Baronet

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A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or his female equivalent, a baronetess (abbreviation Btss.), is the holder of a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown, known as a baronetcy. The practice of awarding baronetcies was introduced by James I of England in 1611 in order to raise funds. Baronetcies have no European equivalent, though hereditary knights, such as the German and Austrian Ritter, and the Dutch erfridder, may be held to be equivalents.

The name baronet is a diminutive of the higher peerage title baron. The rank of a baronet is between that of a baron and that of a knight.

A baronetcy is unique in two ways:

it is a hereditary honour but is not a peerage and has never entitled the holder to a seat in the House of Lords; and
a baronet is styled 'Sir' but the baronetcy is not considered an order of knighthood.

The term baronet was first applied to the noblemen who lost the right of individual summons to Parliament, and was used in this sense in a statute of Richard II. A similar rank of lower stature is the banneret.

The revival of the Order can be dated to Sir Robert Cotton's discovery in the late 16th or early 17th century of William de la Pole's patent (issued in the 13th year of Edward III's reign), conferring upon him the dignity of a baronet in return for a sum of money.

Baronetcies subsequently fall under one of the following five creations:

King James I erected the hereditary Order of Baronets in England on 22 May 1611, for the settlement of Ireland. He offered the dignity to 200 gentlemen of good birth, with a clear estate of £1,000 a year, on condition that each one should pay a sum equivalent to three years' pay to 30 soldiers at 8d per day per man into the King's Exchequer.
The Baronetage of Ireland was erected on 30 September 1611.
The Baronetage of Scotland or Nova Scotia was erected on 28 May 1625, for the establishment of the plantation of Nova Scotia.
After the union of England and Scotland in 1707, no further Baronets of England or Scotland were created, the style being changed to Baronet of Great Britain.
After the Act of Union 1800 took effect on January 1, 1801, merging the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, all Baronets subsequently created were under the style of the United Kingdom.

Like knights, baronets use the title "Sir" before their name (baronetesses in their own right use "Dame", wives of baronets use "Lady"), but whereas knighthoods apply to an individual only, a baronetcy is hereditary. The eldest son of a baronet who is born in wedlock is entitled to accede to the baronetcy upon the death of his father but will not be officially recognised until his name is on the Roll. With a few exceptions, baronetcies can only be inherited by, or inherited through, males. Wives of baronets are not considered baronetesses; only females holding baronetcies in their own right are baronetesses.

Image:BaronetNovaScotia.jpg Originally baronets also had other rights, including the right to have their eldest son knighted on his 21st birthday. However, beginning in the reign of George IV these rights have been gradually revoked, on the grounds that sovereigns should not be bound by acts made by their predecessors.

According to the Home Office there is a tangible benefit to the honour. According to law, a Baronet is entitled to have "a pall supported by two men, a principal mourner and four others" assisting at his funeral.

Since 1965 only one new baronetcy has been created. This was for the late Sir Denis Thatcher, the husband of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (now Baroness Thatcher). Upon his death in 2003, their eldest son became the 2nd Baronet, Sir Mark Thatcher.

Baronets were granted the Arms of Ulster as a canton or inescutcheon in armorial bearings, argent a sinister hand couped at the wrist and erect gules, known as the Badge of Ulster.

Baronets of Scotland or Nova Scotia were granted the Arms of Nova Scotia in their armorial bearings and the right to wear about the neck the badge of Nova Scotia, suspended by an orange-tawny ribbon.

This consists of an escutcheon argent with a saltire azure thereon, an inescutcheon of the arms of Scotland, with an Imperial Crown above the escutcheon, and encircles with the motto Fax mentis Honestae Gloria. This Badge may be shown suspended by the ribbon below the shield of arms.

Image:BaronetUK.jpg Baronets of England and Ireland applied to King Charles I for permission to wear a badge. Although a badge was worn in the 17th century, it was not until 1929 that permission was granted (by King George V) to all baronets other than those of Scotland to wear a badge.

This was composed of the Arms of Ulster, on a silver field, a left hand gules, surmounted by an Imperial Crown, enamelled in proper colours, the whole enclosed by an oval border embossed with scroll work of (1) roses for baronets of England, (2) shamrocks for baronets of Ireland, (3) roses and thistles for baronets of Great Britain, and (4) roses, thistles and shamrocks combined for baronets of the United Kingdom. The badge to be suspended from an orange-tawny riband with a narrow edge of dark blue on both sides, the total breadth to be 1 and three-quarter inches, and the breadth of each to be a quarter inch. The Badge may be shown suspended by its riband below the shield of arms.

Because Baronet is not a peerage title, it does not disqualify the holder from standing for election to the British House of Commons. However, since 1999 nor do hereditary peerages, so the distinction has become largely historical. A number of baronets were returned to the House of Commons in the 2001 General Election. A full list of British Baronets can be found in the book Burke's Peerage and Baronetage which includes a few Baronetcies that have since become extinct.

1 Addressing a Baronet
2 Territorial designations
3 Notable baronets
4 Baronets who do not use their baronetcy
5 See also
6 References

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Addressing a Baronet

The correct style on an envelope for a baronet who has no other titles is: "Sir <Joseph Bloggs>, Bt." or "Sir <Joseph Bloggs>, Bart.". The letter would commence: "Dear Sir <Joseph>".

Wives of baronets are addressed and referred to as "Lady <Bloggs>"; at the head of a letter as "Dear Lady <Bloggs>". Their given name is used only when necessary to distinguish Lady (Alice) Bloggs from Lady (Gertrude) Bloggs.

As for the very rare baronetess, one should write "Dame Daisy Dunbar, Btss." At the head of the letter, one would write "Dear Dame Daisy," and to refer to her, you would say "Dame Daisy" or "Dame Daisy Dunbar" (but never "Dame Dunbar"). There have been only three baronetesses in history: Dame Daisy Dunbar, 8th Btss (1906–97); Dame Mary Bolles, 1st Btss (1579–1662; the only ever woman created a baronetess); and Eleanor Dalyell, 10th Btss (1895–1972).

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Territorial designations

All Baronetcies are distinguished from each other by having a territorial designation. So, for example, there are Baronetcies Moore of Colchester, Moore of Hancox, Moore of Kyleburn and Moore of Moore Lodge. One can thereby distinguish between two baronets of the same name living at the same time. See territorial designations.

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