Editing Earl

{{short description|English title of nobility}}
{{about|the title of nobility|the given name|Earl (given name)|the surname|Earl (surname)|other uses|Earl (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Peerage |Ranks}}

'''Earl''' ({{IPAc-en|ɜːr|l|,_|ɜːr|əl}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/earl|title=Earl|publisher=[[Collins Dictionary]]|access-date=23 September 2014|date=23 September 2014}}</ref> is a rank of the [[nobility]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peerage]], ranking below a [[marquess]] and above a [[viscount]].{{Sfn|Stevenson|2007}} A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed;{{NoteTag|The form [[wikt:earless#Alternative_forms|earless]] is rarely attested, but considered nonstandard.}} instead, ''countess'' is used.

The title originates in the [[Old English]] word {{lang|ang|eorl}}, meaning "a man of noble birth or rank".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/58971?rskey=wkLmqc&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid|title=Earl|website=Oxford English Dictionary|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref> The word is cognate with the [[Old Norse|Scandinavian]] form ''[[jarl]]''. After the [[Norman Conquest]], it became the equivalent of the continental [[count]]. In Scotland, it assimilated the concept of [[mormaer]]. Since the 1960s, earldoms have typically been created only for members of the [[British royal family|royal family]]. The last non-royal earldom, [[Earl of Stockton]], was created in 1984 for [[Harold Macmillan]], prime minister from 1957 to 1963.

Alternative names for the rank equivalent to "earl" or "count" in the nobility structure are used in other countries, such as the ''[[hakushaku]]'' (伯爵) of the post-restoration [[Japanese Imperial era]].

== Etymology ==
In the 7th century, the common [[Old English]] terms for nobility was {{Lang|ang|[[wikt:eorl|eorl]]}} or {{Lang|ang|eorlcund man}}. However, this was later replaced by the term ''[[thegn]]''.{{sfn|Loyn|1955|p=530}} In the 11th century, under Danish influence, the Old English title ''[[ealdorman]]'' became ''earl'', from the [[Old Norse]] word {{lang|non|[[jarl]]}}.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=6}} Proto-Norse ''eril'', or the later Old Norse {{lang|non|jarl}}, came to signify the rank of a leader.{{sfn|Lindström|2006|pp=113–115}}

The [[Norman language|Norman]]-derived equivalent ''count'' (from Latin {{lang|la|[[comes]]}}) was not introduced following the [[Norman Conquest]] of England though ''countess'' was and is used for the female title. Geoffrey Hughes writes, "It is a likely speculation that the [[Norman French]] title 'Count' was abandoned in England in favour of the Germanic 'Earl' [...] precisely because of the uncomfortable [[phonetic]] proximity to [[cunt]]".{{Sfn|Hughes|1998}}

In the other languages of Great Britain and Ireland, the term is translated as: [[Welsh language|Welsh]] {{lang|cy|iarll}},{{Sfn|Owen|Gruffydd|2017|p=84}} [[Irish language|Irish]] and [[Scottish Gaelic]] {{lang|ga|iarla}},{{Sfn|Kane|2010|p=186}}{{Sfn|Crouch|1992|p=61}} [[Scots language|Scots]] {{lang|sco|erle}}, {{lang|sco|eirle}} or {{lang|sco|earle}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/erle_n|title=Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: DOST :: erle n}}</ref> [[Cornish language|Cornish]] {{lang|kw|yurl, yarl, yerl}}.{{Sfn|Williams|1865|p=50}}

== England ==

=== Anglo-Saxon period ===
{{Further|List of earldoms#Earldoms in England before 1066}}
==== Ealdorman ====
{{Main|Ealdorman}}
The office of earl evolved from the ealdorman, an office within [[Anglo-Saxon government]]. The [[History of the English monarchy|English king]] appointed the ealdorman to be the chief officer in a [[shire]]. He commanded the local [[fyrd]] and presided over the [[shire court]] alongside the [[bishop]]. As compensation, he received the [[wikt:third penny|third penny]]: one-third of the shire court's profits and the [[Ancient borough|borough]]s' revenues.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=5–6}} Initially, the ealdorman governed a single shire. Starting with [[Edward the Elder]] ({{reign|899|924}}), it became customary for one ealdorman to administer three or four shires together as an ealdormanry.{{Sfn|Lyon|1980|pp=62–63}}

==== Cnut the Great ====
[[File:Earldoms of Anglo-Saxon England.svg|thumb|right|Earldoms of Anglo-Saxon England]]

