British Peerage – Viscounts

Image unavailable

British Peerage System Volume V – Part II

British Peerage: Viscountcies

Coronet, Sixteen silver balls

Style, The Right Hon. the Viscount (of) __

Wife’s style, The Right Hon. the Viscountess (of) ___

Children’s style, ‘The Hon.’ before forename and family name The word viscount, known to be used in English since 1387, comes from Old French visconte (modern French: vicomte), itself from Medieval Latin vicecomitem, accusative of vicecomes, from Late Latin vice- “deputy” + Latin comes (originally “companion; later Roman imperial courtier or trusted appointee, ultimately count). As a rank in British peerage, it was first recorded in 1440, when John Beaumont was created Viscount Beaumont by King Henry VI. The word viscount corresponds in Britain to the Anglo-Saxon shire reeve (root of the non-nobiliary, royal-appointed office of sheriff). Thus early viscounts were originally normally given their titles by the monarch, not hereditary; but soon they too tended to establish hereditary principalities lato sensu (in the wider sense).

A viscount is said to hold a “viscountship” or “viscounty”, or (more as the area of his jurisdiction) a “viscountcy”. The female equivalent of a viscount is a viscountess. There are approximately 270 viscountships currently extant in the peerages of the British Isles.

* In British practice, the title of a viscount may be either a place name, or a surname, or sometimes, a combination thereof. In any event, the style of a viscount is “The Viscount [X]”, or “The Viscount [X] of [Y]”. He is addressed as “My Lord”. Examples include: The Viscount Falmouth (place name); The Viscount Hardinge (surname); The Viscount Gage of Castle Island (surname of place name); and The Viscount Combermere of Bhurtpore (placename of placename). An exception exists for Viscounts in the peerage of Scotland, who were traditionally styled “The Viscount of [X]”, as in: The Viscount of Arbuthnott (surname)-very few maintain this style, instead using the more common version “The Viscount [X]”.

A British viscount is addressed in speech as Lord [X], while his wife is Lady [X], and formally styles “The Viscount [X]”. The children of a viscount are known as The Honourable [Forename] [Surname].

* A specifically British custom is the use of viscount as a courtesy title for the heir of an earl or marquess. The peer’s heir apparent will sometimes be referred to as a viscount, if the second most senior title held by the head of the family is a viscountcy. For example, the eldest son of the Earl Howe is Viscount Curzon, because this is the second most senior title held by the Earl.

A more recent example of the above is with the Earl of Wessex’ son, James, who is styled Viscount Severn. More often than not, the eldest son of a British duke enjoys the courtesy title of marquess; with exceptions such as the Dukedom of Norfolk, which does not hold the secondary title of marquess, so the heir enjoysthe next title down in status, which is that of an earl.

* The son of a marquess or an earl can be referred to as a viscount when the title of viscount is not the second most senior if those above it share their name with the substantive title. For example, the second most senior title of the Marquess of Salisbury is the Earl of Salisbury. The eldest son of the Marquess does not use the title Earl of Salisbury, but rather the next most senior title, Viscount Cranborne. This is because peers sign their name with the name of their title only (e.g., “Salisbury”) thus to prevent confusion the heir would not use the title Earl of Salisbury.

List of the 338 Viscountcies within the British Peerage system