Precedence

The oldest of the actual ranks of the peerage are Dukedoms, Earldoms and Baronies. The first RL recorded Marquessate was in 1385, the first RL Viscountcy was created in 1440. (JFYI) The older the title, the more likely it is to have lapsed and been recreated further down the line, IRL. The order of precedence works: Royalty, Dukedoms, Marquessates, Earldoms, Viscountcies, Baronies.

The date of creation gives the precedence within each rank, and they can be further reordered depending on which peerage the rank belongs to. The ranking of peerages is:


 * of England (titles created before 1707)


 * of Scotland (titles created before 1707)


 * of Ireland titles created before 1707)


 * of Great Britain (titles created between 1707 and 1801)


 * of the United Kingdom (titles created after 1801)

An earl in the Irish peerage whose title dates from, say, 1692 comes after an earl in the English peerage whose title dates from 1702. I have tried to include the main titles used in StC, and titles of unknown creation date are listed in alphabetical order after the last title of that rank whose creation date is known. Presumed English titles come before known Sottish and Irish ones, to make it easier to fit them in once a date of creation for that title has been decided. Dates of creation are given in brackets.

Subsidiary titles are given as bullet points below the highest-ranking title held by the family and are only listed again in the appropriate area if currently held as a courtesy title (eg the Viscountcy of Torrington is listed under Viscountcies as well as a subsidiary of the Earldom of Gleve, as there is a son who uses that title as if it were an actual peerage).

Please note that Viscountcies and Baronies do not have subsidiary titles. Generally, the higher ranked a title is, the larger the area it covers - Dukedoms (especially older ones) tend to be named for counties, Marquessates and Earldoms for areas, Viscountcies and Baronies can be named for towns or may simply be awarded as titles without necessarily being of a place. This is partly why James Vickery is correctly the Viscount Saltash and not the Viscount of Saltash. The father of Lieutenant Woodmarsh is Oliver Woodmarsh, Viscount Woodmarsh as he takes his title from his name and not a place.

This page is a work in progress and is intended to eventually cover all titles used by characters on Show the Colours, whether those characters are currently played or not. This is to reduce the chances of a new character re-using a title and thereby to help prevent confusion. The only real-life titles to be found here belong to historic people in play, and those titles are to be kept in line with the historic dates of creation (such as Sir Arthur Wellesley, first Viscount Wellington, whose elevation to Duke did not occur until 1814).

Duchies
Sussex
 * Earldom of Arundel (1664)

Marquessates
Coniston (1664)

Dorchester (1706)
 * Viscountcy of Milbury (1689)
 * Earldom of Thropton

Earldoms
Saxlingham (1623)

Arundel (1664)

Gleve (1690) Thropton (subsidiary of the Marquessate of Dorchester)
 * Viscountcy of Torrington (1663)

Viscountcies
Torrington (subsidiary of the Earldom of Gleve) (1663)

Milbury (subsidiary of the Marquessate of Coniston) (1689)

Saltash (1706)

Wellington (1809)

Woodmarsh