PRECEDENCE
PRECE’DENCE, the order in which individuals are entitled to follow one another in a state procession or on other public occasions. We find questions of precedence arising in very early ages both in Europe and in the East. Where such questions have arisen among ambassadors, as the representatives of different countries, great tenacity has often been shown in supporting the claims to rank of the states represented. In England, the order of precedence depends partly on the statute 31 Henry VIII-c. 10. partly on subsequent statutes, royal letters patent, and ancient usages. Among questions of precedence depending on usage, there are some which can hardly be considered so settled as to be matter of right, and are in a great degree left to the discretion of the officers of the crown. Formerly, they were adjudicated on by the Constable and Marshal in the Court of Chivalry; and since that tribunal has fallen into abeyance, the practice of persons aggrieved in these matters is to petition the crown, which generally refers the disputed question to the officers of arms. In Scotland, the Lyon Court has the direct jurisdiction in all questions of precedence.
It is a general rule of precedence, that persons of the same rank follow according to the order of the creation of that rank; and in the precedence of the English peerage, it has been fixed that the younger sons of each preceding rank take place immediately after the eldest son of the next succeeding rank. Married women and widows take the same rank among each other as their husbands, except such rank be professional or official, and it is an invariable rule that no office gives rank to the wife or children of the holder of it. Unmarried women take the same rank with their eldest brother; the wife of the eldest son, of any degree, however, preceding the sisters of her husband and all other ladies in the same degree with them. Marriage with an inferior does not take away the precedence which a woman enjoys by birth or creation; with this exception, that the wife of a peer always takes her rank from her husband. The following tables exhibit the precedence of different ranks as recognized by law in England.
TABLE OF PRECEDENCE AMONG MEN.
The Sovereign.
The Prince of Wales.
Sons of the Sovereign.
Grandsons of the Sovereign.
Brothers of the Sovereign.
Uncles of the Sovereign.
The Sovereign’s Brothers’ or Sisters’ Sons.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England.
The Lord High Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, being a Baron.
The Archbishop of York, Primate of England.
The present Archbishop of Armagh, by the Irish Church Act (1869).
The Archbishop of Dublin.
The Lord High Treasurer.
The Lord President of the Privy Council.
The Lord Privy Seal.
The Lord Great Chamberlain.
The Lord High Constable.
The Earl Marshal.
The Lord High Admiral.
The Lord Steward of Her Majesty’s Household.
The Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household.
Dukes.
Eldest Sons of Dukes of the Blood
Royal. Marquises.
Dukes’ Eldest Sons.
Earls.
Younger Sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal.
Marquises’ Eldest Sons.
Dukes’ Younger Sons.
Viscounts.
Earls’ Eldest Sons.
Marquises’ Younger Sons.
Bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester.
All other English Bishops according to seniority of Consecration.
The present Bishop of Meath, and then the other Irish Bishops existing in 1869, according to seniority of consecration.
Secretaries of State, if of degree of a Baron.
Barons.
The Speaker of the House of Commons.
Commissioners of the Great Seal.
Treasurer of Her Majesty’s Household.
Comptroller of Her Majesty’s Household.
Master of the Horse.
Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household.
Secretaries of State, under the degree of Baron.
Viscounts’ Eldest Sons.
Earls’ Younger Sons.
Barons’ Eldest Sons.
Knights of the Garter.
Privy Councillors.
The Chancellor of the Order of the Garter.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
The Lord Chief Justice of the Queen’s Bench.
The Master of the Rolls.
Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
Lords Justices of the Court of Appeal in Chancery.
Vice-chancellors.
Judges and Barons of the degree of the Coif of the said Courts, and Judge of the Court of Probate.
Bannerets made by the Sovereign under the Royal Standard in open war.
Viscounts’ Younger Sons.
Barons’ Younger Sons,
Baronets.
Bannerets not made by the Sovereign in person.
Knights Grand Crosses of the Bath.
Knights Grand Crosses of the Star of India.
Knights of St. Patrick.
Knights Grand Crosses of St. Michael and St. George.
Knights Commanders of the Bath.
Knights Commanders of the Star of India.
Knights Commanders of St. Michael and St. George.
Knights Bachelors.
Companions of the Bath.
Companions of the Star of India.
Cavalier! and Companions of St. Michael and St. George.
Eldest Sons of the Younger Sons of Peers.
Baronets’ Eldest Sons.
Eldest Sons of Knights of the Garter.
Bannerets’ Eldest Sons.
