Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Moraireachd na h-Alba, Scots: Peerage o Scotland) is the section of the Peerage of the British Isles for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scots and the Kingdom of England were combined under the name of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was introduced in which subsequent titles were created.
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After the Union, the Peers of the old Parliament of Scotland elected 16 representative peers to sit in the House of Lords at Westminster. The Peerage Act 1963 granted all Scottish Peers the right to sit in the House of Lords, but this automatic right was revoked, as for all hereditary peerages (except those of the incumbent Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain), when the House of Lords Act 1999 received the Royal Assent.
Unlike most peerages, many Scottish titles have been granted with remainder to pass via female offspring (thus an Italian family has succeeded to and presently holds the earldom of Newburgh[1]), and in the case of daughters only, these titles devolve to the eldest daughter rather than falling into abeyance (as is the case with ancient English baronies by writ of summons). Unlike other British peerage titles, Scots law permits peerages to be inherited by or through a person who was not legitimate at birth, but was subsequently legitimised by their parents marrying later.[2][3]
The ranks of the Scottish Peerage are, in ascending order: Lord of Parliament, Viscount, Earl, Marquis and Duke. Scottish Viscounts differ from those of the other Peerages (of England, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Kingdom) by using the style of in their title, as in Viscount of Oxfuird. Though this is the theoretical form, most Viscounts drop the "of". The Viscount of Arbuthnott and to a lesser extent the Viscount of Oxfuird still use "of." Scottish Peers were entitled to sit in the ancient Parliament of Scotland.
Scottish Barons rank below Lords of Parliament, and although considered noble, their titles are incorporeal hereditaments. At one time feudal barons did sit in parliament. However, they are considered minor barons and not peers because their titles can be hereditary, or bought and sold.
In the following table of the Peerage of Scotland as it currently stands, each peer's highest ranking title in the other peerages (if any) are also listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in italics.
Dukes
- Subsidiary title.
| Title | Creation | Other Dukedom or higher titles House of Lords titles |
|---|---|---|
| The Duke of Rothesay | 1398 | Since 1603, usually Prince of Wales as the heir to the throne Duke of Cornwall in the Peerage of England. |
| The Duke of Hamilton | 12 September 1643 | Sat as Duke of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain until 1963. |
| The Duke of Buccleuch | 20 April 1663 | Sat as Earl of Doncaster in the Peerage of England from 1743–1963. |
| The Duke of Lennox | 1675 | Duke of Richmond in the Peerage of England; Duke of Gordon in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
| The Duke of Queensberry | 3 February 1684 | Held by the Duke of Buccleuch in the Peerage of Scotland since 1810. |
| The Duke of Argyll | 23 June 1701 | Sat as Lord Sundridge and Hamilton in the Peerage of Great Britain; Sat as Duke of Argyll in the Peerage of the United Kingdom from 1892–1963. |
| The Duke of Atholl | 1703 | |
| The Duke of Montrose | 1707 | Sat as Earl Graham in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
| The Duke of Roxburghe | 1707 | Sat as Earl Innes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
Marquesses
| Title | Creation | Other Marquisette or higher titles |
|---|---|---|
| The Marquess of Huntly | 1599 | Lord Meldrum in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
| The Marquess of Queensberry | 1682 | |
| The Marquess of Tweeddale | 1694 | Lord Tweeddale in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
| The Marquess of Lothian | 1701 | Lord Ker in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Lord Kerr of Monteviot for Life in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
Earls and countesses
- Subsidiary title.
Viscounts
- Subsidiary title.
| Title | Creation | Other Viscountcy or higher titles |
|---|---|---|
| The Viscount Falkland | 1620 | |
| The Viscount of Stormont | 1621 | Earl of Mansfield in the Peerage of Great Britain |
| The Viscount of Arbuthnott | 1641 | |
| The Viscount of Oxfuird | 1651 | |
Lords of Parliament
- Subsidiary title.
See also
References
- "Representative Peers of Scotland". The Scottish Review. 25: 357. 1895.
- Earl of Dundee quoted in Hansard: LEGITIMATION (SCOTLAND) BILL [H.L.]
- Lauderdale Peerage Claim, House of Lords, 1884–1885
External links
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