During [[Cnut]]'s reign (1016–1035), ''ealdorman'' changed to ''earl'' (related to Old English {{Lang|ang|eorl}} and Scandinavian {{lang|non|[[jarl]]}}).{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=6}}{{Sfn|Lyon|1980|p=63}}{{NoteTag|In Latin, it was rendered as {{lang|la|[[dux]]}}{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=5}} or {{lang|la|[[comes]]}}.{{Sfn|Green|2017|p=61}}}} Cnut's realm, the [[North Sea Empire]], extended beyond England, forcing him to delegate power to earls.{{Sfn|Loyn|1984|p=133}} Earls were governors or [[viceroy]]s, ruling in the king's name, keeping the peace, dispensing justice, and raising armies. Like the earlier ealdormen, they received the third penny from their jurisdictions. Earls ranked above [[thegn]]s in precedence and were the chief counselors in the [[witan]] (king's council).{{Sfn|Huscroft|2016|p=28}}

The office of earl was not hereditary. While sons of earls could expect to inherit their father's office, this was not automatic. Only the king could make someone an earl.{{Sfn|Williams|2008|p=24}}

Initially, Cnut kept Wessex for himself and divided the rest of England into three earldoms. He gave the [[earldom of East Anglia]] to [[Thorkell the Tall]] and the [[earldom of Northumbria]] to [[Eiríkr Hákonarson|Eric]].{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=7}} [[Eadric Streona]] retained the [[earldom of Mercia]] (having been unified with western Mercia in the tenure of earldorman Ælfhere), which he had held since 1007.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/8511|title=Eadric [Edric] Streona}}</ref> Cnut gave Godwin the [[earldom of Wessex]] in 1018.{{NoteTag|Godwin became an earl in 1018 with control of eastern Wessex. After 1020, Godwin gained all of Wessex.<ref name="Godwin">{{Cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-10887|title=Godwine [Godwin], earl of Wessex (d. 1053), magnate|year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/10887 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}</ref>}} Eventually Godwin was also granted the [[earldom of Kent]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/the-history-of-script-sixty-important-manuscript-leaves-from-the-schyen-collection/lot.37.html |title=The Godwine charter, granting to Leofwine the Red the swine-pasture of Swithraedingden (probably Southernden, Kent) for the rent of forty pence and two pounds and an allowance of corn, in Anglo-Saxon, single-sheet document on vellum [Kent (probably Christ Church, Canterbury), 1013-20] |author=Sotheby's |website=Sotheby's |access-date=14 May 2024 |quote=Godwine rose to power under King Cnut the Great (d.1035) and his immediate successors, being made earl of Wessex c.1018, and according to the twelfth-century historian Eadmer, the earl of Kent. He was step-father to King Edward the Confessor (c.1003-1066) and father to Harold Godwinesson, the last Anglo-Saxon king, killed in 1066 at Hastings by the Norman invaders. Domesday Book records that immediately before the Norman Conquest Broughton Malherbe and its estates were held by one "Ælfwine ... from Earl Godwine" (DB., Kent, 5:79).}}</ref> Thorkell vanished from the records after 1023, and Godwin became the leading earl.<ref name="Godwin"/>

Earldoms were not permanent territorial divisions; kings could transfer shires from one earldom to another. The fact that there was no local government administration beyond the shire also limited the autonomy of the earls. They could not raise taxation, mint coins, issue [[Anglo-Saxon charters|charters]], or hold their own courts (the shire courts that earls presided over were held in the king's name).{{Sfn|Williams|2008|pp=23–24}}

[[F. W. Maitland]] wrote, "with the estates of the earls, we find it impossible to distinguish between private property and official property". He noted the existence of "[[Manorialism|manors]] of the shire" and "comital [[vill]]s" that belonged to the office rather than the officeholder.{{Sfn|Maitland|1897|p=168}} [[Stephen Baxter (historian)|Stephen Baxter]] argued that given the evidence, it must be "assumed that the 'comital manors' in each shire could be transferred by the king from one earl to another with relative ease". However, not all scholars agree with the existence of such "comital" property.<ref>{{harvnb|Baxter|2007|p=13}} quoted in {{harvnb|Williams|2008|p=22}}</ref>

==== Edward the Confessor ====
During the reign of [[Edward the Confessor]] (1042–1066), the earls were still royal officers governing their earldoms in the king's name. However, they were developing more autonomy and becoming a threat to royal power.{{Sfn|Green|2017|p=168}}{{Sfn|Lyon|1980|p=63}} Three great aristocratic families had emerged: the [[House of Godwin|Godwins]] of Wessex, [[Leofric of Mercia]], and [[Siward of Northumbria]].{{Sfn|Loyn|1984|p=133}} 

