Why are some areas of England Duchies, and some Earldoms?

Question

I believe Earl is Danish, and Duke is Norman French, and that Dukes take precedence before Earls in rank, but why? What about Barons. It seems that in the time of Simon de Montfort, everyone was called a Baron. Is that a catch all term, or is it different. I thought Barons were lower than Earls. Then there are Marquisates. Is there any method in the madness? I can't see any relationship between the amount of land held and the name. Northumberland seems to have been an Earl at some times, and then a Duke at others. Please help with an explanation. Thanks!

Answer 1

There are only two duchies in England: Cornwall and Lancaster.   A duchy is the territory governed by a duke. What you mean is dukedom, which is the status and title of a duke without the land.

Earl comes from eorl, the title of an Ealdorman, or alderman in modern English. It developed into Earl and is equal to a continental count (which is why an earl's wife is called a countess). For a long time this was the highest title in England until "Duke" was "imported". Duke has its roots in the Latin "dux" which means leader. Naturally, given its novelty in England, it became a higher rank that Earl.

Marquess is analogous to the continental "margrave", which essentially means "count (Graf, in German) of the marches" or border lands. Since the borderlands (on the continent) were particularly more important than any given counties on the interior of a realm, the margraves themselves were more important. This idea placed the margraves above counts and below dukes, who on the continent ruled much more extensive lands.

Areas in England aren't earldoms, etc... It has little to do with land. Historically, the names of earldoms were taken from counties, but they are just that, names. You won't find an earldom of Wessex on a modern map. You can't confuse titles in England with *ruling lands* though, although there may or may not have been effort to correspond the size of an area a title is named after with the rank of that title.

On the continent, many titles were held by rulers, but in a country like England, the nobility held their rank from the king as the fount of all honour. The idea of rank, as opposed to actually giving out territories to rule, was imported from the continent as titles like marquess and duke were brought over.

The title of baron was introduced by William the Conqueror as a token to those loyal to him. There were already eorls at the time, so baron ranked below them.

In England, the precedence was as follows:

Duke (dux, leader)

Marquess (equal to margrave, "count of the marches")

Earl (equal to count)

Viscount ("vice count")

Baron (introduced by William the Conqueror)

Viscount and Marquess originated as modified forms of "count", one lower (viscount) and one higher (margrave, marquess). While such nobles might have ruled land on the continent, when the titles were imported to England only the idea of precedence or rank was.

As for the same name used for different titles... Sometimes a title was recreated after dying out with a higher rank or sometimes someone who already held a title was given a title with the same name and a higher rank, just to elevate them in status. There really isn't much more to say. Just because Northumberland was created as an earldom didn't mean it couldn't later be created as a dukedom as well.

Answer 2

The first answer is great and I will only add a few details.

The Norman Kings of England were descendants of William the Conquerer who was the Duke of Normandy (as is our Queen).  The Norman Dukes had no other dukes under them but had many barons under them.  These were granted lands in England.  After a while, the Kings of England created other peerages of higher ranks (Dukes, Marqueses, Earls, Viscounts) to reward men who served them well (or at least they thought they did).

Dukes, Marqueses, and Earls are often invested with more than one title of nobility.  When this happens, the second title is born (h.c.) by their first son and a third title (if any) is born by the first born son of their first born son.  Thus the first heir of the Duke of X can be called the Earl of Y and his son can be called the Baron of Z.

When there are no heirs to a title, the title returns to the monarch.  The monarch may reissue it at a future date or create a new title when needed.  There are certain titles that are reserved for the royal family.  The monarch is the Duke of Lancaster.  The heir apparaent is the Duke of Cornwall, Lord of the Isles, Baron Renfrew, and Duke of Rothesay, in addition to usually named as the Prince of Wales.  Rothesay and the Lord of the Isles are Scottish titles.    

The monarch, on advise of the prime minister, can also raise a commoner to nobility for life, but not heredity.  Here too the monarch may choose the title that will be borne by the noble.

Answer 3

Titles where give out as a ranking system the higher up you are the more imporatent your title was Dukes, Marquis, Earls, Viscounts, Barons

Barons are the oldest titles used in Britian and is the most common of titles.

Viscounts where deputies of counts and is not very common in britian as a title.

Earls where the chief of an area and where the lords of a shire. many Prime Minister where award this rank.

Marquis where lord along border or fronters of the kingdom and had greater freedom to act and was also a uncommon titles used most for family along the welsh and scotish borders. Dukes had different use Duchies where dukedom with land attached to the title dukedom where title give with no land but of the highest socail rank. Most dukedom where give to general or victor of great battles. Most dukedom where title give to member of the royal family