See also:

• HONOURABLE (Fr. honorable, from Lat. honorabilis, worthy of honour)

HONOURABLE (Fr. honorable, from See also:

• LAT

Lat. honorabilis, worthy 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)  , a See also:

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

style or See also:

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

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 See also:

• COMMON

common to the See also:

• UNITED

United See also:

• KINGDOM

Kingdom, the See also:

• BRITISH

British colonies and the United States of See also:

• AMERICA

America . The terms honorabilis and honorabilitas were in use in the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages rather as a See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of politeness than as a stereotyped style; and though See also:

• GIBBON
• GIBBON, EDWARD (1737–1794)

Gibbon assimilates the See also:

• LATE

late See also:

• ROMAN

Roman title of clarissimus to " See also:

• HONOURABLE (Fr. honorable, from Lat. honorabilis, worthy of honour)

honourable," as applied to the lowest of the three grades of See also:

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

rank in the imperial See also:

• HIERARCHY (Gr. iepos, holy, and apxe.v, to rule)

hierarchy, the See also:

• ANALOGY (Gr. avaXo-yLa, proportion)

analogy was See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good even in his 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 only in so far as both styles were applicable to those who belonged to the less exalted ranks of the titled classes, for the title " honourable " was not definitely confined to certain classes until later . As a formal address it is found frequently in the Paston Letters (15th See also:

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

century), but used loosely and interchange-able with other styles; thus See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John, See also:

• VISCOUNT (through O. Fr. viscomte, mod. vicomte, from Low Lat. vice-comes, cf. Portug. visconde, Ital. visconte)

Viscount See also:

• BEAUMONT
• BEAUMONT, BELMONT, or BELLOMONT
• BEAUMONT, CHRISTOPHE DE (1703-1781)
• BEAUMONT, SIR JOHN (1583–1627)

Beaumont, is addressed alternately as " my worshipful and reverent See also:

• LORD
• LORD (O. Eng. hldford, i.e. hldfweard, the warder or keeper of bread, hlIf, loaf; the word is not represented in any other Teutonic language)
• LORD, JOHN (1810-1894)

Lord " (ii . 88, ed . 1904) and as " my right honorabull Lord " (ii . 118), while John Paston, a See also:

• PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain See also:

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

esquire, is " my right honurabyll maister." More than two centuries later See also:

• SELDEN, JOHN (1584–1654)

Selden, in his Titles of Honor (1672), does not include " honourable " among the See also:

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

courtesy titles given to the See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children of peers . The style was, in fact, used extremely loosely till well on into the 18th century . Thus we find in the registers of See also:

• WESTMINSTER
• WESTMINSTER, MARQUESSES AND DUKES OF
• WESTMINSTER, STATUTES OF
• WESTMINSTER, SYNODS OF

Westminster See also:

• ABBEY (Lat. abbatia; from Syr. abba, father)
• ABBEY, EDWIN AUSTIN (1852– )

Abbey records of the See also:

• BURIAL

burial (in 1710) of " The Hon . See also:

• GEORGE
• GEORGE, 8TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (1787-1876)
• GEORGE, HENRY (1839—1897)
• GEORGE, LAKE
• GEORGE, SAINT (d. 303)

George See also:

• CHURCHILL (MISSINNIPPI or ENGLISH)
• CHURCHILL, CHARLES (1731-1764)
• CHURCHILL, LORD RANDOLPH HENRY SPENCER (1849-1895)

Churchill, Esq.," who was only a son of See also:

• SIR

Sir Winston Churchill, and of " The Hon . Sir See also:

• WILLIAM
• WILLIAM (1143-1214)
• WILLIAM (1227-1256)
• WILLIAM (1J33-1584)
• WILLIAM (A.S. Wilhelm, O. Norse Vilhidlmr; O. H. Ger. Willahelm, Willahalm, M. H. Ger. Willehelm, Willehalm, Mod.Ger. Wilhelm; Du. Willem; O. Fr. Villalme, Mod. Fr. Guillaume; from " will," Goth. vilja, and " helm," Goth. hilms, Old Norse hidlmr, meaning
• WILLIAM (c. 1130-C. 1190)
• WILLIAM, 13TH

William See also:

• GODOLPHIN, SIDNEY GODOLPHIN, EARL

Godolphin," who had only been created a See also:

• BARONET

baronet; in 1717 was buried " The Hon . See also:

• COLONEL (derived either from Lat. column, Fr. colonne, column, or Lat. corona, a crown)

Colonel See also:

