![BaronetUK](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/BaronetUK.jpg)
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
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the Union of the Crowns, union of the Scottish and Eng ...
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 establis ...
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
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
) or "Dame" in the case of a baronetess, but ranks above all knighthoods and damehoods in the
order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...
, 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
William John Thoms (16 November 1803 – 15 August 1885) was a British writer credited with coining the term "folklore" in 1846. Thoms's investigation of folklore and myth led to a later career of debunking longevity myths, and he was a pioneer ...
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
The Official Roll of the Baronetage is an official list of baronets kept by the Lord Chancellor; an abridged version is published online by the Standing Council of the Baronetage.
Any person who wishes to claim succession to a baronetcy must prod ...
is overseen by the
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
. 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
The Battle of Boroughbridge was fought on 16 March 1322 in England between a group of rebellious barons and the forces of King Edward II, near Boroughbridge, north-west of York. The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the King a ...
, 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
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...
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
A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a medieval knight ("a commoner of rank") who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner (which was square-shaped, in contrast to the tapering standard or the penn ...
.
Present-day baronets date from 1611 when
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
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 Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
in 1625 created the Baronetages of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
. The new baronets were each required to pay 2,000
marks
Marks may refer to:
Business
* Mark's, a Canadian retail chain
* Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain
* Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members
* Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel '' ...
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 warrants 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
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
was established for the eldest sons of baronets (this was later revoked by
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
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
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
on an
inescutcheon
In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...
: "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
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
created subsequently.
Conventions
Like knights, baronets are accorded the style "
Sir
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
" 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 Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...
", 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
Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher founded in 1826, when the Irish genealogist John Burke began releasing books devoted to the ancestry and heraldry of the peerage, baronetage, knightage and landed gentry of Great Bri ...
'', 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
A peer of the realm is a member of the highest aristocratic social order outside the ruling dynasty of the kingdom.
Notable examples are:
* a member of the peerages in the United Kingdom, who is a hereditary peer or a life peer
* a member of the ...
. 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
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
's reign, these rights were eroded by
orders-in-council
An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...
on the grounds that sovereigns should not necessarily be bound by acts of their predecessors. Although never having been automatically entitled to heraldic
supporter
In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up.
Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the coro ...
s, 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 argent with a
saltire
A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...
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 Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
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
A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property—a "dower"—derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchy, monarchical and aristocracy, aristocratic Title#Aristocr ...
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 co ...
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
The House of the Binns, or simply the Binns, is a historic house in West Lothian, Scotland, the seat of the Dalyell family (pronounced ''dee el''). It dates from the early 17th century, and was the home of Tam Dalyell until his death in January ...
passed to her son, the former
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the 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
The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing Courts of Scotland, court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of coat of arms, arms, kno ...
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 grant ...
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 designation
In the United Kingdom, a territorial designation follows modern peerage titles, linking them to a specific place or places. It is also an integral part of all baronetcies. Within Scotland, a territorial designation proclaims a relationship with ...
s. 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
A grant, in law, is a transfer of property, generally from a person or other entity giving the property (the grantor) to a person or entity receiving the property (the grantee).
Historically, a grant was a transfer by deed of that which could not ...
, and can rarely be inherited by females or collateral
kins, unless created with
special remainder
In property law of the United Kingdom and the United States and other common law countries, a remainder is a future interest given to a person (who is referred to as the transferee or remainderman) that is capable of becoming possessory upon the n ...
, 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
In Scots law, tailzie () is a feudal concept of the inheritance of immovable property according to an arbitrary course that has been laid out, such as in a document known as a "deed of tailzie". It was codified by the Entail Act 1685.
Tailzie is ...
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
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)
King James ...
) can display the
Red Hand of Ulster
The Red Hand of Ulster ( gle, Lámh Dhearg Uladh), also known as the Red Hand Uí Néill, is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster and the Northern Uí Néill in particular. However, it has also been used by other Ir ...
(
sinister
Sinister commonly refers to:
* Evil
* Ominous
Sinister may also refer to:
Left side
* Sinister, Latin for the direction " left"
* Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see ...
(left) hand version) as a heraldic badge, being the arms of the ancient
kings of Ulster
The King of Ulster (Old Irish: ''Rí Ulad'', Modern Irish: ''Rí Uladh'') also known as the King of Ulaid and King of the Ulaid, was any of the kings of the Irish provincial over-kingdom of Ulaid. The title rí in Chóicid, which means "king of ...
. 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 vis ...
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
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...
either in
canton or an
escutcheon 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
In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...
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 Ki ...
, several of which were recreated by
Charles II. Twenty-five were created between 1688 and 1784 by
James II 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
The Official Roll of the Baronetage is an official list of baronets kept by the Lord Chancellor; an abridged version is published online by the Standing Council of the Baronetage.
Any person who wishes to claim succession to a baronetcy must prod ...
'' – 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 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 (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
(''later'' Baroness Thatcher); their eldest son,
Sir Mark Thatcher, 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.
Sir Nicholas Bacon, 14th Baronet
Sir Nicholas Hickman Ponsonby Bacon, 14th and 15th Baronet, (born 17 May 1953) is a British landowner, businessman and philanthropist. Sir Nicholas is also the Premier Baronet of England.
Life and education
Bacon is the only son of Sir Edmund ...
, is the current Premier Baronet; his family's senior title was created by
King James I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
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
Captain Charles Robert George Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe (born 18 February 1981), also known as Charles Innes or Charlie Roxburghe, is a British aristocrat and soldier.
Biography
Captain Charles Robert George Innes-Ker is the 11th Duke ...
.
Ireland
The Premier Baronetcy of Ireland was created for
Sir Dominic Sarsfield in 1619, and was held by his successors until the
attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditar ...
of the
4th Viscount Sarsfield in 1691. Since then the descendants of
Sir Francis Annesley Bt., the
Annesley baronets
Annesley is a village and civil parish in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, between Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 1,162 (including Annesley Woodhouse to the west).
Annesley Hall ...
, have been the Premier Baronets of Ireland;
[Cokayne, vol ii, p 224] presently
Francis William Dighton Annesley, 16th Viscount Valentia.
Baronetcies conferred upon British expatriates and non-British nationals
In fiction
See also
*
Standing Council of the Baronetage
The Standing Council of the Baronetage is a United Kingdom organisation which deals with the affairs of baronets. It was first established in January 1898 as the Honourable Society of the Baronetage. In July 1903 it was reconstituted as a permanent ...
*
List of extant baronetcies
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)
King James I ...
*
List of baronetcies
{{UK Peerages, bart
This article lists baronetcies, whether extant, extinct, dormant (D), unproven (U), under review (R) or forfeit, in the baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The holders of some ...
(currently incomplete)
*
British Honours System
In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
*Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement a ...
*
Canadian peers and baronets
Canadian peers and baronets (french: pairs et baronnets canadiens) exist in both the peerage of France recognized by the Monarch of Canada (the same as the Monarch of the United Kingdom) and the peerage of the United Kingdom.
In 1627, French ...
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