In theory, earls could be removed by the king. Edward deliberately broke the hereditary succession to Northumbria when Earl Siward died in 1055. He ignored the claims of Siward's son, [[Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria|Waltheof]], and appointed [[Tostig Godwinson]] as earl.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=7}} The earldom of East Anglia appears to have been used as a training ground for new earls. Nevertheless, the earldoms of Wessex and Mercia were becoming hereditary.{{Sfn|Green|2017|p=168}} For four generations, Mercia was passed from father to son: [[Leofwine, Ealdorman of the Hwicce|Leofwine]], [[Leofric, Earl of Mercia|Leofric]], [[Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia|Ælfgar]], and [[Edwin, Earl of Mercia|Edwin]].{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=7}} 

To reward Godwin for his support, Edward made his eldest son, [[Sweyn Godwinson|Sweyn]], an earl in 1043.{{NoteTag|Sweyn's earldom was probably located in the south-west [[Midlands]] in the shires of Somerset, Hereford, Gloucester, Oxford, and Berkshire.{{Sfn|Barlow|1997|p=91}}}} [[Harold Godwinson|Harold]], Godwin's second oldest son, was made the earl of East Anglia. In 1045, an earldom was created for Godwin's nephew, [[Beorn Estrithson]]. After Sweyn left England in disgrace in 1047, some of his estates were taken over by Harold and Beorn. [[Ralf of Mantes]], Edward's Norman nephew, was made [[earl of Hereford]], a territory formerly part of Sweyn's earldom.{{Sfn|Barlow|1997|pp=74 & 89–91, 93–94}} 

In 1053, Harold succeeded his father, and Ælfgar, son of Earl Leofric, became earl of East Anglia. A major reshuffle occurred after both Leofric and Ralf died in 1057. Ælfgar succeeded his father in Mercia, and [[Gyrth Godwinson]] took East Anglia. An earldom was created for [[Leofwine Godwinson]] out of the south-eastern shires belonging to Harold. In exchange, Harold received Ralf's earldom.{{Sfn|Barlow|1997|pp=127 & 197}} 

In 1065, a rebellion deposed Tostig and recognised [[Morcar]], the brother of Earl Edwin of Mercia, as Northumbria's new earl. The king accepted this, and Tostig was expelled from England.{{Sfn|Barlow|1997|p=237}}

In 1066, according to the [[Domesday Book]], the Godwin family estates were valued at £7,000, Earl Leofric of Mercia at £2,400, and Earl Siward of Northumbria at £350. In comparison, the king's lands were valued at £5,000. This concentration of land and wealth in the hands of the earls, and one family in particular, weakened the Crown's authority. The situation was reversed when Harold Godwinson became king, and he was able to restore the Crown's authority.{{Sfn|Huscroft|2016|pp=20 & 23}}

=== Norman Conquest ===
{{Further|List of earls in the reign of William the Conqueror}}
[[File:Odo bayeux tapestry detail.jpg|thumb|Odo of Bayeux, fighting in the [[Battle of Hastings]] as shown in the [[Bayeux Tapestry]]. Odo was later made Earl of Kent.|300x300px]]

The [[Norman Conquest]] of 1066 introduced a new [[Anglo-Normans|Anglo-Norman]] aristocracy that gradually replaced the old Anglo-Saxon elite.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=33}} In [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]], a [[duchy]] in the [[France in the Middle Ages|Kingdom of France]], the equivalent of an earl was a [[count]].{{Sfn|Green|2017|p=61}}  The definition and powers of French counts varied widely. Some counts were nearly independent rulers who gave only nominal loyalty to the [[King of France]]. In Normandy, counts were junior members of the [[House of Normandy|Norman dynasty]] with responsibility for guarding border regions.{{Sfn|Crouch|1992|pp=54–56}} In 1066, there were three Norman counts: [[Richard, Count of Évreux|Richard of Évreux]], [[Robert, Count of Eu|Robert of Eu]], and [[Robert of Mortain]].{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=18}} 

[[William the Conqueror]] ({{reign|1066|1087}}) reduced the size of earldoms; those created after 1071 had responsibility for one shire.{{Sfn|Crouch|1992|p=57}} Like Norman counts, earls became military governors assigned to vulnerable border or coastal areas. To protect the [[Welsh Marches]], the king made [[Roger de Montgomery]] the [[earl of Shrewsbury]] and [[Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester|Hugh d'Avranches]] the [[earl of Chester]] {{Crossreference|(see [[Marcher Lord]])}}. Likewise, the king's half-brother [[Odo of Bayeux]] was made [[earl of Kent]] to guard the [[English Channel]].{{Sfn|Huscroft|2016|pp=82–83}} 

