See also:

• ESQUIRE (0. Fr. escuyer, Mod. Fr. ecuyer, derived through the form escudier from Med. Lat. scutarius, " shield-bearer ")

ESQUIRE (0. Fr. escuyer, Mod. Fr. ecuyer, derived through the See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form escudier from Med. See also:

• LAT

Lat. scutarius, " See also:

• SHIELD (0. Eng. scild, cf. Du. and Ger. Schild, Dan. Skjold; the origin is doubtful, but may be referred to the root seen in " shell " or " scale "; another suggestion connects it with Icel. skjalla, to clash, rattle; it is not connected with the Indo-Ger
• SHIELD, WILLIAM (1748—1829)

shield-See also:

• BEARER

bearer ")  , originally the attendant on a See also:

• KNIGHT, CHARLES (1791-1873)
• KNIGHT, DANIEL RIDGWAY (1845– )
• KNIGHT, JOHN BUXTON (1843–1908)

knight, whose helm, See also:

• SHIELD (0. Eng. scild, cf. Du. and Ger. Schild, Dan. Skjold; the origin is doubtful, but may be referred to the root seen in " shell " or " scale "; another suggestion connects it with Icel. skjalla, to clash, rattle; it is not connected with the Indo-Ger
• SHIELD, WILLIAM (1748—1829)

shield and See also:

• LANCE

lance he carried at the See also:

• TOURNAMENT, or TOURNEY (Fr. tournement, tournoi, Med. Lat. torneamentum, from tourner, to turn)

tournament or in the See also:

• FIELD (a word common to many West German languages, cf. Ger. Feld, Dutch veld, possibly cognate with O.E. f olde, the earth, and ultimately with root of the Gr. irAaror, broad)
• FIELD, CYRUS WEST (1819-1892)
• FIELD, DAVID DUDLEY (18o5-1894)
• FIELD, EUGENE (1850-1895)
• FIELD, FREDERICK (18o1—1885)
• FIELD, HENRY MARTYN (1822-1907)
• FIELD, JOHN (1782—1837)
• FIELD, MARSHALL (183 1906)
• FIELD, NATHAN (1587—1633)
• FIELD, STEPHEN JOHNSON (1816-1899)
• FIELD, WILLIAM VENTRIS FIELD, BARON (1813-1907)

field of See also:

• BATTLE

battle . The See also:

• ESQUIRE (0. Fr. escuyer, Mod. Fr. ecuyer, derived through the form escudier from Med. Lat. scutarius, " shield-bearer ")

esquire ranked immediately below the knight See also:

• BACHELOR (from Med. Lat. baccalarius, with its late and rare variant baccalaris—cf. Ital. baccalare—through O. Fr. bacheler)

bachelor, and his See also:

• OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office was regarded as the apprentice See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage of See also:

• KNIGHTHOOD

knighthood . The See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title was regarded as one of See also:

• FUNCTION

function, not of See also:

• BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

birth, and was not hereditary . In See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, however, its See also:

• ORIGINAL

original significance was lost sight of, and it came to be a title of See also:

• HONOUR (Lat. honos or lwnor, honoris; in English the word was spelled with or without the u indifferently until the 17th century, but during the 18th century it became fashion-able to spell the word " honor "; Johnson's and Webster's Dictionaries stereoty

honour, implying a See also:

• RANK (O.Fr. rant or rent, mod. rang, generally connected with the O.E. and O.H.G. bring, a ring)

rank between that of knight and See also:

• VALET (Fr. valet; O. Fr. vaslet)

valet or See also:

• GENTLEMAN (from Lat. gentilis, " belonging to a race or gens," and " man "; Fr. gentilhomme, Span. gentil hombre, Ital. gentil huomo, in its original and strict signification, a term denoting a man of good family, the Lat. generosus (its invariable transl

gentleman, as it technically still remains . Thus in the later See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages esquire (armiger) was the customary description of holders of knight's fees who had not taken up their knighthood, whence the surviving See also:

• CUSTOM (from O. Fr. costume, costume or coustume; Low Lat. costuma, a shortened form of consuetudo)

custom of entitling the See also:

• PRINCIPAL

principal landowner in a See also:

• PARISH (Gr. irapouda, district, neighbourhood; 7r&poucos, one dwelling near or beside, from crap&, OtKOS, house; Lat. paroecur, Late Lat. parochia; cf. Fr. paroisse)

parish " the See also:

• SQUIRE

squire " (see SQUIRE) . See also:

• CAMDEN
• CAMDEN, CHARLES PRATT, 1ST EARL (1714-1794)
• CAMDEN, JOHN JEFFREYS PRATT, 2ND EARL
• CAMDEN, WILLIAM (1551-1623)

Camden, at the See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close of the 16th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century, distinguished four classes entitled to See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear the See also:

• STYLE
• STYLE (from Gr. a-6'1ms, a column; a different word from that used in literature, see below)

style: (1) The eldest sons of knights, and their eldest sons, in perpetual See also:

• SUCCESSION (Lat. successio, from succedere, to follow after)

succession; (2) the eldest sons of the younger sons of peers, and their eldest sons, in like perpetual succession; (3) esquires created by royal letters patent or other See also:

• INVESTITURE (Late Lat. investitura)

investiture, and their eldest sons; (4) esquires by office, e.g. justices of the See also:

• PEACE
• PEACE, BREACH OF THE

peace and others who bear any office of See also:

• TRUST

trust under the See also:

• CROWN

crown . To these the writer in the 3rd edition of the See also:

• ENCYCLOPAEDIA

Encyclopaedia Britannica (1797) added Irish peers and the eldest sons of See also:

