Hereditary peer#Writs of summons

The Writ of summons is a term from the English nobility law, which allows a peer to sit in Parliament. The members of the House of Lords should not rather take their places until they have received their written summons.

History

From the 13th century were English noblemen, whose advice the king wished, a written invitation to participate in the regular meetings of the Royal Council. This form of invitation, called writ of summons, founded for the invitees a hereditary barony, called the barony by writ and by and by a right next to the bishops and the nobility, the Count ( Earl ) to participate in the meetings of the king. This right was also obtained when divided in the 14th century, the King's Council in the House of Lords and House of Commons, the upper house of the high ecclesiastical dignitaries ( archbishops, bishops and abbots ) and the secular dignitaries ( dukes, earls and barons, and later the newly introduced Mark Earls and Viscounts ) was occupied, while the chosen few, however, voters representatives of the counties and selected cities gathered in the House.

Baronies by writ

Since it was the king free to appoint men of his confidence in his advice and the House of Lords, were issued in the following two centuries repeatedly writs of summons from the king to selected persons by hereditary lords and members of the upper house were. It was not until the 15th century the king also appointed persons barons by patent of nobility ( by letter 's patent ). The difference between the two forms of baronies was that baronies by letter 's patent could be inherited only male offspring, while the baronies by writ could also reach female heirs, but only to a. Were several daughters present, the barony fell into a Ruhenszustand ( Abeyance ), which could be terminated only if only one or a descendant heiress was present or the king chose at will from one to the number of heirs to give him a writ of summons sent and so the dormant Asked barony restituted ( called call out of abeyance ). There was originally only baronies by writ, by patent of nobility ( by letter 's patent ) created barons took from the 16th century to more and more, until the re-creation of baronies by writ totally came in the early 18th century to a halt. The last barony was created by writ in 1722 for the barony of Percy.