After the [[Revolt of the Earls]] in 1075, only four earldoms remained, all held by Anglo-Normans: Kent, Shrewsbury, Chester, and Northumbria. This number was reduced to three after 1082 when Odo of Bayeux was arrested and deprived of Kent.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=32–33}} At the death of [[William Rufus]] in 1100, there were five earldoms: Chester, Shrewsbury, [[Earl of Surrey|Surrey]] (or Warrenne), [[Earl of Warwick|Warwick]], and [[Earl of Huntingdon|Huntingdon]]–[[Earl of Northampton|Northampton]]. In 1122, [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] made his [[illegitimate]] son [[Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester|Robert]] the [[earl of Gloucester]].{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=51 & 60}}

After the Conquest, new earldoms tended to be named for the city and castle in which they were based. Some titles became attached to the family name rather than location. For example, the holder of the [[earldom of Surrey]] was more commonly called "Earl Warenne". The same was true of the [[earldom of Buckingham]], whose holder was called "Earl Gifford". These earls may have preferred to be known by family names that were older and more prestigious than their newer territorial designations.{{Sfn|Crouch|1992|pp=57–58}}

=== Stephen and Matilda ===
The number of earls rose from seven in 1135 to twenty in 1141 as King [[Stephen of England|Stephen]] ({{reign|1135|1154}}) [[List of earls in the reign of Stephen of England|created twelve new earls]] to reward supporters during [[the Anarchy]], the civil war fought with his cousin [[Empress Matilda]] for the English throne.{{Sfn|Green|2017|p=62}}{{Sfn|Huscroft|2016|p=83}} In 1138, Stephen created eight new earldoms:{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=66–67}}

# [[Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester|Waleran de Beaumont]], who was already [[County of Meulan|Count of Meulan]] in Normandy and the twin brother of the [[Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester|2nd Earl of Leicester]], was made [[earl of Worcester]]. 
# Waleran's younger brother [[Hugh de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Bedford|Hugh de Beaumont]] was made [[earl of Bedford]].
# [[Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke|Gilbert de Clare]] was made [[earl of Pembroke]].
# [[Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford|Gilbert de Clare]], nephew of the Earl of Pembroke, was made [[earl of Hertford]].
# [[William le Gros, Earl of York|William de Aumale]] was made [[earl of York]] in reward for service during the [[Battle of the Standard]].
# [[Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby|Robert de Ferrers]] was made [[earl of Derby]] in reward for service during the Battle of the Standard. 
# [[William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel|William d'Aubigny]] was made [[earl of Lincoln]].
# [[William de Roumare, Earl of Lincoln|William de Roumare]] was made [[earl of Cambridge]].

In 1140, Roumare was given the earldom of Lincoln in exchange for Cambridge, and William d'Aubigny received the [[Earl of Arundel|earldom of Sussex (commonly known as Arundel)]]. The same year, [[Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex|Geoffrey de Mandeville]] was made [[earl of Essex]], and his is the oldest surviving charter of creation. Around the same time, [[Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk|Hugh Bigod]] was made [[earl of Norfolk]].{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=66–67}}

In February 1141, Stephen was captured at the [[Battle of Lincoln (1141)|Battle of Lincoln]], and Empress Matilda elected "Lady of the English" in April. At this time, she created three earldoms for her own supporters. Her illegitimate brother [[Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall|Reginald de Dunstanville]] was made [[earl of Cornwall]]. [[Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon|Baldwin de Redvers]] was made [[earl of Devon]], and [[William de Mohun, 1st Earl of Somerset|William de Mohun]], [[Feudal barony of Dunster|lord of Dunster]], was made [[earl of Somerset]]. [[Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford|Aubrey de Vere]] was made [[earl of Oxford]] in 1142. Sometime around 1143, Matilda's constable [[Patrick, 1st Earl of Salisbury|Patrick of Salisbury]] was made [[earl of Salisbury]].{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=67 & 69}}

During the Anarchy, earls took advantage of the power vacuum to assume Crown rights. Robert of Gloucester, Patrick of Salisbury, [[Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester|Robert of Leicester]], and [[Henry of Scotland|Henry of Northumbria]] all minted their own coinage. Earls and [[English feudal barony|barons]] had also built [[adulterine castle]]s (castles built without royal permission).{{Sfn|Starkey|2010|pp=166 & 175}}

=== Plantagenets ===
[[File:Hedingham Castle - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Hedingham Castle]], seat of the Earls of Oxford, is in Essex where most of the earl's land was concentrated]]
[[File:Earls Procession to Parliament.jpg|thumb|The royal procession to the [[Parliament of England]] at [[Westminster]] on 4 February 1512. Left to right: The [[Marquess of Dorset]] (second from left), [[Earl of Northumberland]], [[Earl of Surrey]], [[Earl of Shrewsbury]], [[Earl of Essex]], [[Earl of Kent]], [[Earl of Derby]], [[Earl of Wiltshire]]. From Parliament Procession Roll of 1512.]]

