England Nobility: Difference between revisions

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*[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/britain-knights-of-the-realm-and-commonwealth-index Britain Knights of the Realm and Commonwealth] index

British nobility has a well-defined order. The highest noblemen are peers, which include the titles of (in descending rank) duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. This is followed by the gentry, whose titles are baronet, knight, esquire, and gentleman. Both peers and gentry are entitled to coats of arms.  

Illegitimate children are not entitled to noble status and often do not appear on family pedigrees. They may, however, be granted a variation of the father’s coat of arms.  

==Knights Of The Realm & Commonwealth Index==

[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/britain-knights-of-the-realm-and-commonwealth-index Britain, Knights of the Realm and Commonwealth]

Because of frequent false claims to coats of arms, kings’ heralds required descents to be documented. These pedigrees are called "visitations." Many visitations from the 16th and 17th centuries have been published by the Harleian Society and other private groups. Those available at the FamilySearch Library are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:  

*Squibb, G.D. ''Visitation Pedigrees and the Genealogist''. Revised Edition. London, England: Pinhorns, 1978. (FS Library book {{FSC|410055|title-id|disp=942 A1 no. 702, 1978}}.)

The various compilations of peerages, baronetages, knights and landed families can be found in any decent public library, although they probably only have the current edition. For older ones consult an older university library, interloan, or the FamilySearch Catalog. Many of them should come with a warning not to believe everything written by the families encompassed therein, as aggrandisement as well as pruning of socially unacceptable branches and twigs is common! Nonetheless, many present-day ‘ordinary’ families have sprung from the younger sons of younger sons within these pages, so it is worth checking for clues. There is genealogical and biographical information not only about the title holders but about the families they married into and about their descendants. The amount of detail differs but most are arranged as a paragraph pedigree (or narrative descent).  

*'''1673''' - ''An Alphabetical Account of the Nobility and Gentrey Which are (or lately were) related unto the several Counties of England and Wales'' (1673) online at [https://books.google.com/books?id=SSo6AQAAMAAJ Google Books] - free.

''The Complete Peerage aka Cokayne''

Many family histories have been published about noble families. Use the Surname Search of the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] to look for the family name. It is important to use published sources on families with caution because they may contain inaccuracies.  

GREAT BRITAIN - NOBILITY  

See also [[England Heraldry]] and [[England Genealogy]].

''The Complete Baronetage'' by Cockayne is again the most reliable work but only covers those baronetcies created 1611-1800. Some editions of Burke’s and Debrett’s also include pedigrees of baronets.<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Records of Noble and Armigerous Families - International Institute, " ''The International Institute of Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Records_of_Noble_and_Armigerous_Families_%28National_Institute%29.</ref>

{{Place|England}}