Peerage of Great Britain


The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself replaced by the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801.
The ranks of the Peerage of Great Britain are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron. Until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, all peers of Great Britain could sit in the House of Lords.
Some peerages of Great Britain were created for peers in the Peerage of Scotland and Peerage of Ireland as they did not have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until the Peerage Act 1963 which gave Scottish Peers an automatic right to sit in the Lords.
In the following table of peers of Great Britain, holders of higher or equal titles in the other peerages are listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in italics.

Ranks

The ranks of the peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.

Titles

Marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons are all addressed as 'Lord X', where 'X' represents either their territory or surname pertaining to their title. Marchionesses, countesses, viscountesses and baronesses are all addressed as 'Lady X'. Dukes and duchesses are addressed just as 'Duke' or 'Duchess' or, in a non-social context, 'Your Grace'.

Creation of peers

The last non-royal dukedom of Great Britain was created in 1766, and the last marquessate of Great Britain was created in 1796. Creation of the remaining ranks ceased when the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed; subsequent creations of peers were in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
The last 8 people who were created hereditary peers were:
GranteeDate of creationTitleNoted for
Sir Horatio Nelson6 October 1798 'Baron NelsonMilitary peerage–Navy
Prince Edward23 April 1799 'Duke of Kent and Strathearn
Earl of Dublin
Fourth son of King George III
Prince Ernest Augustus23 April 1799 'Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale
Earl of Armagh
Fifth son of King George III
Sir John Scott18 July 1799Baron EldonHe was the incumbent Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare31 August 1799 'Baron FitzGibbonHe was the incumbent Lord High Chancellor of Ireland.
Also he had an imperial peerage in the House of Lords as Irish Peers were not allowed to sit in the Lords.
Alexander Hood, 1st Baron Bridport16 June 1800Viscount BridportMilitary peerage–Navy
Charles Cadogan, 3rd Baron Cadogan27 December 1800Earl Cadogan
Viscount Chelsea
James Harris, 1st Baron Malmesbury29 December 1800Earl of Malmesbury
Viscount FitzHarris

Lists of peers

  • 30 dukes: see List of dukes in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
  • 34 marquesses: see List of marquesses in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
  • 191 earls and countesses: see List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
  • 111 viscounts: see List of viscounts in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
  • 1,187 barons: see List of barons in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
  • Women: see List of peerages created for women and ''List of peerages inherited by women''

    Lists of extant peerages

Extant dukedoms

ShieldTitleCreationGranteeReasonMonarch

10 September 1711Indented plainlist|

Extinct baronies

Current titles without heirs

Current peers of Great Britain

Current Scottish and Irish peers with British titles

''Currently none''