- Feudal Lordship
A feudal lordship is either a Lord of Regality (a gift of The Crown) or a feudal baron, and occasionally both. They are ancient titles of
nobility inScotland . A Lord of Regality ranks above a feudal baron, and below a Lord of Parliament which is a title in thePeerage of Scotland . Lords of regality and feudal barons originally sat in parliament, (along with the Peerage). The feudal rights were gradually emasculated and with the demise of the Scottish parliament in 1707 their right to sit in parliament ceased altogether (unless, that is, they were also a Peer. Peerage rights are dealt with elsewhere).Lords of Regality are invariably addressed as 'Lord Placename', whilst feudal barons are addressed as 'Baron of Placename' or 'Placename'.
Regalities were all but abolished by Act of Parliament in 1747, following the
Jacobite Uprising . A feudal barony no longer carries any political power as such, although the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 has preserved the baronies themselves, and the quality, precedence and heraldic rights pertaining to these baronies.A female feudal baron is usually referred to as 'Lady Placename'. The wife of a Lord receives the courtesy title 'Lady Placename', but the husband of a Lady is just plain Mr. Surname'.
Lords of regality and feudal barons are not to be confused with a manorial lordship.
Scottish titles, in order of precedence, are as follows: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Lord (of Parliament), Baronet, Knight, feudal Baron, Clan Chief, Esquire/Gentleman.
References
* Register of the Great Seal of Scotland;
* Abolition of Feudal Tenure Act, Scotland;
* Statutes of 1592;
* Baronetcy Warrants of Charles I.External Links
* [http://www.kilmarnock.org.uk/index.html The Lordship & Barony of Kilmarnock]
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