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Ranks of Nobility

The dominions of the secondary kind are all those sovereignties which are inferior to a kingdom; such are those of Europe, which had their rise from the weakness of the kings, whereby the governors of most of the European States made themselves sovereign of the provinces entrusted to their administration. But by degrees, either by force, or by marriages, those provinces which had been wrested from the crown were reunited to it; whereby the titles of Duke, Palatine, Marquis, Count, Baron, etc., which were before titles of office and power, became only titles of honour and dignity, as they are at present in Great Britain and France. The other States become foidatory, their sovereigns holding them of some other potentate as their superior or lord, and paying homage or tribute to him, at the same time that they were absolute in their respective territories, being in effect kings without the title or quality; of which kind were the secondary sovereignties of Europe; such as Electorates, Principalities, Dukedoms, Marquisates, Palatinates, Margraviates, Baronies, &c.

The term Elector comes from the Latin word eligere, to choose, and signified a person who has a right to elect or choose another to an honour or office ; but the word is particularly, and by way of eminence, appropriated to the Princes of Germany, in whom was the right of electing the Emperor, being all sovereign princes, and the principal members of the empire. Once there was no longer an elective Emperor of Germany, the title of Elector may be said to be extinct. An Electorate is the territory or dominion of an Elector. By the mid-19th Century there were no Electorates except in Germany.

The word Prince comes from the Latin Princeps, and signifies First, or Chief, whence it is a general title of honor, like that of Lord, and is given to all degrees of sovereigns. Thus, those who composed the Germanic body, of what degree soever, whether Dukes, Marquises, Counts, &c., were all called Princes of the Empire; even Kings and Emperors were often called Princes. In countries where it is a particular title of dignity, it sometimes takes place of all others next under the King, as in Great Britain, where the King's eldest son bears the title of Pprince of Wales, and in Spain, that of Prince of Asturias. A Principality is that territory or country whose sovereign has the title of Prince.

Dukedom, or Duchy, signifies the dominion or territories of a Duke. There were in the 19th Century several Sovereign Dukedoms in Germany, and also in Italy. All the Dukedoms in Great Britain and France are honorary.

A County, the territory of a Prince, is that district possessed by one who has the title of Count ; and which originally signified the same in England, but which was later used in the same sense with Shire, the former coming from the French, the latter from the Saxon. The Counts in the later times got their dignities rendered hereditary, [as in France in the time of Hugh Capet] but by degrees, many of the Counties became re-united to the crown, and in France and England, Count became a title of dignity only, though in Germany there were some who still retained their sovereignty in the mid-19th Century. England, Scotland, and Ireland, are divided into Counties, but the sovereignty of them all lies in the crown of Great Britain. Thi» division of the realm is for its better government, and the more easy administration of justice. The United States of America are divided into Counties, except South Carolina, where the divisions are called Districts, and Louisiana, where they are denominated Parishes.

Barony is the dominion, territory, or fee of a Baron. The title of Baron formerly included all the greater nobility. It was used (in England) as a degree of nobility next below that of a Viscount, and above that of a Baronet. Baronies were anciently the principal fiefs of most of the countries of Europe, but by the 19th Century there were no sovereign Barons but such as were members of th« German Empire. Fief is a term in law, and signifies a fee, manor, or possession, held by some tenant of a superior.