It fell to Stephen's successor [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] ({{reign | 1154 | 1189}}) to again curtail the power of earls. He confiscated or demolished illegal castles.{{Sfn|Starkey|2010|pp=166 & 175}} He [[List of earls in the reign of Henry II of England|reduced the number of earldoms]] by allowing them to die with their holders and did not create new ones. During his reign, "the title became a mark of rank, rather than a substantive office: the real power lay with the king's sheriffs and justices."{{Sfn|Green|2017|p=62}}

The real power possessed by any individual earl in this period depended on the amount of land and wealth he possessed that could be translated into patronage and influence. The more land and resources concentrated in a region, the more influence an earl had. The most powerful were the earls of Chester, who [[List of earls in the reign of Henry III of England|by the middle of the 13th century]] were described as [[Earls Palatine|earls palatine]]. Their power derived from owning most of the land in Cheshire. As a result, the shire court and the earl's [[Manorial court|honour court]] were identical, and the sheriff answered to the earl. The [[earl of Oxford]] possessed less than an acre of land in Oxfordshire (most of his land was in Essex), and therefore possessed no power in the county.{{Sfn|Crouch|1992|pp=62–63}}

An earldom along with its land was inherited generally according to [[primogeniture]]. If the only heirs were female, then the land would be partitioned equally between co-heirs with the eldest co-heir receiving the title. In 1204, [[Robert de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Leicester]], died without children. His heirs were his sisters, [[Amice, Countess of Rochefort|Amice]] and Margaret. Amice's son, [[Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]], succeeded as earl of Leicester, and Margaret's husband, [[Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester|Saer de Quincy]], was created the [[earl of Winchester]] in 1207. This was the first new hereditary earldom created since the reign of Stephen.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=111}}

An earldom could be dramatically impacted upon by multiple partitions. In 1232, [[Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester]] died childless. His lands were divided between his four sisters with the title going to the eldest's son, [[John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon]]. John died in 1237, and once again the estate had to be divided between five co-heirs (the two daughters of his eldest sister and his three surviving sisters). Before the land could be divided, King [[Alexander II of Scotland]] claimed the earldom of Huntingdon. While the king's council dismissed this claim, the Scottish king was granted the lands attached to Huntingdon but not the title. This reduced the land available to John's co-heirs and created the possibility of an earl who was virtually landless. Earl Ranulf had been the greatest landholder in England, but after two partitions in five years, the land granted to each co-heir was small. [[William de Forz, 4th Earl of Albemarle|William de Forz]], husband of the senior co-heir, argued that as a county palatine the earldom of Chester should not be partitioned, but this argument was rejected by the king's court. Ultimately, the king himself gained possession of all the lands attached to the Chester earldom through a series of land exchanges with the co-heirs.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|pp=162–166}}

In 1227, [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] ({{reign|1216|1272}}) granted his [[justiciar]] and [[List of English chief ministers|chief minister]], [[Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent|Hubert de Burgh]], the earldom of Kent. The terms of inheritance were unprecedented: the earldom was to pass to Hubert's son by his third wife [[Margaret of Scotland, Countess of Kent|Margaret of Scotland]], thereby passing over his eldest son by his first wife. It may have been thought that Margaret's royal blood made her children more worthy of inheritance.{{Sfn|Powell|Wallis|1968|p=147}}

By the 13th century earls had a social rank just below the king and princes, but were not necessarily more powerful or wealthier than other noblemen. The only way to become an earl was to inherit the title or to marry into one—and the king reserved a right to prevent the transfer of the title. By the 14th century, creating an earl included a special public ceremony where the king personally tied a sword belt around the waist of the new earl, emphasizing the fact that the earl's rights came from him.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Earls still held influence and, as "companions of the king", generally acted in support of the king's power. They showed their own power prominently in 1327 when they deposed King [[Edward II of England|Edward II]]. They would later do the same with other kings of whom they disapproved.  In 1337 [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] declared that he intended to [[List of earls in the reign of Edward III of England|create six new earldoms]].{{Sfn|Ayton|2013}}

== Ireland ==
{{Further|Peerage of Ireland}}
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
The first Irish earldom was the [[Earl of Ulster]], granted to the Norman knight [[Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster|Hugh de Lacy]] in 1205 by [[John I of England|John]], King of England and [[Lord of Ireland]]. Other early earldoms were [[Earl of Carrick (Ireland)|Earl of Carrick]] (1315), [[Duke of Leinster|Earl of Kildare]] (1316), [[Earl of Desmond#Earls of Desmond.2C first creation .281329.29|Earl of Desmond]] (1329) and [[Earl of Shrewsbury|Earl of Waterford]] (1446, extant).