• HENRY
• HENRY (1129-1195)
• HENRY (c. 1108-1139)
• HENRY (c. 1174–1216)
• HENRY (Fr. Henri; Span. Enrique; Ger. Heinrich; Mid. H. Ger. Heinrich and Heimrich; O.H.G. Haimi- or Heimirih, i.e. " prince, or chief of the house," from O.H.G. heim, the Eng. home, and rih, Goth. reiks; compare Lat. rex " king "—" rich," therefore " mig
• HENRY, EDWARD LAMSON (1841– )
• HENRY, JAMES (1798-1876)
• HENRY, JOSEPH (1797-1878)
• HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
• HENRY, PATRICK (1736–1799)
• HENRY, PRINCE OF BATTENBERG (1858-1896)
• HENRY, ROBERT (1718-1790)
• HENRY, VICTOR (1850– )
• HENRY, WILLIAM (1795-1836)

Henry See also:

• CORNWALL

Cornwall," who was only an esquire and the son of one; in 1743 a See also:

• REAR

rear-See also:

• ADMIRAL

admiral was buried as " The Hon . Sir John Jennings, Kt."; in 1746 " The Hon .

See also:

• MAJOR
• MAJOR (Lat. for " greater ")
• MAJOR (or MAIR), JOHN (1470-1550)

Major-See also:

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

General Lowther," whose See also:

• FATHER

father was only a See also:

• DUBLIN

Dublin See also:

• MERCHANT (O. Fr. marcheant, modern marchand; from Lat. mercari, to trade, merx, goods, merchandise)

merchant; and finally, in 1747, " The Hon . See also:

• LIEUTENANT

Lieutenant-General See also:

• GUEST (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Gast, and Swed. gust; cognate with Lat. hostis, originally a stranger, hence enemy; cf. " host " )
• GUEST, EDWIN (1800–188o)

Guest," who is said to have begun See also:

• LIFE

life as an hostler . From this 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 onwards the style of " honourable " tended to become more narrowly applied; but the whole See also:

• MATTER

matter is full of obscurity and contradictions . The baronets, for instance, allege that they were usually styled " the honourable " until the end of the 18th century, and in 1835 they petitioned for the style as a prefix to their names . The Heralds' See also:

• COLLEGE (Collegium)

College officially reported on the See also:

• PETITION (Lat. for " seeking " or " praying ")

petition (31st of See also:

• OCTOBER

October 1835) that the See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence did not prove the right of baronets to the style, and that its use " has been no more warranted by authority than when the same style has been applied to 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 See also:

• OFFICERS

Officers in the See also:

• ARMY
• ARMY (from Fr. armee, Lat. armata)

Army and others." They added that " the style of the Honourable is given to the See also:

• JUDGES, THE BOOK OF

Judges and to the Barons of the See also:

• EXCHEQUER

Exchequer with others because by the See also:

• DECREE (from the past participle, decretus, of Lat. decernere)

Decree of 10 See also:

• JAMES
• JAMES (Gr. 'IlrKw,l3or, the Heb. Ya`akob or Jacob)
• JAMES (JAMES FRANCIS EDWARD STUART) (1688-1766)
• JAMES, 2ND EARL OF DOUGLAS AND MAR(c. 1358–1388)
• JAMES, DAVID (1839-1893)
• JAMES, EPISTLE OF
• JAMES, GEORGE PAYNE RAINSFOP
• JAMES, HENRY (1843— )
• JAMES, JOHN ANGELL (1785-1859)
• JAMES, THOMAS (c. 1573–1629)
• JAMES, WILLIAM (1842–1910)
• JAMES, WILLIAM (d. 1827)

James I., for settling the See also:

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

place and See also:

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

precedence of the Baronets, the Judges and Barons of the Exchequer were declared to have place and precedence before the younger sons of Viscounts and Barons." This seems to make the style a consequence of the precedence; yet from the examples above given it is clear that it was applied, e.g. in the See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case of field officers, where no question of precedence arose . It is not, indeed, until 1874 that we have any evidence of an authoritative See also:

• LIMITATION, STATUTES OF

limitation of the title . In this See also:

• YEAR

year the wives of lords of See also:

• APPEAL

appeal, life peers, were granted style and precedence as baronesses; but it was provided that their children were not " to assume or use the prefix of Honourable, or to be entitled to the style, rank or precedence of the children of a See also:

• BARON
• BARON (1835-1895)
• BARON, MICHEL (1653—1729)

Baron." In 1898, however, this was revoked, and it was ordained " that such children shall have and enjoy on all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of hereditary Barons together with the rank and precedence, &c," By these acts of the See also:

• CROWN

Crown the prefix of " honourable " would seem to have been restricted and stereo-typed as a definite title of honour; yet in legal documents the sons of peers are still styled merely " esquire," with the addition of " commonly called , &c." This latter fact points to the time when the prefix " honourable " was a See also:

• MARK
• MARK, CARL (1858– )
• MARK, GOSPEL OF ST
• MARK, ST

mark of deference paid by others rather than a style assumed by right, and See also:

