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| :4. a. A member of a rank of hereditary nobility in Britain or Ireland; a duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. Also: a person elevated to the peerage for life, without hereditary rights; = LIFE PEER n. Also occas.: = peeress in her own right at PEERESS n.). | | :4. a. A member of a rank of hereditary nobility in Britain or Ireland; a duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. Also: a person elevated to the peerage for life, without hereditary rights; = LIFE PEER n. Also occas.: = peeress in her own right at PEERESS n.). |
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− | In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were developed from titles in the Anglo-Saxon and Norman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_system feudal systems] (see BARON n. 2, EARL n. 3); dukedoms were conferred from 1337, marquessates from 1385, and viscountcies from 1440 (cf. also BARONET n.). Such peerages are hereditary, although non-hereditary life peerages, conferring the right to a seat in the House of Lords, have been created since 1876 in the case of judicial Lords of Appeal, and since 1958 more generally. By a declaration of the House of Lords in 1692, archbishops and bishops are Lords of Parliament, not peers. | + | In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were developed from titles in the Anglo-Saxon and Norman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_system feudal systems] (see BARON n. 2, EARL n. 3); dukedoms were conferred from 1337, marquessates from 1385, and viscountcies from 1440 (cf. also BARONET n.). Such peerages are hereditary, although non-hereditary life peerages, conferring the right to a seat in the House of Lords, have been created since 1876 in the case of judicial Lords of Appeal, and since 1958 more generally. By a declaration of the House of Lords in 1692, archbishops and bishops are Lords of Parliament, not peers. |
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− | There are three classes of hereditary peers: peers of the United Kingdom (also called peers of the realm, up to 1707 called peers of England, and from 1707-1801 called peers of Great Britain), all of whom, unless specifically disqualified, were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_lords House of Lords], exempt from [[jury]] [[service]], and debarred from election (and from voting in elections) to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_commons House of Commons]; peers of Scotland, all of whom were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the House of Lords after the Peerage Act of 1963 (previously sixteen were elected to each Parliament as representative members under the Act of Union 1707); and peers of Ireland, who no longer have the right to sit in the House of Lords, but who may be elected to the House of Commons (previously twenty-eight representatives were elected as life members under the Act of Union 1800). The House of Lords Act 1999 provided for hereditary peers to elect ninety-two of their number to take seats in the House of Lords alongside the life peers, pending further reforms. | + | There are three classes of hereditary peers: peers of the United Kingdom (also called peers of the realm, up to 1707 called peers of England, and from 1707-1801 called peers of Great Britain), all of whom, unless specifically disqualified, were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_lords House of Lords], exempt from [[jury]] [[service]], and debarred from election (and from voting in elections) to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_commons House of Commons]; peers of Scotland, all of whom were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the House of Lords after the Peerage Act of 1963 (previously sixteen were elected to each Parliament as representative members under the Act of Union 1707); and peers of Ireland, who no longer have the right to sit in the House of Lords, but who may be elected to the House of Commons (previously twenty-eight representatives were elected as life members under the Act of Union 1800). The House of Lords Act 1999 provided for hereditary peers to elect ninety-two of their number to take seats in the House of Lords alongside the life peers, pending further reforms. |
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| ::b. French Hist. (a) Each of the twelve peers of France (see DOUZEPERS n.); (b) a person possessing a territory set up as a lordship, and having the right to a seat in the Parliament of Paris; (c) a member of the Upper Legislative Chamber (1814-48). | | ::b. French Hist. (a) Each of the twelve peers of France (see DOUZEPERS n.); (b) a person possessing a territory set up as a lordship, and having the right to a seat in the Parliament of Paris; (c) a member of the Upper Legislative Chamber (1814-48). |
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− | ::c. [[Greek]] Hist. A member of that class of [[citizen]]s of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta Sparta] who had an equal right to hold [[state]] offices. | + | ::c. [[Greek]] Hist. A member of that class of [[citizen]]s of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta Sparta] who had an equal right to hold [[state]] offices. |
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| [[Category: General Reference]] | | [[Category: General Reference]] |