Home » Who is a Marquess? What is their presence in Europe?

Who is a Marquess? What is their presence in Europe?

A Marquess is a nobleman with a hereditary title. This title is prevalent in various European countries and some of their colonies. This title comes below a Duke and above a Count and an Earl.

The term Marquess goes by many different words across Europe. For example, in French, it is ‘marquis’ and the feminine is ‘marchioness’. The word technically means that the nobleman who is a count or an earl holds a frontier district.

Marquess
Picture of George Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon

During the earlier times, the Marquess or march was required to protect their frontier from hostile forces and that is why they are ranked higher than the Count. Marquesses had multiple different roles in different European countries and their former colonies.

Are there Marquess in France?

In France, marquesses are called marquisate. They eventually lost their power as the monarchy became weak. The power of the lower ranking counts grew and as the number counties or fiefs started to grow, the counts took up lordship over the counties and started to style themselves as marquises.

Marquess
Louis XVII of France

Hence the title of a marquise was always a point of contention. Due to these problems, the title of marquees became infamous during the 1700s.

The title was abolished by Napoleon Bonaparte. However, Louis XVII brought is back after the Restoration and gave it to the noblemen who had a definite status between Dukes and Counts.

Are there Marquess in Germany?

In Germany, at the end of the Carolingian era, in the tenth century, the kings created the role of the marquesses or ‘margrave’ to pay particular attention to the eastern frontiers. Their job was to make sure that the land they protected was able to push forward to the Slav territory.

Marquess
A Marquess of Dufferin

The title became hereditary. Examples of the Musgraves from Germany are the Bavarian Ostmark who became the duchy of Austria, the Steiermark becoming the Duchy of Styria, and the Saxon Nordmark became the electorate of Brandenburg.

Who are a Marquess in Spain?

In the 11th century, the title did not hold any responsibility of protecting the land but the one who held the title simply had it due to its hereditary nature.

Marquess
Marquess of Leganés

In Spain, the Marca Hispanica was merged with the countship of Barcelona. The first Marquesado was Don Alonso in 1376.

Marquis Rank

The British Isles, who were the major colonizers in the world, styled their marquesses with their locations in their titles. It went without saying that the marquesses ranked above the counts aunt the earls.

For example, in 1385, Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, was created A Marquess of Dublin with precedence between dukes and earls.

Who are the Marquess in Britain?

However, other earls were against this move and revolted against this and the patent of the marquessate had revoked in 1386. The next marquess was reinstated in Great Britain was the Marquess of Winchester in 1551.

Marquess
Marquess of Winchester- Sir William Paulet

Currently, there are 34 marquesses (excluding the courtesy marquesses). The premiere marquess of England, who is the Marquess of Winchester lives in South Africa.

The premiere marquess of Scotland, the Marquess of Huntly. In the Isles, only one marquessate, Ormond has become extinct since 1997.

More Info On- Richard RedgraveAubrey BeardsleyWilliam Leighton LeitchPatrick Bramwell BrontëSophie AndersonMartin Johnson Heade