Esquire

From Freepedia

This article is about the title. For alternative meanings, see: Esquire (disambiguation)

Esquire (abbreviated Esq.) was originally a social rank above that of mere gentleman, allowed, for example, to the sons of nobles and gentry who did not possess any other title. A gentleman, on this basis, was designated Mr (before his name) whereas an Esquire was so designated (with no prefix before the name) after his name. A very late example of this distinction can be seen in the list of subscribers to The History of Elton by the Rev. Rose Fuller Whistler, published in 1882, which clearly distinguishes between subscribers designated "Mr" and those, of higher social position, designated "Esquire". But even then this was somewhat old-fashioned. Today the term is often used instead of Mr on official documents and in formal correspondence. It is linked to the word squire which refers to a knight's servant. There is no female equivalent for the social form although in the United States it is sometimes used professionally for female lawyers. The 1913 Webster's Dictionary gives the following definition of esquire:

Es*quire" (?), n. [ OF. escuyer, escuier, properly, a shield-bearer, F. écuyer shield-bearer, armor-bearer, squire of a knight, esquire, equerry, rider, horseman, LL. scutarius shield-bearer, fr. L. scutum shield, akin to Gr. skin, hide, from a root meaning to cover; prob. akin to E. hide to cover. See Hide to cover, and cf. Equerry, Escutcheon.] Originally, a shield-bearer or armor-bearer, an attendant on a knight; in modern times, a title of dignity next in degree below knight and above gentleman; also, a title of office and courtesy; -- often shortened to squire.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom (and, before the Act of Union, in England), tables of precedence were from time to time drawn up and they invariably ended, for men, with the ranks of Esquire and Gentleman in that order.

From time to time, attempts were made formally to define those entitled to the rank of Esquire, as opposed to Gentleman. A typical definition is as follows:

• The eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons in perpetual succession
• The eldest sons of younger sons of peers and their eldest sons in perpetual succession
• Those who bear special office in the Royal Household
• Sheriffs while in office.
• Justices of the Peace while in commission
• Commissioners of the Court of Bankruptcy
• Masters of the Supreme Court
• Deputy Lieutenants and Commissioners of Lieutenancy
• Queen's Counsel
• Sergeants-at-law (of whom none have been appointed since the 19th century)
• Royal Academicians
• Officers of the Royal Navy with rank of Lieutenant or higher, of the Army with rank of Captain or higher, or of the Royal Air Force with rank of Flight Lieutenant or higher
• Bachelors of Divinity, Law, or Physic, and others (note that these are all traditionally post-graduate degrees, not first degrees).
• Persons to whom the title is granted by the Monarch

However, formal definitions such as these were proposed because there was, in reality, no fixed criterion distinguishing those designated "Esquire": it was essentially a matter of impression as to whether a person qualified for this status. William Segar, Garter King of Arms (the senior officer of arms at the College of Arms), wrote in 1602: "And who so can make proofe, that his Ancestors or himselfe, haue had Armes, or can procure them by purchase, may be called Armiger or Esquier." Honor military, and ciuill (1602; lib. 4, cap. 15, p. 228)

The use of Esquire (as Esq.) had become pervasive in the United Kingdom by the late 20th century, for example being applied by banks to all men who did not have a grander title. Although the College of Arms continues to restrict use of the word Esquire in official grants of arms to some (not even all) of those in the table above, it uses the term Esquire in all its correspondence, even to those who do not fall within any of the definitions in the table.

It is likely that most people in the United Kingdom no longer appreciate that there is any distinction between "Mr" and "Esquire" at all and so, for practical purposes and in everyday usage, there is no such distinction.

United States

In the United States, the title is commonly given in courtesy to lawyers and Justices of the Peace, and is often used in the superscription of letters instead of Mr. or Ms., for example "George P. Burdell, Esq.".

Historically in the UK, barristers-at-law used this title, while solicitors used the term "gentleman". In the U.S., where the roles of counsel and attorney were combined, the term "esquire" was adopted. There is some largely academic controversy over the title of "esquire" and how it relates to the missing thirteenth amendment of the United States Constitution.