the Realm, officers of state, senior members of the clergy, holders of the various Orders of Chivalry and other persons in the three legal jurisdictions within ...
.
Sir Nicholas Bacon, 14th Baronet, is the current Premier Baronet; his family's senior title was created by
King James I in 1611.
Scotland
The Premier Baronets of Nova Scotia (Scotland) were the
Gordon baronets of Gordonstoun and Letterfourie until the title's extinction in 1908. Subsequently, the Premier Scottish Baronets are the
Innes baronets of that Ilk (cr. 28 May 1625), the present Premier Baronet being
Charles Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe.
Ireland
The Premier Baronetcy of Ireland was created for
Sir Dominic Sarsfield in 1619, and was held by his successors until the
attainder of the
4th Viscount Sarsfield in 1691. Since then the descendants of
Sir Francis Annesley Bt., the
Annesley baronets, have been the Premier Baronets of Ireland;
[Cokayne, vol ii, p 224] presently
Francis William Dighton Annesley, 16th Viscount Valentia
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Francis (surname)
Places
*Rural Mu ...
.
Baronetcies conferred upon British expatriates and non-British nationals
In fiction
See also
*
Standing Council of the Baronetage
*
List of extant baronetcies
*
List of baronetcies (currently incomplete)
*
British Honours System
*
Canadian peers and baronets
References and sources
;References
;Sources
*
*
Debrett's websiteBurke's website
External links
Official Roll of the Baronets*
Addressing a baronet
{{Former Australian Honours
1328 establishments in England
Orders of chivalry of the United Kingdom
Social classes
Gentry