CHAPTER XX

PRECEDENCE. GENEALOGIES

"Orders and Degrees Jar not with Liberty, but well consist." --_Paradise Lost_, Book V.

"The use of Arms was closely connected with the Study of Genealogy." --DALLAWAY, _Science of Heraldry_ (A.D. 1793).

When JAMES I. succeeded to the Crown of England while he was actually the King regnant of Scotland, and accordingly became Sovereign of the two Realms, he found it necessary to produce a "Union Flag" for the whole of Great Britain, in consequence of the serious disputes for Precedence that arose between the natives of South and North Britain. Before the time of the peace-loving son of Mary Stuart, a Sovereign of another mould, HENRY VIII., had felt the necessity of framing and establishing some definite system of Precedence amongst the various degrees, orders, and ranks of his subjects: and, in 1539, a statute to that effect was enacted. Other statutes afterwards were added; and, from time to time, Royal Letters Patent on the same subject have been issued; and thus the Precedence now recognised and in use amongst us has been established.

The General Scale of Precedence follows, but there are Special scales for use in (_a_) Scotland, (_b_) Ireland, (_c_) India, (_d_) Canada, (_e_) Colonies, (_f_) Army and Navy, (_g_) Diplomatic Service.

THE GENERAL ORDER OF PRECEDENCE.

The SOVEREIGN. The Prince of Wales. The Younger Sons of the Sovereign. The Grandsons of the Sovereign. The Brothers of the Sovereign. The Uncles of the Sovereign. The Nephews of the Sovereign.

The Archbishop of Canterbury. The Lord Chancellor. The Archbishop of York. The Premier. The Lord High Treasurer. The Lord President of the Council. The Lord Privy Seal.

The following GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE _precede all Peers of their own Degree_--that is, if Dukes, they precede all other Dukes; if Earls, all other Earls; &c.:--

The Lord Great Chamberlain. The Lord High Constable. The Earl Marshal. The Lord High Admiral. The Lord Steward of the Royal Household. The Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household. The Master of the Horse.

The Peers of each Degree take Precedence in their own Degree, according to their Patents of Creation.

Dukes (_a_) of England, (_b_) of Scotland, (_c_) of Great Britain, (_d_) of Ireland, (_e_) of the United Kingdom and, if created since the Union, of Ireland. Marquesses (_vide_ Dukes). Eldest Sons of Dukes. Earls (_vide_ Dukes). Eldest Sons of Marquesses. Younger Sons of Dukes. Viscounts (_vide_ Dukes). Eldest Sons of Earls. Younger Sons of Marquesses. Bishops of (_a_) London, (_b_) Durham, and (_c_) Winchester. Bishops, according to Seniority of Consecration. Barons (_vide_ Dukes). The Speaker of the House of Commons. Commissioners of Great Seal. The (_a_) Treasurer and the (_b_) Comptroller of the Royal Household. Vice-Chamberlain of the Household. The Secretaries of State, when not Peers. Eldest Sons of Viscounts. Younger Sons of Earls. Eldest Sons of Barons. Knights of the Garter, Thistle, and St. Patrick, not being Peers. Privy Councillors. The Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls. Lord Justices of Appeal and Pres. of Probate Court. Judges of High Court. Younger Sons of Viscounts. Younger Sons of Barons. Sons of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (Life Peers). Baronets. Knights Grand Cross of the Bath. Knights Grand Commanders of the Star of India. Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George. Knights Grand Commanders of Indian Empire. Knights Grand Cross of Victorian Order. Knights Commanders of the various Orders (in the same order of progression). Knights Bachelors. Commanders of Victorian Order. County Court Judges. Serjeants-at-Law. Masters in Lunacy. Companions of the various Orders. Members of Fourth Class of Victorian Order. Companions of Distinguished Service Order. Eldest Sons of the Younger Sons of Peers. Eldest Sons of Baronets. Eldest Sons of Knights. Members of Fifth Class of Victorian Order. Baronets' Younger Sons. Knights' Younger Sons. Esquires:--Including the Eldest Sons of the Sons of Viscounts and Barons, the eldest Sons of all the younger Sons of Peers, and their eldest Sons in perpetual Succession: the younger Sons of Baronets: the Sons of Knights, the eldest Son of the eldest Son of a Knight in perpetual Succession: persons holding the King's Commission, or who may be styled "Esquire" by the King in any Official Document. Gentlemen.

THE PRECEDENCE OF WOMEN

is determined, before marriage, by the Rank and Dignity, but not by the Office, of their Father.

All the unmarried Sisters in any family have the same Degree, which is the Degree that their eldest Brother holds (or would hold) amongst men. Thus:--Of the Sons of an Earl the _eldest_ alone has an honorary Title of Nobility and is styled "My Lord," while _all_ the Daughters of an Earl have a similar honorary Title, and are styled "My Lady."

By Marriage Women share the Dignities and Precedence of their Husbands: but, the strictly Official Dignity of a Husband is not imparted to a wife (except in India), in the case of the Archbishops and Bishops or holders of other offices.

The Dignities which Ladies have by Birth or by right of Inheritance, are not imparted by Marriage to their Husbands: nor does Marriage with an inferior in Dignity in any way affect the Precedence that a Lady may enjoy by Birth, Inheritance, or Creation--both her own Precedence and that of her Husband remain as before their Marriage, unless the Husband be a Peer.

In the ROYAL FAMILY the following Precedence takes effect:--

The Queen. The Queen Dowager. The Princess of Wales. The Daughters of the Sovereign. The Wives of the Younger Sons of the Sovereign. The Granddaughters of the Sovereign. The Wives of the Grandsons of the Sovereign. The Sovereign's Sisters. Wives of the Sovereign's Brothers. The Sovereign's Aunts. Wives of the Sovereign's Uncles. The Sovereign's Nieces. Wives of the Sovereign's Nephews (Brothers' and Sisters' Daughters). Granddaughters of the Sovereign not bearing the style of Royal Highness.