Eldest Sons of Knights of the Bath, and of St. Michael, and St. George.
Eldest Sons of Knights Bachelors.
Baronets’ Younger Sons.
Younger Sons of Knights of the Garter.
Younger Sons of Bannerets.
Younger Sons of Knights of the Bath.
Younger Sons of Knights Bachelors.
Esquires.
Gentlemen entitled to bear arms.
Clergymen,
Barristers-at-law.
Officers in the Army and Navy, who are all gentleman, and have their precedency in their
respective professions.
Citizens.
Burgesses.
TABLE OF PRECEDENCE AMONG WOMEN”.
The Queen.
The Princess of Wales.
Princesses, Daughters of the Sovereign.
Princesses and Duchesses, Wives of the Sovereign’s Sons.
Grand-daughters of the Sovereign.
Wives of the Sovereign’s Grandsons.
The Sovereign’s Sisters.
Wives of the Sovereign’s Brothers.
The Sovereign’s Aunts.
Wives of the Sovereign’s Uncles.
Duchesses.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal.
Daughters of Dukes of the Blood Royal.
Marchionesses.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Dukes.
Daughters of Dukes.
Countesses.
Wives of the Younger Sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Marquises.
Daughters of Marquises.
Wives of the Younger Sons of Dukes.
Viscountesses.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Earls.
Daughters of Earls.
Wives of the Younger Sons of Marquises.
Baronesses.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Viscounts.
Daughters of Viscounts.
Wives of the Younger Sons of Earls.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Barons.
Daughters of Barons.
Maids of Honor.
Wives of Knights of the Garter.
Wives of Bannerets.
Wives of the Younger Sons of Viscounts.
Wives of the Younger Sons of Barons.
Wives of Baronets.
Wives of Knights Grand Crosses of the Order of the Bath.
Wives of Knights Grand Crosses of St. Michael and St. George.
Wives of Knights Commanders of the Order of the Bath.
Wives of Knights Commanders of St. Michael and St. George.
Wives of Knights Bachelors.
Wives of Companions of the Bath.
Wives of Cavalieri and Companions of St. Michael and St. George.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of the Younger Sons of Peers
Daughters of the Younger Sons of Peers
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Baronets
Daughters of Baronets.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Knights of the Garter
Daughters of Knights of the Garter
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Bannerets
Daughters of Bannerets.
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Knights of the Bath
Daughters of Knights of the Bath
Wives of the Eldest Sons of Knights Bachelors
Daughters of Knights Bachelors
Wives of the Younger Sons of Baronets
Wives of Esquires and Gentlemen
Wives of Citizens
Wives of Burgesses.
At the coronation of Charles I., the rule of precedency of the nobility of England was introduced into Scotland; and it was arranged that peers of England (or their sons, &c.), of a given degree, should within England take precedence of peers of Scotland of the same degree; and that this precedence should be reversed in Scotland.” But by the acts of Union of Scotland and Ireland, the precedence in any given degree of the peerage has been established as follows: 1. Peers of England; 2. Peers of Scotland; 3. Peers of Great Britain; 4. Peers of Ireland; 5. Peers of the United Kingdom, and Peers of Ireland created subsequently to the Irish Union.
A similar order is understood to obtain in regard to baronets, though in Ireland it seems lately to have become the practice to allow all baronets to rank according to the respective dates of their patents. The relative ranking of the great officers of the crown of Scotland was thus settled by statute in 1623 and 1661.
Lord Chancellor.
Lord Treasurer.
Archbishop of St
Andrews.
Archbishop of Glasgow.
Earls and Viscounts according to their ranks.
Bishops according to their ranks.
Lord Privy Seal,
Lord Secretary,
(first of their rank)
Lord President of the Court of Session
Lord Register
Lord Advocate
Lord Justice Clerk
Lord Treasurer Depute.
Lords of Session, according to their admission
Barons and Gentlemen, being Councillors, according to their admission.
The right of the judges of the Court of Session, in Scotland, to precede baronets, has generally been admitted. Lyon King of Arms has precedency ‘before all knights and gentlemen within the kingdom, not being officers of state, or senators of the College of Justice.’ It seems to be held in England that the precedence of Scotch officers of suite, judges, &c., as recognized before the Union, does not now extend beyond Scotland. There are rules for precedence for the members of different professions, recognized among themselves, but which do not confer general social precedence
Doctors in the universities rank thus : 1. Of Divinity; 2. of Law; 3. of Medicine.