Temple Theaters Presents
ARCADIA
By Tom Stoppard
February 11-21, 2015
A Crash Course in British Aristocracy
So, you want to be a British aristocrat - but what exactly does that mean? How do you become a member of the British nobility? What are your responsibilities? And what's with all those confusing names?
This guide will answer all those questions and more as we explore the history and structure of British nobility.
Why does England have an aristocracy?
Because why not? Just kidding. Actually, the British system of peerage, which is constituted by the ranks of British nobility, is almost as old as England itself, and grew out of the island's early system of government and defense. Even before the Norman Conquest of 1066, earls governed over shires (counties) for the purposes of defending England against invaders, collecting taxes, overseeing local justice, and raising armies in times of war. A new earl would be appointed by the king; thereafter, the title would be hereditary.
After William the Conquerer invaded in 1066, he introduced the feudalism to England. Within this system, land throughout England was parceled and packaged, and given to barons in exchange for miliary service or as a reward for loyal support. The barons ruled their lands as representatives of the king, while the lower classes worked to support their villages through agriculture and manufacturing. The working-class serfs gave their barons a share of what they produced in exchange for protection and the ability to continue living on the baron's lands. The origins of the landed noble who did not have to work and could live a life of leisure are rooted in this system.
Between the 11th and 14th centuries, earl and baron were the only titles used in England. In 1337, King Edward III created the rank of duke for his son. Duke remains the highest rank of nobility under the monarch, and is most often the title bestowed upon members of the royal family (see: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge). The rank of marquess, a step below a dukedom, was created in 1385. Lastly, the rank of viscount, a rank below that of an earl, was created in 1440. These five ranks exist to this day.
Read more about specific titles and what honors and responsibilities they entail.
How do the rankings go?
In order from highest to lowest ranking, here are the different titles of British nobility, with their equivalent title for women:
Duke - Duchess
Marquess - Marchioness
Earl - Countess
Viscount - Viscountess
Baron - Baroness
How do you know how to address a noble?
The rules for styles and titles for nobility are a bit tricky. For a concise overview, visit "The Story of Peerage: How does it all work?"
Historically speaking, what did the nobility actually do?
Members of the nobility were typically close friends, advisers and supporters of the monarch (although at times, depending on the monarch and noble, they could just as easily be enemies). Throughout medieval times, these nobles made up what was known as the "Great Council," which advised the king. With the development of Parliament in the early 14th century, this "Great Council" gradually evolved into the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament. For centuries, any man with a title was automatically granted a seat in the House of Lords. When he died, the title and the seat would pass on to his heir, usually his first-born son.
The balance of power between the House of Lords and the lower House of Commons tended to shift, depending on the monarch and the political zeitgeist of the time. At one point, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the House of Lords was abolished altogether; it was re-instated during the Restoration in 1660. By the early 19th century, when Arcadia takes place, the House of Lords' powers were waning again, although its numbers had increased, thanks to the creation of a number of new titles by King George III. Also, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the middle class and its influence was expanding, creating a stronger House of Commons.
This time marked the beginning of a shift in the power of the nobility. Up until this point, wealth and power had to be bestowed upon individuals by the king, and could only be passed on through bloodlines and marriage. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, anyone with a brilliant idea and a good work ethic could become wealthy and move up in the world, making the nobility far less elite than they once were. It's not an accident that a Newcomen steam engine chugs along in the background at Sidley Park in Act 2, Scene 7 of Arcadia - even at a quiet country estate in Derbyshire, by 1812, the effects of the Industrial Revolution were encroaching on all aspects of life, about to change them irrevocably.
Beyond their appearances in Parliament, nobility in the early 19th century were pretty much left to their own devices. They could be actively involved in politics and government, lobbying for causes and trying to influence elections and votes. Some pursued military careers; others pursued interests in the sciences and arts. Plenty of nobles dedicated their lives to leisure - drinking, gambling, traveling, sports, or, in the case of the Earl of Croom, hunting. The exploits of the nobility were followed closely by the lower classes, who looked at their glamorous, scandalous lives much the way society looks at celebrities today. A useful way to think of the British nobility in the 1800s is to think of them like a 19th century version of the Kardashians - they didn't really do anything, but they had tons of money, and everything they did, from how they dressed to who they dated, made headlines.
