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The barons were men of high noble rank, though below the rank of earl, count, or viscount, all of which were below marquess and duke. They were of the lowest rank of peerage, meaning that they were expected to attend the king's councils and give the king advice. In England, the rank of baron was introduced by William I and had a rather unclearly defined meaning, except that it was used only for men of high rank who had sworn allegiance to the king and were expected to give him advice as required. It very quickly became a rank of peerage and hereditary. Later on, barons were automatically included in the House of Lords, if they desired to be so, and had a right to sit in parliament.

Of course, barons also had estates, including manors, and had the responsibilities associated with them, including such things as providing protection for the serfs on their land, and seeing that local justice was enforced in the local, manorial court system.

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14y ago

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