CHAPTER III

EARLY HISTORY OF THE BARONETAGES

OF ENGLAND AND OF IRELAND

Ir was only to be expected that the erection of a new dignity hereditary like that of the Baronetage should be viewed with feelings of jealousy by certain of the community. Whether any formal petition was ever made to the King for the revocation of his first letters patent is not known, but that such was in contemplation is evidenced by the following Memorandum contained among the Cotton Manuscripts in the British Museum (Faustina, c. viii. f. 24)

'Motiues to induce the Knights Cittizens and Burgesses of the Commons howse of Parliament to petition to his Matie for the revoking & abolishing of the degree of Baronetts lately erected by his hignes letters patents.

'ffirst because this new degree is offensiue to the Nobilitie of this Realme whose descendants in all reason ought to haue pryme emynence amongst the gentrie of this Kingdome yet Baronetts by thease letters Patents are to haue precedence before the descendants from the younger children of Barons, Earles, Dukes, etc. And to the order of Knighthood because that degree being a personall dignitye & springing out of vertue and desert ought to be ranged next and imediatly vnto Barony. Nevertheles the degree of Baronetts is interposed betweene Baronie and Knighthood. And to the gentrye of this Kingdome because many of the Baronetts and

108

their descendants being meanely descended must haue precedence before gentlemen of auncient families, who by this Innovation wilbe much villified and of smale reckoning in the Comonwealth.

'And vnto the Magistrats of this Kingdome who in respect of their offices & places wherein they serue as also of the grauitie and wisdome of their persons in publick services and assemblies, haue vsed to have precedence before others but now they must giue place vnto Baronetts and their descendants albeit some of them are and many of them in tyme to come may be meane in Birth, poore in estate and of small worth and desert.

'And vnto the whole comynaltie whose descendants by their virtues and good fortunes may hereafter attayne vnto creditt and reputacion in the commonwealth.

'Inconveniences that will arise vnto his Matie and this estate by reason of this new institucion.

There wilbe allwaies dislike envye and hartburning betweene the gentrie of the Kingdome and the Baronetts.

"The honour of Knighthood wch was wont to encourage generous myndes vnto high exploits will now come into contempt: for be they of never so great prowesse and valour must by this Institucion be inferiour vnto Baronetts of smallest worth.

'Knighthood hath been held a competent reward for forreine and home ymployments But now his Matie must be dryven to seeke new wayes for the recompence and satisfaction of such seruices.

'Gentlemen of great lyvelyhood and estimacion will refraine his Mats seruice in publique assemblies for the administration of Justice, and otherwise, because they serue to giue place vnto many of the Baronetts whome they counted their inferiours.

"The reputacion of Knighthood and Antiquitye of descent hath in former tymes much advanced the gentrie soe quallified in preferment of mariages who are very much prejudiced by this hereditorie title.

'Great Noblemen of this Kingdome haue been regarded from their titular dignities for want of meanes to support their honour. But thease Baronetts albeit they shall happen to bee of noe worth,

either in estate or desert, must haue precedence before Knights and gentlemen of greatest reputacion.

'Nothing is more commendable then honour springing out of vertue and desert But to purchase honour with money (as Baronetts haue don) is a temporall Simonye and dishonorable to the estate.

"The commonalty of the Kingdome, ever sithence the first institucion therof hath consisted of certaine degrees knowne by legall addicions without change or alteracion by any of his maties Progenitours. But this Innovacion may by way of President alter the whole frame of the commonwealth.

His Matie by his prerogatiue Royall may create Barons, Vicounts, Earles, and any other degrees of Nobilitie as other his Auncestors and Progenitors have don, But the erection of this or any other in the Comminaltie is not warranted by any former President vsage or custome.'

We can imagine that protests resembling the above were made by Earls and Barons when the Degrees of Duke, Marquess, and Viscount were respectively introduced.

The following extract from a long document preserved in the Public Record Office shows that the Officers of the Navy were concerned as to the privileges conferred on the new degree (State Papers, Domestic Series, James I., vol. lxvii. No. 160):

A Remonstrance of ye Records heretofore produced in the Councell Chamber concerning the Præcedencie of the offices of the Navie now in question.

Præsidents shewinge the Order of the Office not to be inverted by the Dignitie of any other Tytle.

To shew that the Mrs of Requests have noe præheminence in the office of Marine Causes.

To shew that the Priviledges of everie Office are limited within it selfe.

To shew that the Patent of a Baronite doth not extend it selfe to take away the Priviledges of Offices.

By these wordes likewise included in our Patents wth all Profits Priviledges and præheminences, we take it as graunted that noe other Patent can seclude us from the præheminencie due unto our severall places, for although the Patent of a Baronite be to take place of other Kts, yet is not included and officers as Kts onely we contend not for that addeth nothinge to the Dignitie of the office, but as Officer we take our Patents to be of equall force or more, because ye more auncient patents, and if the tenent of our places and Preheminences by Patent be not secure the Tenent of most offices in England will appeare uncertaine, but it is more probable that the priviledges of these two Patents are not contradictorie, and it will appeare that the Patent of a Baronite is not of soe great extent as is pretended.

To shew that the words of a Baronites Patent to take place of all Kts are not universall.

To shew that these words in the Patent of a Baronite are not universall is made plaine by reason they comprehende not at all times, and in all places, for then wee should admitt that a Knight Baronite although ymployed as Rear Admirall, should at all councels and meetings, take ye place of his vice admirall or Admirall, beinge but Knights wch were to adde great confusion to Politicke Government, neither is the Case of officers much different from this of ymployment.

To prove the Præeminencie of the Comptrs place from the qualitie of his duties.

Between the 22nd May 1611, the date of the erection of the Degree, and the 31st December following, seventy-five Baronets were created, their general precedency being

clearly established in their Patents, as being before all Knights, and also before all Bannerets, except those who should be made by the King or the Prince of Wales on the field. Now as, according to various writers, a Banneret was a knightly person of high consideration, who in earlier reigns had been summoned to Parliament, who was entitled to supporters for his Arms, and who claimed rank before the sons of Barons and the younger sons of Viscounts, these earliest Baronets were naturally led to suppose that their place in the chain of precedence was hereditarily just above that which the Banneret occupied for his life. They probably also thought that the King, in creating a sixth hereditary degree, 'meane in place betwixt the Degree of a Baron and the Degree of a Knight,' to quote the words from his final Decree of 1616, intended that the members. of a Baronet's family should be woven into the said chain of precedence in the natural manner, which would be (omitting Ladies, Bishops, and Bannerets) as follows: