What's in a Title

What is in a title? It turns out during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s . . . a lot. Men’s titles dictated what the women in his family would be called. 

For instance if your father was a Duke, the highest rank under the King, both he and his wife the Duchess would be called Your Grace, though people close to them would be able to call them Duchess or Duke. All of the Duke’s daughters are given the title Lady, then their first name and then their surname. These titles continue to all daughters who have  fathers that are either a Duke, Marquess or Earl.

The Earl of Mistlewatch is then shortened to Earl Mistlewatch, his wife would be the Countess. So any one calling on him would call him the Earl of Mistlewatch or Lord Mistlewatch or Mistlewatch. His wife would be the Countess of Mistlewatch or Lady Mistlewatch, and sign letters to her closest friends, Constance Mistlewatch. His daughter would be called for instance Lady Helen Mistlewatch.

To make matters more interesting if Lady Helen Mistlewatch marries a commoner, she retains her title but if Lady Helen marries the Earl of Heinrich she becomes the Countess of Heinrich, Lady Heinrich. If she marries the holder of a courtesty title, then she may use his title or her birth title as she wishes.

So the Duke of Edinburough’s daughter, Lady Mary Edinburough will never be called Lady Edinburough. That is her mother’s title. The only exception being if her father has no sons and she marries the heir to his title. Then she will be Lady Edinburough. But if that does not occur she will be called Lady Mary until she marries.

To complicate matters the son of Earls, Marquesses and Dukes will take the title the father had before he became the higher title. So your father may be called Duke and the son from infancy would be called the Marquess of another property/land that the family holds. ie Marquess Somerset.  

It is great to keep a chart of who is who and what they should be called for it can be very confusing even within a family of who is who.