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A Laird is a member of the Scottish Gentry and a lairdship is a heritable title in Scotland. The title of Laird may carry certain local or feudal rights. A Lairdship carried voting rights in the ancient pre-Union Parliament of Scotland if the land held was of sufficient value (40 merks of old extent), although such voting rights were expresssed via two representatives from each county who were known as Commissioners of the Shires, who came from the Laird class and were chosen by their peers to represent them.
Though translated as "Lord" and signifying the same, Laird is not a title of nobility. The 'title' of laird is a 'corporeal heriditament' (an inheritable property that has an explicit tie to the physical land), i.e. the title can not be held in gross, and can not be bought and sold without selling the physical land. Though the title Laird is not gender specific, in more recent times some female Lairds have chosen to use the title and style Lady as their form of address.
History and Definition
A Laird is a member of the Gentry and historically ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire in the non-peerage table of precedence in the Statutes of 1592 and the Baronetcy Warrents of King Charles I. The title is granted to the owner of a landed estate in the United Kingdom. Laird is a shortened form of 'laverd' which is an old Scottish word deriving from an Anglo-Saxon term meaning Lord and is also derived from the middle English word 'Lard' also meaning 'Lord'.
In the 15th Century the title was used for land owners holding directly of the crown and therefore were entitled to attend parliament. Lairds reigned over their estates like princes, their castles forming a little court. Originally in the 16th Century and 17th Century the title was applied to the head chief of a highland clan and therefore was not personal property and had obligations towards the community.
A Laird is said to hold a Lairdship. A woman who holds a Lairdship in her own right or is the wife of a Laird is styled Lady
Some mail order establishments offer to sell a small parcel of land and claim the owner may use the title of "Laird" or "Lady". These are purely novelty items and have no relation to the genuine status of being a Laird, which historically required the ownership of land of a certain standing. True Lairds in the present day are either Scottish feudal barons, who are in possession of the dignity of baron created by the Crown, or proprietors of landed estates who have been recognised by the Lord Lyon, the Queen's representative for heraldic matters in Scotland.
Forms of Address
- In the United Kingdom a Laird is formally styled as "The Much Honoured of " or "The Much Honoured The Laird of " or "The Much Honoured , Laird of "
- If a woman holds a Lairdship in her own right it is normally styled "Lady" and is formally styled as "The Much Honoured of " or "The Much Honoured The Lady of " or "The Much Honoured , Lady of "
- The wife of a Laird is styled in the same way as a woman who holds a Lairdship in her own right
- The heir apparent of a Laird is entitled to use the courtesy title "The Younger" (see Younger (Title)) and the eldest daughter is entitled to use the courtesy title "Maid of " (see Maid (Title)). Neither are titles of nobility or peerage.
- The younger children of a Laird are styled as "Mr of " if male, and "Miss of if female
- A definite article is not used and the "of" must be retained to distinguish from titles of the nobility. In some cases Laird is translated as 'Lord' but this can cause confusion.
See also
Notes
- Perelman, p.141 ( ch. 7 )
References
- Perelman, Michael The Invention of Capitalism: Classical Political Economy and the Secret History of Primitive Accumulation Published by Duke University Press, 2000 ISBN 0822324911, 9780822324911
1. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-lairds.html
2. http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/territorial-designation.html
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