E Abl

[Sax. eorl, eorle; L. Lat. comes, eorla; Fr. comte; L. Fr. countee^ The most ancient title of nobility in England, and formerly the highest, (answering to the Lat. comes;) but now the third, ranking between a marquess and a viscount. 1 Bl. Com. 398. 3 Steph. Com. 3. Earl is said to be a Danish word, (sometimes written jarl, and derived from ear, or or, honor,) which was introduced into England by the Banes at the time of their invasion. As it had nearly the same signification with the Saxon ealderman, it was adopted by the Saxons as the name of that officer, and was afterwards applied to th« comes or count of the NormanB. Spelman, Tocc. JSorla, Aldermannus, Camden Brit tit. Ordines, The terms count, and countee, continued to be used by the Normans, for some time after the Conquest, as the titles of the governor or chief officer of a county, but were finally supplanted by the English earl; although cfmnt has left its traces in the words county y an earl's territory; conntess, an.earl's wife; and viscount, an earl's deputy; the two latter being also subsisting titles of nobility. See Count, Viscount, After the office of earl or comes was made hereditary by WDliam the Conqueror, the title became the highest dignity in the kingdom. At first it was territorial, being annexed either to the office itself, or to the possession of certain lands held of the crown. When the earl relinquished the g^remment of the county, the title continued to be one of territorial dignity as annexed to the lands he held; but it gradually lost this character also, and finally became what it now is, a mere personal dignity annexed to the family of the possessor and independent of land. Hotms (Lord Kamcs) BriU Antiq. Essay III. Crah Vs Hist, 235, chap. xvi. Cruise Dig. tit. Dignities. 1 Ld. Raym. 10, 13. It now merely confers nobility and an hereditary seat in the house of Lords. Wharton's Lex,