PRECEDENCE, 
their eldest sons, in perpetual succession. 
2. The eldest sons of younger sons of Peers, 
and their eldest sons^ in like perpetual suc- 
cession ; both which species of esquires Sir 
Henry Spelman entitles urmigeri natalitii. 
3. Esquires created by the King’s letters 
patent, or other investiture, and their eld- 
est sons. 4. Esquires by virtue of their 
offices, as justices of the peace, and others 
who bear any office of trust under the 
crown. To these may be added the es- 
quires of Knights of the Bath, each of 
whom constitutes three at his installation ; 
and all foreign, nay, Irish Peers ; for not 
only these, bnt the eldest sons of Peers of 
Great Britain, though frequently titular 
lords, are oiily esquires in the law, and 
must be so named in all legal proceedings. 
As for gentlemen, says Sir Thomas Smith, 
they be made good cheap in this kingdom ; 
for whosoever stndieth in the Universities, 
who professeth the liberal sciences, and (to 
l)€ short) who can live idly, and without 
manual labour, and will bear the port, 
charge, and countenance of a gentleman, 
he shall be called master, and shall be 
taken for a gentleman. A yeoman is he 
that hath free land of forty shillings by the 
year ; who was anciently thereby qualified 
to serve on juries, vote for knights of the 
shire, and do any other act, where the law 
requires one that is prohus et legalis homo. 
Tlie rest of the commonalty are tradesmen, 
artificers, and labourers, who (as well as all 
others) must, in pursuance of the statute 
1 Henry V. c. b, be styled by the name and 
addition of their estate, degree, or mystery, 
and the place to whicli they belong, or 
where they have been conversant, in all 
original writs of actions personal, appeals, 
and indictments, upon which process of 
outlawry ra.iy be awarded ; in order, as it 
should seem, to prevent any clandestine or 
mistaken outla wry, by reducing to a speci- 
fic certainty the parson who is the object 
of its process. 
The precedency among men being known, 
that which is due to women, according to 
their several degrees, will be easily under- 
stood ; but it is to be observed, that wo- 
men, before marriage, have precedency by 
their father: with this difference between 
them and the male children, that the same 
precedency is due to all the daughters that 
belongs to the eldest, which is not so among 
the sons ; and the reason of this disparity 
seems to he, that daughters all succeed 
equally, whereas the eldest son excludes all 
the rest. 
By marriage, a woman participates of 
her husband’s dignities; but none of the 
wife’s dignities can come by marriage to 
her husband, but are to descend to her 
next heir. 
If a woman have precedency by creation 
or birth, she retains the same though she 
marry any commoner ; but if a woman nobly 
born marry any Peer, she shall take place 
according to the degree of her husband 
only, though she be a Duke’s daughter. 
A woman privileged by marriage with 
one of noble degree, shall retain the privi- 
lege due to her by her husband, though he 
should be degraded by forfeiture, &c. for 
crimes are personal. 
The wife of the eldest son of any degree 
takes place of the daughters, of the same 
degree, who always have place immediately 
after the wives of such eldest sons, and 
both of them take place of the younger 
sons of the preceding degree. Thus, the 
lady of the eldest son of an Earl takes, 
place of an Earl’s daughter, and both of 
them precede the wife of the younger son 
of a Marquis ; also the wife of any degree 
precedes the wife of the eldest son of the 
preceding degree. Thus, the wife of a 
Marquis precedes the wife of the eldest 
son of a Duke. 
The Queen. 
Princess of Wales. ' 
Princesses, and Duchesses of the Blood. 
Duchesses. 
Wives of the eldest ? - , - .u t,. 
, , , >• of Dukes of the Blood, 
sons ; daughters, ) 
Marchionesses. 
Wives of the eldest 
sons; daughters 
Countesses. 
est ) 
rs, ) 
of Dukes. 
Wives of the eldest 
sons ; daughters. 
Wives of the younger sons of Dukes. 
Viscountesses. 
Wives of the eldest i 
sons ; daughters, [ 
Wives of the younger sons of Marquisscs, 
Baronesses. 
Wives of the eldest ? 
of Earls. 
, L. I of Viscounts, 
sons ; daughters, ) 
Wives of the younger sons of Earls. 
of Barons. 
Wives of the eldest ? 
sons; daughters, S 
Wives of the younger sons of yiscounts. 
Wives of the younger sons of Barons. 
Wives of Baronets. 
Wives of Knights of the Garter. 
Wives of Knights of the Bath. 
Wives of Knights-Bachelors. 
