COURTESY TITLES. Titles of honor (q.v.) are imparted by the sovereign or other competent authority. Independently of these, there are C. T. assumed by or given to indi viduals, and which have no validity in law. The term courtesy title is best known in con nection with the titles given by popular consent to the sons and daughters of certain peers. English dukes, marquises, earls, and viscounts have several titles, accumulated by dis tinct patents in their progressive steps in the peerage. Thus, a duke may at the same time be a marquis, an earl, a baron, and a baronet; a marquis may be also an earl, etc.; and an earl is almost always a baron. In ordinary parlance, they respectively take only their highest title. One of the inferior titles so set aside is permitted, as a matter of social dignity, to be assumed by the eldest son. For example, the duke of Bedford being also marquis of Tavistock, his eldest son takes the title of marquis of Tavis tock; and the duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry being also earl of Dalkeith, his eldest son takes the title of earl of Dalkeith. When it happens that the inferior title is of the same name as the first, there is a somewhat different usage. Fcr example, the earl of Gosford being also viscount Gosford, his eldest son; to prevent confu sion, takes only the family surname, Acheson, with the prefix lord—lord Acheson. The younger sous of dukes and marquises have the courtesy title of lord prefixed to their Christian and surname: as, for example, lord Frederick Charles Cavendish, a younger son of the duke of Devonshire; or lord Archibald Campbell, a younger son of the duke of Argyll. The eldest son of an earl, when not a viscount, takes his father's second title of lord: as, for example, the eldest son of the earl of Wemyss is styled lord Elcho. A proper understanding of these conventional customs will serve to clear up some of the perplexities into which foreigners are apt to become involved in think ing of our highly artificial social system. It is to be kept in mind, that titles by courtesy do not raise their bearers above the rank of commoners; and that, consequently, they are eligible for election as representatives to the house of commons. Very ninny
of the peers, indeed, begin their political career as county or borough representatives under their C. T.; serving in this way a kind of apprenticeship as statesmen before they are advanced, by the decease of their fathers, to the house of lords.
The daughters of dukes, marquises, and earls have the title lady prefixed to their Christian and surname; and in the event of their marrying a person of inferior rank, they retain the title lady with their Christian name, adding the surname of their hus band. Yet, these are but courtesy titles. The only valid title they can claim in virtue of their birth, is the prefix honorable, which is applicable alike to the sons and daugh ters of peers. The wives of baronets receive the courtesy title of lady; their lawful designation being dame. Ladies who have had a title by a first marriage, retain it as a matter of courtesy when they are married a second time, though the alliance be with a person without a title—a circumstance sometimes leading to a certain awkwardness in designation. In Scotland, the eldest son of a baron has the courtesy title of master. For example, the eldest son of lord Elibank is styled master of Elibank.
The title right honorable is given in some few instances by courtesy to officials, as in the case of the lord advocate for Scotland. The judges of the court of session in Scot land, on first taking their seat on the bench, assume the courtesy title of lord along with their own surname or a territorial title. But such titles are used only senatorially. In writing, the real name is subscribed. The titles of Mr. or master and esquire (q.v.), are now given by courtesy to nearly all classes of persons. For an exact definition of titles by courtesy as applicable to members of the peerage, we refer to the Secretary's Assist ant, London, 1831.