After the [[Tudor conquest of Ireland|Tudor reconquest of Ireland]] (1530s–1603), native [[List of Irish kingdoms|Irish kings]] and clan chiefs were encouraged to submit to the English king (now also [[King of Ireland]]) and were, in return, granted noble titles in the [[Peerage of Ireland]]. Notable among those who agreed to this policy of "[[surrender and regrant]]" were [[Ulick na gCeann Burke, 1st Earl of Clanricarde]], [[Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond]], [[Donald McCarthy, 1st Earl of Clancare]], [[Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell]], [[Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim]] and [[Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone]]. The earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell later rebelled against the crown and were forced to flee Ireland in 1607; their departure, along with about ninety followers, is famed in Irish history as the [[Flight of the Earls]], seen as the ultimate demise of native Irish monarchy.

Ireland became part of the United Kingdom in 1801, and the last Irish earldom was created in 1824. The [[Republic of Ireland]] does not recognize titles of nobility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Irish titles of nobility - Gaelic, Peerage, Squires, Squireens and Squiress |url=https://victorian-era.org/irish-titles-of-nobility.html |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Victorian Era |language=en}}</ref>

Notable later Irish earls include Jacobite leader [[Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan]]; Postmaster General [[Richard Trench, 2nd Earl of Clancarty]]; Prime Minister [[William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne]] (later made a [[marquess]]); and the (alleged) murderer [[John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan]].

== Scotland ==
{{Further|Peerage of Scotland}}
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
[[File:Earl coronation robes.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Earl's [[British coronation|coronation]] robes]]

The oldest earldoms in [[Scotland]] (with the exception of the [[Earldom of Dunbar and March]]) originated from the office of [[mormaer]], such as the [[Mormaer of Fife]], [[Mormaer of Strathearn|of Strathearn]], etc.; subsequent earldoms developed by analogy. The principal distinction between earldom and mormaer is that earldoms were granted as [[fief]]s of the King, while mormaers were virtually independent. The ''earl'' is thought to have been introduced by the [[anglophile]] king [[David I of Scotland|David I]]. While the power attached to the office of earl was swept away in England by the Norman Conquest, in Scotland earldoms retained substantial powers, such as [[regality]] throughout the Middle Ages.

It is important to distinguish between the land controlled directly by the earl, in a landlord-like sense, and the region over which he could exercise his office. Scottish use of Latin terms {{lang|la|provincia}} and {{lang|la|comitatus}} makes the difference clear. Initially these terms were synonymous, as in England, but by the 12th century they were seen as distinct concepts, with ''comitatus'' referring to the land under direct control of the earl, and {{lang|la|provincia}} referring to the province; hence, the ''comitatus'' might now only be a small region of the {{lang|la|provincia}}. Thus, unlike England, the term ''county'', which ultimately evolved from the Latin {{lang|la|comitatus}}, was not historically used for Scotland's main political subdivisions.

[[Sheriff court|Sheriff]]s were introduced at a similar time to earls, but unlike England, where sheriffs were officers who implemented the decisions of the shire court, in Scotland they were specifically charged with upholding the king's interests in the region, thus being more like a [[coroner]]. As such, a parallel system of justice arose, between that provided by magnates (represented by the earls), and that by the king (represented by sheriffs), in a similar way to England having both [[Court Baron|Courts Baron]] and [[Justice of the peace|Magistrate]]s, respectively. Inevitably, this led to a degree of [[forum shopping]], with the king's offering – the Sheriff – gradually winning.

As in England, as the centuries wore on, the term ''earl'' came to be disassociated from the office, and later kings started granting the title of ''earl'' without it, and gradually without even an associated ''comitatus''. By the 16th century there started to be earls of towns, of villages, and even of isolated houses; it had simply become a label for marking status, rather than an office of intrinsic power. In 1746, in the aftermath of the [[Jacobite rising of 1745|Jacobite rising]], the [[Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746|Heritable Jurisdictions Act]] brought the powers of the remaining ancient earldoms under the control of the sheriffs; ''earl'' is now simply a noble rank.

== Wales ==
{{Further|Welsh peers and baronets}}
Some of the most significant Earls ([[Welsh language|Welsh]]: ''ieirll'', singular ''iarll'') in Welsh history were those from the West of England. As Wales remained independent of any Norman jurisdiction, the more powerful Earls in England were [[Norman invasion of Wales|encouraged to invade]] and establish effective "[[buffer states]]" to be run as [[county palatine|autonomous lordships]]. These [[Marcher Lords]] included the earls of [[Earl of Chester|Chester]], [[Earl of Gloucester|Gloucester]], [[Earl of Hereford|Hereford]], [[Earl of Pembroke|Pembroke]] and [[Earl of Shrewsbury|Shrewsbury]] (see also [[Earl of March#Earls of March in the Peerage of England|English Earls of March]]).