• BRITISH

British peers, who, though they bear See also:

• COURTESY (O. Fr. curtesie, later courtoisie)

courtesy titles, have in See also:

• LAW
• LAW (0. Eng. lagu, M. Eng. lawe; from an old Teutonic root lag, " lie," what lies fixed or evenly; cf. Lat. lex, Fr. loi)
• LAW, JOHN (1671—1729)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)

law only the right to be styled esquires . See also:

• OFFICERS

Officers of the See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king's courts, and of the royal See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house-hold, counsellors at law and justices of the peace he described as esquires only " by reputation "; and justices of the peace have the title only as See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long as they are in See also:

• COMMISSION (from Lat. commissio, committere)

commission; while certain heads of See also:

• GREAT

great landed families are styled "esquires" by I See also:

• DES

des gens du monde, See also:

• ESQUIROL, JEAN ETIENNE DOMINIQUE (1772-1840)

Esquirol wrote Des maladies mentales, See also:

• CON

con-See also:

• PRESCRIPTION

prescription . " But the meaner ranks of See also:

• PEOPLE

people," he adds siderees sous See also:

• LES

les rapports medical, hygienique, et medico-legal (2 indignantly, " who know no better, do often basely prostitute vols., See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris, 1838) . this title; and, to the great confusion of all rank and See also:

• PRECEDENCE (from Lat. praecedere, to go before, precede)

precedence, every See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man who makes a decent See also:

• APPEARANCE (from Lat. apparere, to appear)

appearance, far from thinking himself in any way ridiculed by finding the superscription of his letters thus decorated, is fully gratified by such an address." It is clear, however, that the title of esquire was very loosely used at a much earlier date . On this point See also:

• SELDEN, JOHN (1584–1654)

Selden is somewhat scornfully explicit . " To whomsoever, either by See also:

• BLOOD

blood, See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place in the See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

State or other eminency, we conceive some higher attribute should be given, than that See also:

• SOLE (Solea)

sole Title of Gentleman, knowing yet that he hath no other honorary title legally fixed upon him, we usually style him an Esquire, in such passages as require legally that his degree or state be mentioned; as especially in Indictments and Actions whereupon he may be outlawed .

Those of other nations who are Barons or great Lords in their own Countries, and no knights, are in legal proceedings stiled with us, Esquires only . Some of our greatest Heralds have their divisions of Esquires applied to this See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day . I leave them as I see them, where they may easily be found." See also:

• COKE (a northern English word, possibly connected with " colk," core)
• COKE, SIR EDWARD (1552-1634)
• COKE, SIR JOHN (1563-1644)
• COKE, THOMAS (1747-1814)

Coke, too, says that every one is entitled to be termed esquire who has the legal right to See also:

• CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

call himself a gentleman (2 . Institutes, 688) . At the See also:

• PRESENT

present time the following classes are recognized as esquires on occasions of ceremony or for legal purposes:—( I) All sons of peers and lords of See also:

• PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

parliament during their fathers' lives, and the younger sons of such peers, &c., after their fathers' deaths; the eldest sons of peers' younger sons, and their eldest sons for ever . (2) Noblemen of all other nations . (3) The eldest sons of baronets and knights . (4) Persons bearing arms and the title of esquire by letters patent . (5) Esquires of the See also:

• BATH
• BATH, THOMAS THYNNE
• BATH, WILLIAM

Bath and their eldest sons . (6) Barristers-at-law . (7) Justices of the peace and mayors while in commission or office . (8) The holders of any See also:

• SUPERIOR

superior office under the crown .

(9) Persons styled esquires by the See also:

• SOVEREIGN

sovereign in their See also:

• PATENTS

patents, commissions or appointments.' (ro) Attorneys in colonies where the functions of counsel and See also:

• ATTORNEY (from O. Fr. atorne, a person appointed to act for another, from atourner, legal Lat. attornare, attorn, literally to turn over to another or commit business to another)

attorney are See also:

• UNITED

united (in See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England solicitors are " gentlemen," not " esquires ") . In practice, however, the title of esquire, now to all intents and purposes meaningless, is given to any one who "can bear the See also:

• PORT

port, See also:

• CHARGE
• CHARGE (through the Fr. from the Late Lat. carricare, to load in a carrus or wagon; cf. " cargo ")

charge and countenance of a gentleman." The word has followed the same course as that of " gentleman " (q.v.), and for very similar reasons . It is still not customary in Great See also:

• BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain to address e.g. a well-to-do See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person engaged in See also:

• TRADE (O. Eng. trod, footstep, from tredan, to tread; in M. Eng. the forms teed, trod and trade appear, the last in the sense of a beaten track)
• TRADE, BOARD OF

trade as esquire at his See also:

• SHOP

shop; it would be offensive not to do so at his private See also:

• RESIDENCE (Latin residere, to remain behind, to dwell, reside)

residence . In See also:

• AMERICA

America, on the other See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand, the use of the word " esquire " is practically obsolete, " Mr " (" Mister " or " See also:

• MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

Master," at one time the title See also:

• SPECIAL

special to a " gentleman ") being the See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of address . See Selden, Titles of Honor (1672); Camden, Britannia (ed . See also:

• LONDON

London, 1594) ; Coke, Institutes; Enc. of the See also:

• LAWS

Laws of England, s . " Esquire "; Du Cange, Glossarium (ed . 1886), s . " Scutarius," " Scutifer and " Armiger "; New See also:

• ENGLISH

English See also:

• DICTIONARY

Dictionary, s . " Esquire." (W . A .