Canadian peers and baronets explained

Canadian peers and baronets (French: pairs et baronnets canadiens) exist in both the peerage of France recognized by the Monarch of Canada (the same as the Monarch of the United Kingdom) and the peerage of the United Kingdom.

In 1627, French Cardinal Richelieu introduced the seigneurial system of New France. Almost all of the early French Canadians who came as officers in the military or filled important official positions within the colony in New France came from the ranks of the French nobility. Under the Ancien Régime, several of these men were promoted to more senior ranks within the peerage of France. From the early 1700s, it became customary for the governors of New France to be given the title marquis. Except for the Marquis de Vaudreuil and the Marquis de Beauharnois, most were in Canada only for a few years before returning to France and are therefore not counted as Canadians.

The Baronetage of Nova Scotia (a British hereditary title, but not a peerage) had been devised by King James VI and I in 1624 as a means of settling Nova Scotia. Except for Sir Thomas Temple, almost none of them came to Nova Scotia, therefore they are counted as British, not Canadian.

Following the British Conquest of New France in 1763, the likes of The 1st Baron Amherst and The 1st Baron Dorchester were raised to the Peerage of Great Britain for their part in the taking of Canada and as Governors General of Canada, but they were not Canadians. As the colony grew under British rule both in terms of geography and economy, baronetcies began to be conferred upon various Canadian politicians, military commanders and businessmen.

In 1891, Lord Mount Stephen became the first Canadian to be elevated to the peerage of the United Kingdom. The significant losses of the First World War included many direct heirs to titles and some replacements were found in Canada, resulting in the acquisition of titles by Canadians.

After the controversial elevation of Lords Atholstan and Beaverbrook to the Peerage of the United Kingdom, the Nickle Resolution was presented to the House of Commons of Canada in 1917 requesting the Sovereign not to grant knighthoods, baronetcies or peerages to Canadians. This triggered the Canadian titles debate and led to a separate system of orders, decorations, and medals for Canada. Canadians who were granted peerages after that date had to hold or acquire British citizenship, such as The 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet. However, the 1946 Canadian Citizenship Act provided that Canadians who acquired another citizenship by any means other than marriage had renounced their Canadian citizenship. The 1977 Citizenship Act undid this provision.

Canadian nobility in the French aristocracy

Extant

Unknown

Extinct

Canadian nobility in the aristocracy of the United Kingdom

Peerages awarded before the Nickle Resolution

Extant

Extinct

Peerages awarded after the Nickle Resolution

Extant

Extinct

Life peerages

A life peerage is not an hereditary title. The title lasts as long as the recipient of the honour is alive. The recipient's children can style themselves with the prefix 'honourable' but they cannot inherit the baronial title.

Current

Former

Canadian baronetcies

Although a baronet is not a peer, it is a British hereditary title and an honour that was conferred upon several Canadians.

Extant

Dormant

Extinct

Canadians with hereditary titles

Canadian peers by marriage

Canadians married to royalty in the line of succession

Russian peers

See also

Notes and References

  1. Rachel Grant biography at: Web site: About Rachel Grant . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130212031930/http://www.rachelgrant.com/pages/bio . 2013-02-12 . 2012-12-16.
  2. Book: Cokayne, George Edward . . A. Sutton . 1982 . VIII . Gloucester . 126–7. originally published by the St Catherine Press Ltd, London, England from 1910–1959 in 13 volumes; reprinted in microprint, 13 volumes into 6
  3. Clément. Cormier. Mius d'Entremont, Philippe. 1.
  4. http://www.diesbach.com/belleroche/juchereau-geneal.html Famille de Juchereau de Sany-Denys, Juchereau du Chesnay/Duchesnay
  5. Antonio. Drolet. Juchereau de Saint-Denys, Charlotte-Françoise, Comtesse de Saint-Laurent. 2.
  6. William J. Eccles. W. J.. Eccles. Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnial, Pierre de, Marquis de Vaudreuil. 4.
  7. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15311a.htm Famille de Vaudreuil
  8. Web site: Les familles pionnières de la Nouvelle-France dans les archives du Minutier central des notaires de Paris, par Marcel Fournier; Quebec; 2016, p. 188. . 2017-09-19 . 2018-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180304113758/https://www.archiv-histo.com/assets/publications/OutilsRecherche/2016_Actes_notaries_des_pionniers_de_Paris.pdf . dead .
  9. https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Chapais_-_Jean_Talon,_intendant_de_la_Nouvelle-France_(1665-1672),_1904.djvu/506 Wikisource: "Chapais - Jean Talon, Intendant of New France (1665-1672), 1904.djvu / 506"
  10. http://www.histoirequebec.qc.ca/publicat/vol7num2/v7n2_1se.htm Les Seigneuries de Vaudreuil et de Soulanges
  11. Marcel . Hamelin . Chartier de Lotbinière. Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain . 6 .
  12. http://www.annetsurmarne.com/product.php?productid=49 Notables of Annet-sur-Marne
  13. http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/frenchgenerals/c_frenchgenerals22.html Napoleon's Generals
  14. The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History, And Development By Christopher McCreery
  15. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9246469/Conrad-Black-released-from-prison.html Conrad Black released from prison – Daily Telegraph, May 4, 2012
  16. http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/conrad-black/26989 House of Lords
  17. News: Robertson. Dylan C.. Conrad Black mulls over applying for citizenship. May 22, 2012. Toronto Star. May 21, 2012.
  18. Web site: Conrad Black regains Canadian citizenship given up in House of Lords spat with Jean Chrétien . 2023-08-24 . nationalpost . en-CA.
  19. Web site: Cacrofts Peerage . 2012-12-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131104015335/http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/arthurb1841.htm . 2013-11-04 . dead .
  20. Book: The Gentleman's Magazine. 167. 206.
  21. http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/qc/etiennecartier/natcul/natcul6.aspx Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet
  22. Web site: Listen to your patient. Tuteur. Amy. The Skeptical OB. 2008-11-19. 2012-04-09. 2012-03-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20120319170242/http://open.salon.com/blog/amytuteurmd/2008/11/19/listen_to_your_patient. dead.
  23. Starling. P H. The case of Edward Revere Osler. March 2003. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps. 149. 1. 27–29. 12743923. 10.1136/jramc-149-01-05. free.
  24. https://web.archive.org/web/20120316072825/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/sir-horatio-gilbert-george-parker Canadian Encyclopedia entry for Sir Gilbert Parker
  25. http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/porkpacking.htm Points of Interest Along Lost Streams: Toronto Pork Packing Plant
  26. http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sussex/sirjames.html From Sussex schoolboy to Scottish lord
  27. Web site: Michael Stonhouse. St. John's Minster Anglican Church. 4 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170204094044/http://www.stjohnsminster.org/stonhousem.html. 4 February 2017. dead.
  28. William Addams Reitwiesner, "Persons eligible to succeed to the British Throne as of 1 Jan 2011"
  29. Web site: Baronage – Registry of Scots Nobility . 2022-10-21 . en-AU.
  30. Web site: Government Notices published in Govt. Gazette No. 20,881 of 24th June 2022 . 2022-11-03 . www.gov.mt . en-GB.