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| A '''Laird''' is a member of the |
A '''Laird''' is a member of the ] and a ] in ]. The word Laird comes from the shortened form of 'lavered', which is an old Scottish word deriving from an ] term meaning ']', and is also derived from the middle-English word 'lard',also meaning ']' | ||
| ⚫ | Though translated as '']'' and signifying the same, Laird is not a title of ]. 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 ], and can not be bought and sold without selling the physical land |
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| ==History and Definition== | ==History and Definition== | ||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | A Laird is a member of the ]; historically '''Lairds''' rank below a ] and above an ] in the non-peerage table of precedence in the Statutes of 1592 and the Baronetcy Warrents of ]. The title is granted to the owner of a landed estate in the ]. ''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 ''']'''. | ||
| ⚫ | 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 ], 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.<ref>Perelman, p.141 ( ch. 7 )</ref> The title of ''Laird'' may carry certain local or ] rights. A Lairdship carried voting rights in the ancient pre-Union ], although such voting rights were expressed 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. | ||
| ⚫ | A Laird is a member of the ] |
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| ⚫ | 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 ], 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.<ref>Perelman, p.141 ( ch. 7 )</ref> | ||
| 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'''. | 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 with the honorific ''']'''. | ||
| ⚫ | Though translated as '']'' and signifying the same, Laird is not a title of ]. 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 ], and can not be bought and sold without selling the physical land. | ||
| In order to be a Laird you need to own a Scottish Estate recognised by the Queen's representative, the Lord Lyon. Some mail order establishments offer to sell a small parcel of land and claim the owner may use the title of "Laird" or "Lady", but these are purely novelty items. Usually such estates are on sale for in excess of £200,000 so out of the reach of your average person looking for a title. A Lairdship title can be used worldwide and aquired by somebody of any nationality and living in any country. | |||
| ==Forms of Address== | ==Forms of Address== | ||
Revision as of 22:42, 4 April 2009
For other uses, see Laird (disambiguation).
A Laird is a member of the gentry and a hereditary title in Scotland. The word Laird comes from the shortened form of 'lavered', 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'
History and Definition
A Laird is a member of the gentry; historically Lairds rank 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. The title of Laird may carry certain local or feudal rights. A Lairdship carried voting rights in the ancient pre-Union Parliament of Scotland, although such voting rights were expressed 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.
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 with the honorific Lady.
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.
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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