The first Earldoms created within Wales were the [[Lordship of Glamorgan]] (a comital title) and the [[Earldom of Pembroke]].

[[Tir Iarll]] (English: ''Earl's land'') is an area of [[Glamorgan]], which has traditionally had a particular resonance in [[Welsh culture]].{{Sfn|Davies|Jenkins|Menna|Lynch|2008|p=872}}

== United Kingdom ==
{{Further|Peerage of the United Kingdom}}
An earldom became, with a few exceptions, the default rank of the peerage to which a former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]] was elevated. The last prime minister to accept an earldom was [[Harold Macmillan]], who became [[earl of Stockton]] in 1984.

==Insignia and forms of address==

=== Coronet ===
[[File:Coronet EarlOfDevon PowderhamCastle.jpg|right|thumb|alt=British Viscount Coronet|A coronet of a British earl]]
A British earl is entitled to a [[coronet]] bearing eight [[strawberry]] leaves (four visible) and eight [[silver]] balls (or [[pearl]]s) around the rim (five visible). The actual coronet is rarely, if ever, worn except at the [[coronation]] of a new monarch, but in [[heraldry]] an earl may bear his coronet of rank on his [[coat of arms]] above the shield.

=== Forms of address ===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
An earl has the title ''Earl of [X]'' when the title originates from a placename, or ''Earl [X]'' when the title comes from a surname. In either case, he is referred to as ''[[Lord]] [X]'', and his wife as ''[[Lady]] [X]''. A countess who holds an earldom in her own right also uses ''Lady [X]'', but her husband does not have a title (unless he has one in his own right).

The eldest son of an earl, though not himself a [[Peerage|peer]], is entitled to use a [[courtesy title]], usually the highest of his father's lesser titles (if any). For instance, prior to his father's elevation to the Dukedom of Edinburgh, the eldest son of the [[Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh|Earl of Wessex]] was styled as [[James, Earl of Wessex|James, Viscount Severn]]. The eldest son of the eldest son of an earl is entitled to use one of his grandfather's lesser titles, normally the second-highest of the lesser titles. Younger sons are styled ''The Honourable'' [''Forename''] [''Surname''], and daughters, ''The Lady'' [''Forename''] [''Surname''] ([[Diana, Princess of Wales|Lady Diana Spencer]] being a well-known example).

There is no difference between the courtesy titles given to the children of earls and the children of countesses in their own right, provided the husband of the countess has a lower rank than she does.  If her husband has a higher rank, their children will be given titles according to his rank.

In the peerage of Scotland, when there are no courtesy titles involved, the heir to an earldom, and indeed any level of peerage, is styled ''Master of [X]'', and successive sons as ''The Honourable [Firstname Surname]''.

== List of earldoms ==
{{Main|List of earldoms}}
There are many earldoms, extant, extinct, dormant, abeyant, or forfeit, in the [[peerage]]s of [[Peerage of England|England]], [[Peerage of Scotland|Scotland]], [[Peerage of Great Britain|Great Britain]], [[Peerage of Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]].

==In fiction==
{{Main|List of fictional earls}}
Earls have appeared in various works of fiction.

