Wednesday 6 April 2016

A-Z Challenge 2016: E is for Esquire

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

 
Have you ever written a letter to a man and addressed it to "Fred Bloggs, Esq"?  Did you ever wonder how he came to be called Esquire - and what it really means?
Here is a quick potted history of how the term came about, and what it means today:




1.  It started off as meaning a knight's shield-bearer.
then by
2.  16th century: an officer of the Crown
then by
3.  18th century: it meant a man with a coat of arms, a 'superior gentleman'
then by
4.  19th century: when addressing letters to a gentleman
later
5.  Addressing all men




© 2016 Ros Haywood. All Rights Reserved

16 comments:

  1. Hi Ros - useful potted history ... and now ... it's 'Hi' .. but change is always happening ... I still use Esq occasionally on business letters ...

    Cheers Hilary

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    Replies
    1. When I left school, I trained to be a secretary. Now most bosses type their own letters on their computer. I wonder how many of them put 'Esq' on the envelope?

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  2. A fascinating piece of trivia!

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  3. I didn't know the origin, thanks. When I was a kid I used to sit with my Dad as he paid bills and wrote letters. He always put Esq after his name (a joke, he said) and when he wrote to my brother when he moved away he always put Esq after his name too. I thought it was posh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was posh! and polite...professional-looking

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  4. Love learning the history and use, so sophisticated to be called Esquire!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They ought to invent something similar for women.

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  5. well I never... thanks for the Enlightenment.

    ReplyDelete
  6. When I worked for a lawyer in Chicago, back in a different lifetime it seems, I typed letter that include "Esquire". Never knew what it meant. Now, thanks to you, I do.
    Gail’s 2016 April A to Z Challenge
    E is for Eastern European Ancestors
    #IWSG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to have helped. I have just been to your blog, and enjoyed your Eastern European post. Well done for using all those e-words!

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  7. I remember seeing this but didn't know the history...pretty cool

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    Replies
    1. Now you can show off to your friends, that you know something they don't know...

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  8. This was interesting; I have seen the term but never knew how it came to be; learned something new today :)

    betty
    http://viewsfrombenches.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're Welcome! I have been to your blog - love the photos.

      Delete

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