The Complete Peerage

The Complete Peerage (full title: The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant); first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition revised by Vicary Gibbs et al.; 3rd edition in progress) is a comprehensive work on the titled aristocracy of the British Isles.

History

The Complete Peerage was first published in eight volumes between 1887 and 1898 by George Edward Cokayne (G. E. C.).

This version was effectively replaced by a new and enlarged edition between 1910 and 1959, edited successively by Vicary Gibbs (Cokayne's nephew), H. A. (Herbert Arthur) Doubleday, Duncan Warrand, Lord Howard de Walden, Geoffrey H. White and R. S. Lea. The revised edition, published by the St Catherine Press Limited, was in twelve volumes, with volume twelve issued in two parts.

Volume thirteen was issued in 1940, not as part of the alphabetical sequence, but as a supplement covering creations and promotions within the peerage between 1900 and 1938. The leading researcher on the project was Ethel Stokes and the five volumes from 1929 to 1949 acknowledge her major contribution.

The work has been reprinted in a number of formats, most notably by Alan Sutton Publishers who reduced it in size to six volumes in a photographically reduced format. This contains four page images on each smaller page.

It was available on CD. A further reprint in six volumes appeared in 2000, together with Volume 14, which is an appendix, correcting the original publication (1910–1938) and briefly updating it to 1995.

A fully revised and modernised third edition in 18 volumes is due to be published by Alan Sutton Publishing between 2025 and 2027, with an online edition to become available on a subscription basis in 2027.

Volumes

1st edition

{|class="wikitable"

!Volume||Pub date||Additional material

|I. A to Bo||1887

|Page ix – Irish Peerage, &c. before the Sixteenth Century

|II. Bra to C||1889||

|III. D to F||1890||

|IV. G to K||1892

|Page i – Papal dispensations referring to Scotland

|V. L to M||1893||

|VI. N to R||1895||

|VII. S to T||1896||

|VIII. U to Z, appendix, corrigenda, occurrences after 1 January 1898, and general index to notes, &c.||1898||

All volumes edited by George Cokayne.

2nd edition

{|class="wikitable"

!Volume||Pub date||Editors||Additional material

|I. Ab-Adam to Basing||1910||Hon. Vicary Gibbs||Appendix A – page 457 – Some observations on early Irish Baronies Appendix B – page 465 – The dukedom of Châtellerault Appendix C – page 469 – Precedency of peers in Parliament by Royal prerogative Appendix D – page 472 – Precedency anomalously allowed Appendix E – page 475 – Scottish peerages forfeited after the Risings of 1715 and 1745, and subsequent restorations Appendix F – page 480 – Jacobite Peerages Appendix G – page 490 – Eldest sons of peers summoned to Parliament v.p. in one of their father's peerages Appendix H – page 496 – Amusements of men of fashion in 1782 Appendix I – page 499 – Politics of Peers Appendix J – page 503 – Grant of the Comté of Aumale to Richard, Earl of Warwick

|II. Bass to Canning||1912||Hon. Vicary Gibbs||Appendix A – page 525 – The Loyalists Bloody Roll Appendix B – page 527 – The Order Of The Garter Appendix C – page 597 – The Battle Of Boroughbridge Appendix D – page 603 – The Great Offices Of State Appendix E – page 649 – Officers Of The College Of Arms Appendix F – page 651 – Coronation Peerages Appendix G – page 656 – Lord Lieutenants Dismissed By James II Appendix H – page 658 – Principal Persons In Arms For The Prince Of Orange

|III. Canonteign to Cutts||1913||Hon. Vicary Gibbs with the assistance of H. A. Doubleday||Appendix A – page 589 – Surrender of peerages in England Appendix B – page 592 – A list of peers and heirs apparent of peers who served in the South African War of 1899–1902 Appendix C – page 597 – Some observations on medieval names Appendix D – page 631 – Peers present in and absent from James II's Irish parliament of 7 May 1689 Appendix E – page 635 – Peerage titles chosen to commemorate foreign achievements Appendix F – page 637 – Special remainders granted to commoners Appendix G – page 639 – Peers and peeresses converted to the Roman Catholic faith since 1850 Appendix H – page 642 – Profuse creations and promotions in the Irish peerage Appendix I – page 648 – Peers who voted against the third reading of the Reform Bill

|IV. Dacre to Dysart||1916||Hon. Vicary Gibbs with the assistance of H. A. Doubleday