143. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Charles, EARL OF ROMNEY, cre. June 22, 1801. Eod. Reg. Aged 52. 144. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Henry-Thomas, EARL of CHICHES TER, cre. June 23, 1801. Eod. Reg. Aged 26. 145. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Thomas, EARL OF WILTON, cre. June 26, 1801. Eod. Reg. Aged 30. 146. F. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Edmund-Henry, EARL OF LIMERICK, cre. Feb. 11, 1803. Eod. Reg. 147. F. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Richard, EARL OF CLANCARTY†, cre. Feb. 11, 1803. Eod. Reg. Aged 72. Aged 63. 148. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Edward, EARL POWIS, cre. May 14, 1804. Eod. Reg. Aged 76. 149. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. and Rev. William, EARL NELSON, cre. Nov. 20, 1805. Eod. Reg. Aged 73. 150. F. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Archibald, EARL OF GOSFORD, cre. Feb. 10, 1806. Eod. Reg. Aged 55. 151. F. K. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Laurence, EARL OF ROSSE, cre. Feb. 16, 1806. Eod. Reg. Aged 72. 152. F. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Charles-William, EARL OF CHARLEVILLE, cre. Feb. 16, 1806. Eod. Reg. Aged 66. 153. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Charles-Herbert, EARL MANVERS, cre. April 1, 1806. Eod. Reg. Aged 52. 154. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Horatio, EARL OF ORFORD, cre. April 1, 1806. Eod. Reg. Aged 47. 155. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Charles, EARL GREY, cre. April 1, 1806. Eod. Reg. Aged 66. 156. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. William, EARL OF LONSDALE, cre. April 4, 1807. Eod. Reg. Aged 72. 157. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Dudley, EARL OF HARROWBY, cre. July 18, 1809. Eod. Reg. Aged 67. 158. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Henry, EARL OF MULGRAVE, cre. Aug. 15, 1812. Administratione Regni Georgii Principis Walliæ. Aged 75. 159. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Henry, EARL OF HAREWOOD, cre. Aug. 15, 1812. Ead. Adm. Aged 62. 160. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Gilbert, EARL OF MINTO, cre. Feb. 2, 1813. Ead. Adm. Aged 47. 161. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. William-Shaw, EARL CATHCArt, cre. June 18, 1814. Ead. Adm. Aged 51. Created BARON FOXFORD, of the united kingdom, July 18, 1815. + Created VISCOUNT CLANCARTY, of the united kingdom, Nov. 17, 1823. Though entitled to sit in the House of Peers according to the above creations, their Lordships choose to retain their rank as representative Earts of Ireland. 162. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. James-Walter, Earl of Verulam, cre. Sept. 13, 1815. Ead. Adm. Aged 55. 163. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John, EARL BROWNLOW, cre. Sept. 13, 1815. Ead. Adm. Aged 50. 164. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. William, EARL OF ST. GERMANS, cre. Sept. 13, 1815. Ead. Adm. Aged 64. 165. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John, EARL OF MORLEY, cre. Sept. 13, 1815. Ead. Adm. Aged 58. 166. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Augustus-Frederick-Henry, EARL Aged 40. 168. F. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Richard, EARL OF GLENGALL, cre. Jan. 22, 1816. Ead. Adm. Aged 36. 169. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John, EARL cre. July 6, 1821. Georgio Quarto reg. OF ELDON, Aged 79. 170. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Edward, EARL OF FALMOUTH, cre. July 9, 1821. Eod. Reg. Aged 43. 171. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Richard-William-Penn, EARL HOWE, cre. July 9, 1821. Eod. Reg. Aged 33. 172. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John-Somers, EARL SOMERS, cre. July 9, 1821. Eod. Reg. Aged 70. 173. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John-Edward, EARL OF STRADBROKE, cre. July 9, 1821. Eod. Reg. Aged 35. 174. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Charles-William, EARL VANE, cre. March 28, 1823. Eod. Reg. Aged 52. 175. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. William-Pitt, EARL AMHERST, cre. Dec. 2, 1826. Eod. Reg. Aged 57. 176. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John-William, EARL OF DUDLEY, cre. Sept. 24, 1827. Eod. Reg. Aged 48. 177. