Reading the Regency

Earls

Earls hold one of the oldest titles in England, dating to Anglo-Saxon times. The name originated from the Old English word eorl, which meant warrior, leader or chief, and an ealdorman administered a shire or province for the king, receiving a third of the money raised in taxes.

The Anglo-Saxon earldoms were not originally hereditary, until after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when some of their responsibilities and payments were removed. Earls were the highest rank, below princes, until dukes and marquesses were created, and were considered "companions of the king".

The Norman French equivalent of an earl was a count. Although English earls did not become counts under William I, the word countess came into use for a female holding an earldom in her own right, or the wife of an earl.

In Scotland, the early provincial rulers, called mormaers, were the equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon eorls. They held the same status as earls in the Scottish court. The earliest known official creation of an earl in Scotland was the Earl of Dunbar in 1072. (forfeited in the 15th century)

There were no Irish earls until Henry II became Lord of Ireland, and created the Earl of Ulster in 1205.

Throughout history there were at least five times the number of earls created, compared to dukes and marquesses. Although many of them do not survive the number of earls existing in the Regency was more than the number of dukes and marquesses combined.

Creating an earl

Originally an earl was created by fastening a ceremonial sword to a belt or girdle. Over time, a ceremonial cape and the placing of a golden circlet on the head were added. After 1615 all earldoms were conferred by Letters Patent

From the time of King Richard II (14th century) earldoms were either life creations or hereditary. In most cases the title would be passed to "the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten and to be begotten". This means any legitimate male descended from the original title holder. Some Scottish earldoms could be inherited by a woman or pass through the female line.

Earldoms were generally territorial, meaning the title was often also a place name from England, Scotland or Ireland. The family did not have to live in, or have any connection to, the location, but it was often the name of a county, town or even a village where they held property. In these cases they were known as "Earl of ...(placename)". An example of this was the Earl of Westmoreland, created in 1624. As far as I can tell, the Fane family had no connection with Westmoreland (in the north of England) at all, instead holding land in Kent and Northamptonshire.

However, a few earldoms were not territorial. These were styled "Earl ... (title)", such as the Earl Waldegrave, created in 1729. The Waldegrave family already had the Waldegrave Barony, so were granted the Waldegrave earldom rather than choose another title.

The oldest surviving earldom in England is the Earl of Arundel, William d'Aubigny being created 1st Earl of Arundel in 1143, by King Stephen. It's also the oldest surviving peerage in England. However, the same holder was also created Duke of Norfolk in 1660, at which point the earldom of Arundel became a subsidiary title.

Between 1795 and 1820 there were almost 370 earldoms within England, Scotland and Ireland. Of those, thirty-three became extinct or dormant between 1795 and 1820. Forty-five were newly created over the 25 year period by King George III or the Prince Regent.

Order of Precedence

By the Regency period earls ranked below all marquesses, and above all viscounts. They also had their own "order of precedence" within their own rank. Their place in the order was decided based on when the earldom was created, and what part of the country it came from.

At the top of the list were all the earls created in England before the Act of Union in 1707, in order of creation. The oldest surviving earldom (not including subsidiary titles of dukes and marquesses) was the Earl of Shrewsbury, and he was considered the Premier Earl of England.

Below them were the earls in the Peerage of Scotland, before the Act of Union, in order of creation. After that came those who had been created in England and Scotland after 1707, and then the earls of Ireland.

Beneath all those were the thirty-three earls created after the Union with Ireland in 1801 - the earls in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

At the end of the Regency period, the most recently created earldom was that given to the Earl of Rawdon in February 1817. The same peer was also the newest marquess, being granted the marquessate of Hastings at the time time.

Homage Fees

Although his elevation might have been an honour granted by the king, there were fees involved for receiving or succeeding to a earldom.

A newly created earl would pay £203 for the privilege of becoming an earl. When he was introduced to the House of Lords he would pay a further £14, which would have covered the cost of the ceremony and the paperwork involved. All subsequent heirs would also pay for their introduction into the House of Lords.

Even if he was already a peer, he would still have to pay the same for his 'promotion'. The new earl would also have the further expense of buying the robes appropriate for his rank.

Robes of an Earl

When a king or queen is crowned, an earl will attend in his ceremonial robes, which differ very slightly for each rank. The mantle and surcoat for an earl is crimson velvet, lined with white taffeta. The mantle (a kind of elbow length cape) is covered with ermine fur, and has three rows of spots on each side. The coronet for an earl is a gold band, set round with alternate strawberry leaves and pearls, where the pearls are set high on points with the leaves beneath.

An earl's parliamentary robes, worn on other state occasions, are of fine scarlet cloth, lined with taffeta and doubled with three bands of ermine and gold lace, set at equal distances apart. It is tied with a white ribbon. His cap is crimson velvet, lined with ermine, with a gold tassel on the top.

A new set of robes was very expensive, and they were often handed down to the heir where possible. Parliamentary robes were worn on state occasions, but the coronation robes were only used at the coronation of the monarch, which might not happen during a peer's lifetime.

Addressing an earl

[Our example here will be the 1st Earl of Carnarvon, Henry Herbert. His subsidiary title was Baron Porchester, as he did not have a viscountcy]

An earl and countess would be announced as:

The Earl of Carnarvon.

The Countess of Carnarvon.

The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.

If you were speaking to them face to face, you would address them as "Lord Carnarvon" and "Lady Carnarvon". After that, you could call them "my lord" and "my lady".

Their eldest son would be announced as: Lord Porchester. You would address him in speech as "Lord Porchester", and subsequently as "my lord".

Their daughter would be announced as Lady Frances Herbert. You would address her as "Lady Frances". All daughters of earls are addressed in the same way.

Their second son was the Honourable Charles Herbert. However, the word "honourable" was never used in speech. It was only used in written form when addressing envelopes or invitations. He would have been announced as Mr. Charles Herbert and you would address him as "Mr. Herbert", or "Mr. Charles Herbert" if his father or elder brother was present. All younger sons of earls are addressed in the same way.

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[Image: An earl in his Parliamentary robes, taken from "A book explaining the ranks and dignities of British society", by Charles Lamb, published 1805. [Public Domain]]

Edited to add section on Homage Fees