EARL

A title of dignity, derived from the AngloS axons. It denoted at first any person of noble race, (see Palgrate's Rise of the E. Commonwealth); and there seem to have remained in popular language traces of this ancient use of the name down to a late period. Afterwards some of the S axon earls were hereditary, and some OVernors of extensive districts. After the Con- ■ Jitto of earl was used by the English to expre the French title of count (in Latin comes); to which again the word graf (identical in origin with the English reeve) furnishes an equivalent In Germany. Id nee the wife of an earl is still styled counte . In writings earlier than the age of Stephen, the Latin word consul la also unonymous. It has been supposed (and the explanation is supported by Mr. Cruise, On Dignities, p. 17,) that the dignity of an earl was originally annex''! to the pi of a certain tract of land, and thai there were th l of earldoms— one. when the dignity was annexed to the po e ion of a whole county with jura regalia, in which case the county was a county palatine, as Chester. Pembroke, and Durham; t ha ' no po e ion of the county, an d the third penny or third part of the sum arising from pleas in the county court; the third, where a tr.ic; of land was granted to hold as a county, "per servitlnm unlus com i tates.''But this is an opinion open to eorttroversj; tod il may be doubted whether there are any settled principles as to the creation or descent of earldoms earlier than the reign of Edward III., when they were granted by letters patent to the earl and the heirs of his body. Ea like baronies, gradually became converted from territorial to merely titular honours. These two were the only titles in the Enirlish peerage, until the creation of Ihe dnchy of Cornwall In the 11th year of Edward III. (See Synopsis nf thr!'■■ •■■■.'" England.) [s. 389]