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John-Frederick, EARL OF CAWDOR, cre. Sept. 24, 1827. Eod. Reg. Aged 39. EARLDOMS are the most ancient dignities in the Peerage of this Country; and, among the Saxons, Earl, or Ealderman, was the next title to Atheling, or Prince. Eal, or Earl, in the Saxon signifies noble; as Ealred, a man's name, noble man; Eadelman, or Ealderman (now Alderman), noble senator or counsellor. This dignity was at one time invariably attached to the possession or government, or both united, of a particular tract of land, thence termed Shire or Share, signifying a division or proportion of the kingdom, which, from time immemorial, was thus divided for its better or more easy government. These districts or Earldoms, either during the stay of the Romans or after the Norman conquest, had various other names to signify their conquest, jurisdiction, &c.; as Provincia or Satrapia, when such had been conquered, and was governed by a military deputy or lieutenant. Comitatus, or county (as Comitatus Oxoniensis, the county of Oxford), when governed by a Count or Comes Imperii (a partner in the government); in which case the laws generally were of the people's own choosing, in the Comitia or Commons' Council, and the Earl's or Count's revenue arose from the profits, that is, the third penny, of all pleas in his court. Comitatus Palatinus, or County Palatine, when the ruler was Comes Palatii, or Palatinus (that is, Companion in the Palace, Royal Count, or Count Palatine); in which case he became territorial proprietor, was invested with royal authority and prerogative (Gura regalia, including royal services and estreats) within his own county or Palatinate; and administered the laws, both civil and criminal, in his own name, for his own profit, and by his own officers in fact he was, in every respect, a King, only that he held his sovereignty. of a superior lord *. Ditio, where there was no resident chief magistrate, but where the laws were occasionally or periodically administered by a Court of Justices-Itinerant delegated by the Prince for that purpose †. The Counties Palatine of England are Chester, Lancaster, and Durham; which formerly had very great privileges, and were invested with an independent jurisdiction, because they lay adjacent to enemies' countries, viz. Wales and Scotland; so that the inhabitants might have administration of justice at home, and remain there to secure the country from invasion. The first Count Palatine in England was Hugo, nephew to William the Conqueror, to whom was granted the Earldom of Chester, to hold with the same advantage of military tenure as the King himself held the crown of England. Afterwards, Edward the Third erected the County Palatine of Lancaster, with the title of Duchy, with nearly the same privileges as those of Chester. The Bishopric of Durham was likewise a County Palatine, as was also that of Ely, though some say that the latter was only a royal franchise; but their jurisdictions were considerably lessened from being invested in the Crown by the 27th of Henry VIII. chap. 24. There is also mention made of the County Palatine of Hexham in 33rd of Henry VIII. chap. 20, which at that period belonged to the Archbishop of York. By the 14th of Elizabeth, however, it was dissolved, and made part of the county of Northumberland. This was doubtless the origin of those Commission Justicers, or Justices in Eyre, who were first appointed in 1176, to make a circuit round the kingdom once in seven years, and afterwards, by Magna Charta, once in every year. The word Eyre is synonymous with the French eire and the Latin iter or itiner, signifying a journey. Another class of these itinerant Justices held their courts in the forests every three years, where every thing was adjudged by forest-law only. The Jus And Ager; as Ager Salopiensis, Eboracensis, et Cantianus (that is, the Seigniories of Shropshire, Yorkshire, and Kent), where the commons' laws were administered; but where the Earl or Count had a large tract of land as his own seignory or domain, and likewise received the revenue of his government for his own use and profit. There was still another officer with similar powers as regarded the administration of justice, viz. the Comarchus, that is, Earl, Count, Ruler, or Burgomaster of a city, whose jurisdiction extended no farther than the walls or boundaries thereof, but who had for the whole or part of his fee or salary a spot of ground or domain in the suburbs *;--such was Leofrick, Earl of Coventry, husband of the celebrated Godiva, who rode naked through the streets of that city, to preserve its privileges, and to save the inhabitants from an oppressive tax t. Comites, or Counts, are evidently of Norman introduction. Having had bestowed upon them the government of the Shires or Provinces, it is easy to see how these