• RELICS (Lat, reliquiae, the equivalent of the English " remains " in the sense of a dead body)

relics of this doubtless survive in the United Kingdom in the conventions by which an " honourable " does not use the title on his visiting card and is not announced as such . As to the actual use and social significance of the style, the practice in the United Kingdom differs considerably from that in the colonies or in the United States . In the United Kingdom marquesses are " most honourable "; earls, viscounts and barons " right honourable," a style also See also:

• BORNE, KARL LUDWIG (1786–1837)

borne by all privy councillors, including the lord See also:

• MAYOR (Lat. major, greater)
• MAYOR, JOHN EYTON BICKERSTETH (1825– )

mayor of See also:

• LONDON

London and lord See also:

• PROVOST (through O. Fr. prevost, mod. prevot, Lat. praepositus, set over, from praeponere, to place in front)

provost of See also:

• EDINBURGH

Edinburgh during 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 . The title of " honourable " is in the United Kingdom, except by See also:

• SPECIAL

special See also:

• LICENCE (through the French from Lat. licentia, licere, to be lawful)

licence of the Crown (e.g. in the case of retired colonial or See also:

• INDIAN

Indian officials), mainly confined to the sons and daughters of peers, and is the common style of the younger sons of earls and of the children of viscounts, barons and legal life peers . The eldest sons of See also:

• DUKES
• DUKES, LEOPOLD (1810-1891)

dukes, marquesses and earls See also:

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

bear " by courtesy " their father's second title, the younger sons of dukes and marquesses having the courtesy title Lord prefixed to their See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian name; while the daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls are styled See also:

• LADY (0. Eng. hlaefdige, Mid. Eng. ldfdi, lavedi; the first part of the word is hldf, loaf, bread, as in the corresponding hldford, lord; the second part is usually taken to be from the root dig-, to knead, seen also in " dough "; the sense development fr

Lady . The title of " honourable " is also given to all See also:

• PRESENT

present or past maids of honour, and to the judges of the high See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court being lords justices or lords of appeal (who are "right honourable ") .

A See also:

• COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

county court See also:

• JUDGE (Lat. judex, Fr. juge)

judge is, however, " his honour." The epithet is also applied to the 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 of See also:

• COMMONS

Commons as a See also:

• BODY

body and to individual members during debate (" the honourable member for X.") . Certain other corporate bodies have, by tradition or See also:

• GRANT (from A.-Fr. graunter, O. Fr. greanter for creanter, popular Lat. creantare, for credentare, to entrust, Lat. credere, to believe, trust)
• GRANT, ANNE (1755-1838)
• GRANT, CHARLES (1746-1823)
• GRANT, GEORGE MONRO (1835–1902)
• GRANT, JAMES (1822–1887)
• GRANT, JAMES AUGUSTUS (1827–1892)
• GRANT, ROBERT (1814-1892)
• GRANT, SIR ALEXANDER
• GRANT, SIR FRANCIS (1803-1878)
• GRANT, SIR JAMES HOPE (1808–1895)
• GRANT, SIR PATRICK (1804-1895)
• GRANT, U
• GRANT, ULYSSES SIMPSON (1822-1885)

grant, the right to bear the style; e.g. the Honourable Irish Society, the Inns of Court (Honourable Society of the Inner See also:

• TEMPLE
• TEMPLE, FREDERICK (1821-1902)
• TEMPLE, RICHARD
• TEMPLE, SIR RICHARD, BART
• TEMPLE, SIR WILLIAM, BART

Temple, &c.) and the Honourable See also:

• ARTILLERY (the O. Fr. artiller, to equip with engines of war, probably comes from Late Lat. articulum, dim. of ars, art, cf. " engine " from ingenium, or of artus, joint)

Artillery See also:

• COMPANY

Company; the See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

East See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India Company also had the prefix " honourable." The style may not be assumed by corporate bodies at will, as was proved in the case of the Society of Baronets, whose See also:

• ORIGINAL

original style of " Honourable " Society was dropped by command . In the British colonies the title " honourable " is given to members of the executive and legislative bodies, to judges, &c., during their See also:

• TERM

term of service . It is sometimes retained by royal licence after a certain number of years' service . Li the United States of America the title is very widespread, being commonly given to any one who holds or has held any office of importance in See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state or nation, more particularly to members of See also:

• CONGRESS (Lat. congressus, coming together, from congredi; cum, with, and gradus, step)

Congress or of the state legislatures. judges, justices, and certain other judicial and executive officials . Popular amenity even sometimes extends the title to holders of quite humble See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government appointments, and consoles with it the defeated candidates for a See also:

• POST

post . See also the See also:

• ARTICLE (from Lat. articulus, a joint)

article PRECEDENCE .