To whatever Precedence she may be entitled by Birth, the Wife of a Peer always takes her rank, and therefore takes her actual Precedence, from her Husband.

The Widow of a Peer, so long as she remains a Widow, retains the rank she enjoyed whilst married: but, should she contract a second Marriage, her Precedence then is determined either by the rank of her second Husband, or by the rank that was her own by Birth and which she enjoyed before her first Marriage.

The Wife of the Eldest Son of any degree precedes all her Husband's Sisters, and also all other Ladies having the same degree of rank with them. Thus:--the Wife of the Eldest Son of an Earl takes Precedence of _all_ Daughters of Earls. In actual practice, however, by a principle of Precedence that is accepted and adopted in all families of the same degree amongst themselves, the Sisters in every case have their place immediately after the Wife of their own Eldest Brother.

GENEALOGIES.

GENEALOGIES, the Records of the Descents and Alliances of Families, are necessarily associated with the Armorial Ensigns borne by those Families, and by the several Members and Branches of them. Still, it does not apparently follow, in the same manner, as a matter of necessity, that the study and investigation of Genealogies should be interesting and even attractive, because interest and attractiveness are inseparable from Heraldry. And yet, I do not hesitate to claim for genealogical researches the favourable regard of students of Armory, on the very ground of the interest which they are certain to feel in such researches; and also in confident reliance on that inherent power of attraction, inseparable from the subject itself, that will not fail both to win their favourable regard, and to lead them on from one inquiry to another.

The very act of tracing up some eminent and illustrious personage, from generation to generation of his forefathers, noting down the alliances that have interwoven one thread of a brilliant line with others not less lustrous; or, the reverse of this process, the following the lineage of some worthy of the olden time onward down the stream, observing both the tributaries that flow into the main channel and the streamlets that issue from it--all this, when once it has been systematically undertaken, leads the student through the most picturesque regions of historical romance.

The popular idea of Genealogy may be, that it consists in placing in a formal order of arrangement a series of dry names, connected with dates that (if it be possible) are even more dry. It is not uncommon to dispose of many things precisely in the same way, when an opinion is formed without even the slightest attempt to judge of a question by its true merits--it is so easy to decline the trouble and to avoid the effort attendant on inquiry and investigation, and so pleasant to become the possessor of an "opinion" and "views," without any outlay in acquiring them. A Map has no value in the estimation of those who ignore Geography: the claims of Archæology are disregarded by all who are content to remain in ignorance even of what it implies: and History itself becomes and continues to be a dead letter, so long as an acquaintance is formed only with the exterior of its volumes. And, in like manner, Genealogy appears under a very different aspect to those who know it only by name, and to lovers of Biography and History who are familiar with its lucid and yet ever suggestive guidance. Without written Genealogies, who can clearly understand the political and historical position of the rival Princes of the red and white Roses; or of HENRY VII. and the "last of the Plantagenets"; or of Queens ELIZABETH TUDOR, MARY STUART, and JANE GREY? Or who, without similar aid, will follow out the fortunes of the Houses of BEAUCHAMP and NEVILLE and DUDLEY, and connect them with the existing noble lord of Warwick Castle; or, when reading of the DE CLARES, the BOHUNS, or the PERCIES, will see at a glance the connection between "STRONGBOW" and the "red Earl GILBERT," or will understand the significance of the white swan Badge of the STAFFORDS, or will read at sight the quartered Shield of the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, of to-day, and will discern the line that connects the living Earl PERCY with the "HOTSPUR" whose fame was two centuries old when SHAKESPEARE wrote of him? And further, who, that is unable to accomplish such things as these, can appreciate History, can enjoy it and apply its lessons aright?

In arranging a Genealogy the utmost conciseness is essential, all details being left for full description elsewhere. All the members of the same family are placed side by side, on the same level, in their order of seniority; and all are connected by lines with one another and with their parents. Successive generations also, throughout all the branches of any family, or in allied families, have their places on the same levels; and the connecting and distinguishing lines are continued throughout. Examples of Genealogies treated in the most scientific and yet simple manner, easy to be understood, and perfect as models for students, may be obtained in any Part of the _Herald and Genealogist_, formerly edited by the late Mr. J. G. NICHOLS, F.S.A., Parliament Street, Westminster. I refer to this excellent Periodical, because it is not possible for me here in the space at my disposal to set forth a really useful example of a Genealogy: and, I must add, because it is most desirable that students of Heraldry should form such an acquaintance with Mr. Nichols, as may be acquired through his works. _Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica_, now edited by Mr. W. B. BANNERMAN, is another Periodical, which ought to be in the hands of all Genealogists.

In Genealogies, this mark = denotes alliance by marriage, and it is placed between the names of a husband and wife: and the lines that proceed from this mark, thus,

= | ________/ \________ / \

point out their issue. The initials S. P. (of the Latin words _Sine Prole_, "without issue") show where a line or a branch ceases. Other abbreviations and signs in general use will suggest their own signification.

As I began this Chapter with quotations, so with a quotation I conclude it. "There are some persons," writes Mr. LOWER, in his "Curiosities of Heraldry" (p. 292), "who cannot discriminate between the taste for pedigree" (or genealogy) "and the pride of ancestry. Now these two feelings, though they often combine in one individual, have no necessary connection with each other. Man is said to be a hunting animal. Some hunt foxes; others for fame or fortune. Others hunt in the intellectual field; some for the arcana of Nature and of mind; some for the roots of words, or the origin of things. I am fond of hunting out a pedigree." And, gentle reader, when you have joined the chase genealogical, I promise you, so also will you be.

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