==References==

=== Notes ===
{{NoteFoot}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite web |last=Ayton |first=Andrew |title=Edward III and the English Aristocracy at the Beginning of the Hundred Years War |url=http://deremilitari.org/2013/12/edward-iii-and-the-english-aristocracy-at-the-beginning-of-the-hundred-years-war/ |website=De Re Militari |publisher=The Society for Medieval Military History | date=30 December 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200118022034/http://deremilitari.org/2013/12/edward-iii-and-the-english-aristocracy-at-the-beginning-of-the-hundred-years-war/ | archive-date = 18 January 2020 | url-status = live}}
* {{cite book | last = Baxter | first = Stephen | author-link = Stephen Baxter (historian) | title = The Earls of Mercia: Lordship and Power in Later Anglo-Saxon England | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2007 | place = Oxford | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nQxREAAAQBAJ | isbn = 9780191528217}}
* {{cite book | last = Barlow | first = Frank | author-link = Frank Barlow (historian) | title = Edward the Confessor | publisher = Yale University Press | location = New Haven, Connecticut | edition = New | year = 1997 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wyqFAwAAQBAJ | isbn = 978-0-300-07156-6}}
* {{cite book | last = Crouch | first = David | author-link = David Crouch (historian) | title = The Image of Aristocracy in Britain, 1000–1300 | publisher = Routledge | year = 1992 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nW2IAgAAQBAJ | isbn = 978-0415755047}}
* {{cite book |editor1-first=John |editor1-last=Davies|editor1-link=John Davies (historian)|editor2-first=Nigel |editor2-last=Jenkins | editor2-link=Nigel Jenkins| editor3-first=Baines |editor3-last=Menna|editor4-first=Peredur I. |editor4-last=Lynch|title=The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales |year=2008 |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff |isbn=978-0-7083-1953-6}}
* {{cite book | last = Green | first = Judith A. | author-link = Judith Green (historian) | title = Forging the Kingdom: Power in English Society, 973–1189 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 2017 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xEzODgAAQBAJ | isbn = 9780521193597}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yR1sZmrIBeoC&pg=PT47 |title=Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English |first=Geoffrey |last=Hughes |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |date=1998|isbn=9780141954325}}
* {{cite book | last = Huscroft | first = Richard | title = Ruling England, 1042-1217 | publisher = Routledge | edition = 2nd | year = 2016 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tKNYCwAAQBAJ | isbn = 978-1138786554}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k0XO7i7hUgYC&dq=iarla+earl&pg=PA186|title=The Politics and Culture of Honour in Britain and Ireland, 1541-1641|first=Brendan|last=Kane|year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521898645}}
*{{cite book |last1=Lindström|first1=Fredrik|title=Svitjods undergång och Sveriges födelse |date=2006 |publisher=A. Bonnier |location=[Stockholm] |isbn=9789100107895}}
* {{cite journal |last=Loyn |first=H. R. | author-link = H. R. Loyn |title=Gesiths and Thegns in Anglo-Saxon England from the Seventh to Tenth Century |journal=The English Historical Review |date=1955 |volume=70 |issue=277| pages=529–549|doi=10.1093/ehr/LXX.CCLXXVII.529 |jstor = 558038}}
* {{cite book | last = Loyn | first = H. R. | author-link = H. R. Loyn | title = The Governance of Anglo-Saxon England, 500–1087 | publisher = Stanford University Press | series = Governance of England | volume = 1 | year = 1984 | url = https://archive.org/details/governanceofangl0000loyn |url-access=registration | isbn = 9780804712170}}
* {{cite book | last = Lyon | first = Bryce | author-link = Bryce Lyon | title = A Constitutional and Legal History of Medieval England | publisher = W. W. Norton & Company | edition = 2nd | year = 1980 | isbn = 0-393-95132-4}} 1st edition available at the [https://archive.org/details/constitutionalle0000bryc Internet Archive].
* {{cite book | last = Maitland | first = Frederic William | author-link = Frederic William Maitland | title = Domesday Book and Beyond: Three Essays in the Early History of England | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 1897 | place = Cambridge | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fYtateB8pX0C}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deyVDwAAQBAJ&dq=iarll+earl&pg=PA84|title=Place-Names of Flintshire|first1=Hywel Wyn|last1=Owen|first2=Ken Lloyd|last2=Gruffydd|year=2017|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=9781786831118}}
* {{cite book | last1 = Powell | first1 = J. Enoch | author-link1 = Enoch Powell | last2 = Wallis | first2 = Keith | title = The House of Lords in the Middle Ages: A History of the English House of Lords to 1540 | publisher = Weidenfeld & Nicolson | year = 1968 | location = London | url = https://archive.org/details/houseoflordsinmi0000powe | url-access = registration | isbn = 0297761056}}
* {{cite book | last = Starkey | first = David | author-link = David Starkey | title = Crown and Country: A History of England through the Monarchy | publisher = HarperCollins Publishers | year = 2010 | isbn = 9780007307715}}
* {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/shorteroxfordeng0001unse_b7h4 |title=Shorter Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-920687-2 |editor-first=Angus|editor-last=Stevenson|edition=6th |volume=1 A-M |location=Oxford |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5OqOwppe4IYC&dq=yurl+earl+cornish&pg=RA1-PA50|title=Lexicon Cornu-Britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall|first=Robert|last=Williams|year=1865|place=Llandovery, Wales|publisher=Roderic}}
* {{cite book | last = Williams | first = Ann | author-link = Ann Williams (historian) | title = The World Before Domesday: The English Aristocracy, 900–1066 | publisher = Continuum | year = 2008 | place = London | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lYCvAwAAQBAJ | isbn = 9781847252395}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book | last = Mason | first = Emma | title = The House of Godwine: The History of a Dynasty | publisher = Hambledon and London | year = 2004 | place = London | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IPhC5mlZQb4C | isbn = 9781852853891}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Earls}}
* Morris, Marc (December 2005). [https://www.historytoday.com/archive/kings-companions "The King's Companions"]. ''History Today''.

{{British royal titles}}

[[Category:Earldoms| ]]
[[Category:Earls| ]]
[[Category:Men's social titles]]
[[Category:Peerages in the United Kingdom]]