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Esquire is a rank of gentry originally derived from Squire and indicating the status of an attendant to a knight, an apprentice knight, or a manorial lord; [42] it ranks below Knight (or in Scotland below Laird) but above Gentleman. [e] [f]
Wolfram von Eschenbach and his squire (Codex Manesse, 14th century) A squire cleaning armour A squire helping his knight, in a historical reenactment in 2009 A squire holds the warhorse of his knight, detail from monument to Sir Richard Stapledon (d.1326), Exeter Cathedral. [1] In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a ...
Esquire: originally a knight's attendant or squire. In the 14th century, this rank could be conferred by the Crown. Certain officeholders, such as justices of the peace, were considered to be esquires. It was also applied to the sons of peers and the firstborn sons of baronets and knights. [5] [4] Gentleman: the lowest
Equestrians could in turn be elevated to senatorial rank (e.g., Pliny the Younger), but in practice this was much more difficult than elevation from commoner to equestrian rank. To join the upper order, not only was the candidate required to meet the minimum property requirement of 250,000 denarii , but also had to be elected a member of the ...
The verb "to knight" (to make someone a knight) appears around 1300; and, from the same time, the word "knighthood" shifted from "adolescence" to "rank or dignity of a knight". An Equestrian ( Latin , from eques "horseman", from equus " horse ") [ 15 ] was a member of the second highest social class in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire .
It is the lowest rank to which the descendants of a Knight, Baronet or Peer can sink. Strictly speaking, anybody with officially matriculated English or Scottish arms is a gentleman and thus noble. The term landed gentry , although originally used to mean nobility, came to be used for the lesser nobility in England around 1540.
Esquire (/ ɪ ˈ s k w aɪər /, [1] US also / ˈ ɛ s k w aɪər /; [2] abbreviated Esq.) [3] is usually a courtesy title.In the United Kingdom, esquire historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman and below the rank of knight.
The rank of Commendatore (Knight Commander) is a higher award than Ufficiale (Officer), which in turn is higher than Cavaliere (Knight), the first level in this order of chivalry. The Italian government's orders are exceptional to the international standard in that they do not officially have special ranks or decorations for females (Dames).