Class Structure in 19th Century England
This chart, courtesy of Jane Austen's World, shows the class hierarchy in England during the Regency period. Note that as a teacher, Septimus Hodge was a member of the fourth class, well below the Coverlys, who as nobility were part of the highest order. Richard Noakes, as a landscape architect to the nobility, would also likely fall into the fourth class. As Ezra Chater had the courtesy title of esquire, he was considered a country gentleman; not quite the rank of the Coverlys, but close enough to be welcome as a guest in their home. Although the Army and Navy are listed last on this chart, military officers were by no means the lowest in the pecking order. In the case of Captain Brice, we can presume that he and his sister (Lady Croom) were members of the aristocracy or landed gentry, as she is married to an earl. Brice's fairly high rank in the Navy also carries some cache, so he would enjoy a rather high place in British society.
What do modern-day nobles do?
Throughout the 20th century, the power and influence of the nobility continued to erode, both in Parliament and in a greater social context. The Parliament Act 1911 took away the House of Lords' power to reject legislation introduced by the House of Commons, as well as delay bills for more than two years, two common tactics used by the House of Lords to get their way. In 1958, after centuries in which only nobility with hereditary titles could sit in the House of Lords, the Life Peerages Act 1958 created life baronies; these individuals (they could be men or women) would have a place in the House of Lords for life, but their seats would not pass on to their heirs. With an increase in life peers, the number of hereditary peers in the House of Lords began to decrease.
In the late 1990s, moves were made by the Labour Party to completely eliminate hereditary peers from the House of Lords. However, in a compromise, the House of Lords Act 1999 allowed 92 seats to remain open for hereditary peers, at last making the House of Lords a largely appointed body. Moreover, when one of the hereditary seats becomes vacant, the person who fills it must now be elected to the seat by the other members of the House of Lords. The House of Lords Act 1999 did allow members of the nobility to sit in the House of Commons (as long as they did not already sit in the House of Lords), an act from which they had been previously disqualified.
Beyond politics, the role of nobility in British society has undergone significant changes during the 20th and 21st centuries. The modern aristocracy is looked at as something of an anomoly, a remnant of a culture whose time has passed. The influence on society and pop culture the nobility once wielded has been relinquished to movie stars, musicians, athletes and models; even among Brits, it's more likely they can name all the contestants on a reality show than all 24 living dukes.
The lifestyles of British nobility vary greatly. Many remain extremely wealthy, thanks to the inheritance of property, art, historical artifacts and more, often much of it in the family for centuries. Other noble families have fared less well, and had to survive financially by turning their estates into tourist attractions or selling them altogether. Nobles and their families continue to pursue a range of careers and diversions, including business, philanthropy, politics, military, arts and sciences.
The marriage of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge to civilian Kate Middleton, and her subsequent elevation to Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 sparked renewed interest in the aristocracy, with Middleton becoming the model for a modern noble - elegant and graceful, yet down-to-earth and charitable.
What about the families of nobility?
Based on the English practice of primogeniture, titles and lands are passed on to the eldest son. Therefore, in Arcadia, even though he was younger than Thomasina, Augustus would have inherited the title of Earl of Croom as well as Sidley Park and any other land holdings possessed by the family. Thomasina, for her part, would have been married, likely to a member of another aristocratic family. Marriages were often used to strengthen a family's social and financial position.
The statute still stands that inherited titles and lands must pass down to a male heir, meaning that in the present day, Valentine will inherit the title of Earl of Croom and Sidley Park, although based on his pursuit of a post-graduate degree in Biology, one could presume he is not particularly interested in being a member of the landed aristocracy. As for Chloe, it is not as imperative that she marry well (she could just as easily support herself as so many modern women do) although one could argue that searching for a handsome, wealthy husband is something in which she might be very interested.
Sources/Further Reading
Politicsresources.net - The House of Lords
The Independent - "How has the British aristocracy survived so well?"
The Independent - "To the manor born: the female aristocrats battling to inherit the title"
Vanity Fair - "Enemies of the estate"
Sunday Express - "The 21st Century Duchesses - Kate leads the way for the modern aristocrats"
The Daily Mail - "Ten dukes a-dining"
"HowPo