were converted into Counties. It is singular, however, that whilst the latter designation remains until the present day, the original title of Earl has surmounted every attempt at suppression, and survived the revolutions of conquest and time; and that, too, although for ages the wives of such personages have been styled Comitissæ, or Countesses ‡. tices in Eyre giving way to the present Judges of Assize, and having in the course of time become sinecures, were decreed to be abolished by the 57th of George III. e. 61. on the termination of the existing interests. At the head of the Comarchi was the Earl-Marshal of England, whose office of presiding in various courts, as the King's representative, and within the precincts of the palace, shows that the administration of the laws was essentially and inseparably connected with the dignity of Earl. This office, however, having become hereditary, and consequently almost a mere diguity in the family of the Duke of Norfolk, necessity occasionally compels the appointment of a temporary officer, entitled the Lord High Steward of England, whose business it is to preside at coronations, and on the trial of a Peer for high treason. Any of these particular duties being ended, his commission expires: he then breaks his wand, and so puts an end to his authority. Whilst on the subject, we must not omit the Counties Corporate. These were certain cities, or ancient boroughs, on which the Kings of England bestowed extraordinary privileges, similar to those of the Palatinates; annexing to them particular territories and jurisdiction. London was one of these; for at this day the citizens choose their own sheriffs, &c., and possess their own civil and criminal COUTES There being no Saxon distinctive title for these females which denotes rank, except the now common appellation of Ladies, is one proof among many that the ancient dignities in this kingdom were merely official, and not hereditary, or even for life. The consort of a King was certainly a Queen; but the wife of an Earl or Thane derived no further honour from her husband's office than the lady of an Archbishop or Field-Marshal does at the present day. D 1 We have seen that the chief business of an Earl was the administration of justice to those over whom he ruled; to this was joined a military command like that of our lords lieutenant of counties. In fact, this very ancient office and dignity assimilated in every respect to that of governor-general of any of the British colonies, as at present constituted. But in the course of time, when Earldoms and other dignities began to be hereditary, and created by letters patent from the King, the official duties ceased to be performed, whilst the titles and landed revenues remained. At length, instead of being confined as before to the counties and principal towns, these titles became extended, in consequence of the number of Earls, to villages, family estates, and even surnames. The King officially addresses an Earl as his "Right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin ;" and, in some instances, " Puissant Prince." The parliamentary robes and cap of this class of nobility differ from those of Dukes and Marquesses, merely in having only three guards of ermine and gold lace on each shoulder. Their coronation robes differ only in the same slight degree; but their coronets, which are of gold, and lined with velvet and ermine, have pearls raised on very high points, with strawberry leaves between, upon small elevations of the circlet or band. The Lord Treasurer, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, is said to have been the first Earl who wore a coronet but there can be little doubt that Counts Palatine, at least, wore this emblem of nobility or royalty long before the time of Elizabeth. VISCOUNTS. 178. His Lordship, the Right Honourable Henry, VISCOUNT HEREFORD, cre. Feb. 2, 1549, Edwardo Sexto regnante. Aged 53. 179. §. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. John, VISCOUNT AR BUTHNOT, cre. Nov. 16, 1641. Carolo Primo reg. Aged 52. 180. S. R. P. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. James, VISCOUNT STRATHALLAN, cre. Sept. 6, 1686. Jacobo Septimo Scotia (Secundo Anglia) reg. Aged 63. AND 181. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Henry, VISCOUNT ST. JOHN BOLINGBROKE, cre. July 8, 1712. Anna regnante. Aged 44. 182. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. George, VISCOUNT TORRINGTON, cre. Sept. 10, 1721. Georgio Primo reg. 183. His Lordship, the Rt. Hon. Augustus-Frederick, VISCOUNT LEINSTER, cre. Feb. 17, 1746. Georgio Secundo reg. Aged 62. Aged 38. |