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Esquire (, US also ; abbreviated Esq.) 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. Some sources cite that the title was bestowed on "candidates for knighthood in England", and even used with respect to other dignitaries, such as justices of the peace, sheriffs, and sergeants. The 1826 edition of William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England reiterated that "the title should be limited to those only who bear an office of trust under the Crown and who are styled esquires by the king in their commissions and appointments; and all, I conceive, who are once honoured by the king with the title of esquire have a right to that distinction for life." By the early 20th century, however, esquire was being used as a general courtesy title for any man in a formal setting, with no precise significance, usually as a suffix to his name, and commonly with initials only. The use of esquire began declining in popularity in the 1970s because the automatic generation of correspondence using names and addresses stored in computer databases encouraged the use of names in a standard format with prefixed titles only. In the United Kingdom today, esquire is still occasionally used as a written style of address in formal or professional correspondence. In certain formal contexts, it remains an indication of a social status that is recognised in the order of precedence. In the legal profession, the title is available for barristers who have achieved the rank of King's Counsel because they are designated as esquire on their letters patent. In the United States, esquire is generally used by lawyers. In letters, these lawyers will ask to be addressed by adding the suffix esquire (abbreviated Esq.), preceded by a comma, after the lawyer's full name. According to research by a New York City Bar Association committee, in the United States, esquire over time came to refer "commonly and exclusively" to lawyers, but how that happened is unclear. The only certainty, the committee stated, is that "based on common usage it is fair to state that if the title appears after a person's name, that person may be presumed to be a lawyer". History Chief Justice Coke (1552–1634) defined "gentlemen" as those who bear coats of arms. From the 16th century such families were defined by the inclusion of their pedigrees within their county's heraldic visitations, which necessitated their submitting a return of their pedigree to the visiting herald at the specified location, generally one of the chief towns of the county. The 1623 Heraldic Visitation for Gloucestershire, for example, includes a section at the back headed: "A note of such as were disclaymed to be no gentilmen within the county and city of Gloucester", the list being headed by "Edward Hill, Customer, of Gloucester, neither gentilman of bloud, ancestry nor armes". The list thus identifies those persons whose returns were not accepted, perhaps because they were fabricated or insufficiently evidenced in some way. Defined in 1586 by Fearn Sir John Fearn in "Glory of Generositie" spoke of esquires by creation, birth, dignity and office, specifying several circumstances that customarily conferred the title. Offices of justice or government in the king's palace Advocates and procurators of the sovereign Serjeants at the coif Offices of sheriff, escheator or serjeant at arms Eldest born of a baron peer of the realm or that of a knight Defined by Camden (d. 1623) Coke followed Sir William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms (1551–1623), who defined esquires as: the eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons in perpetuity, the eldest sons of younger sons of peers and their eldest sons in perpetuity, esquires so created by the king, esquires by office, such as justices of the peace and those holding an office of trust under the Crown. Defined by Weever (d. 1632) John Weever (d. 1632) identified five categories of esquires: "Those who are elect for the prince's body", which he classed as the principal esquires. These were royal courtiers known as Esquires of the Body Knights' eldest sons Younger sons of the eldest sons of barons and other nobles of higher estate White Spurs, a form mainly restricted to West Country usage Those who are so by office and by serving the prince in any worshipful calling Defined in 1830 by Burn, Chitty & Black According to one typical definition, esquires in English law included: The eldest sons of knights, and their eldest sons in perpetual succession The eldest sons of younger sons of peers, and their eldest sons in perpetual succession (children of peers already had higher precedence) Esquires created by letters patent or other investiture, and their eldest sons Esquires by virtue of their offices, as justices of the peace and others who bear any office of trust under the Crown Esquires of knights constituted at their investiture Foreign noblemen Persons who are so styled under the royal sign-manual (officers of the Armed Forces of or above the rank of Captain in the Army or its equivalent) and sons thereof. Barristers (but not solicitors) Defined by Boutell (d. 1877) Charles Boutell (1812–1877) defined the term as Esquire – A rank next below that of Knight. Besides those Esquires who are personal attendants of Knights of Orders of Knighthood, this title is held by all attendants on the person of the Sovereign, and all persons holding the Sovereign's commission being of military rank not below Captain; also, by general concession, by Barristers at Law, Masters of Arts and Bachelors of Law and Physic. Defined in 1894 by James Parker James Parker supplied the following definition: Esquire, (Latin: armiger, French: escuyer): a title of a gentleman of the rank immediately below a knight. It was originally a military office, an esquire being (as the name escuyer, from escu, a shield, implies) a knight's attendant and shield bearer. Esquires may be theoretically divided into five classes: The younger sons of peers and their eldest sons. The eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons. The chiefs of ancient families are esquires by prescription. Esquires by creation or office. Such the heralds and serjeants at arms and some others, who are constituted esquires by receiving a collar of SS. Judges and other officers of state, justices of the peace, and the higher naval and military officers are designated esquires in their patents or commissions. Doctors in the several faculties, and barristers at law, are considered as esquires, or equal to esquires. None, however, of these offices or degrees convey gentility to the posterity of their holders. Modern definition Oxford Dictionaries provided for the following definition of esquire in 2016: British: A polite title appended to a man's name when no other title is used, typically in th.... Discover the James Esquire popular books. Find the top 100 most popular James Esquire books.