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| {{wiktionary|commoner}} | |||
| {{Refimprove|date=April 2010}} | |||
| A ''']''' is a person who is not a member of the nobility or priesthood. | |||
| {{Disputed|date=July 2011}} | |||
| In British law, a '''commoner''' is someone who is neither the ] nor a ]. Therefore, any member of the ] who is not a peer, such as ] or ], is (technically) a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a ], such as the ] (eldest son of the ]) or ] (a daughter of the ]).<ref>William Charteris Macpherson, ''The Baronage and the Senate: or The House of Lords in the Past, the Present, and the Future'' (London: John Murray, 1893), .</ref> | |||
| '''Commoner(s)''' may also refer to: | |||
| Traditionally, members of the ] were commoners — though the name of the House of Commons comes from the communities they represent, not their rank — while members of the ] were peers. Peers whose only titles are in the ] have been able to stand for election to the House of Commons for centuries. Since the ], which excluded most hereditary peers from the House of Lords, most hereditary peers can now stand for election to the House of Commons. For example, the ] (aka John Thurso) is currently a member of the House of Commons. | |||
| ==Status or membership== | |||
| * ], a term used at some universities for a student not receiving a scholarship or exhibition | |||
| * Commoner, a person who is not a member of the ] | |||
| * Commoner, a person who shares rights over ] | |||
| * Commoner, a member of the ] of the City of London Corporation | |||
| * Commoner, one of the ] | |||
| * Commoner, a member of the ] | |||
| ==People with the name== | |||
| In popular usage, a commoner is a person who does not belong to royalty or aristocracy: in other words, someone who is not a member of a peer's or a baronet's family nor has been awarded the style of Sir or Dame. In that context, The Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph and the BBC have all seen fit to distinguish ] as a "commoner".<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/18/AR2010121803829.html</ref> Many English-language publications have noted that Middleton is the first commoner to marry an heir to the British throne since ] married James the Duke of York (later ]) more than 350 years ago.<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/news/photos/2011/04/28/3202097.htm</ref><ref>http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Kate-Middleton-Path-to-Princess-119925369.html</ref> | |||
| *] (1917–2012), American biologist and politician | |||
| ==Arts, entertainment, and media== | |||
| ==Commoners in the Three Estates== | |||
| * ], one of the base non-player character categories | |||
| In ], commoners are one of ]. The ''General Prologue,'' from the ] by ], explores "the Medieval social theory that society was made up of three 'estates'".<ref name=StephenGreenblatt>The Norton Anthology English Literature Volume A. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006, 213.</ref> The Nobility were a "small hereditary aristocracy, whose mission on earth was to rule over and defend the body politic". The Church had the responsibility of "look after the spiritual welfare of that body". Commoners "were supposed to do that work that provided for its physical needs". The social status was a division of different classes and their places and occupations in Medieval society. | |||
| *'']'', a newspaper published in Nebraska from 1901 to 1923, owned and published by William Jennings Bryan | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| The ''General Prologue'' introduces "social organization",<ref name=Lenaghan>Chaucer's General Prologue as History and Literature. Comparative Studies in Society and History (1970)81.</ref> which ] demonstrates when depicting the ], ], and Ploughman to exemplify the most noble character from each estate. These three characters are chosen to "seem as governing ideals". Each character has a certain role in society, and with their ideal moral lifestyles, they represent the most virtuous of the estates in which they belong. It is apparent that ] society values that class system as the main categories of hierarchical society. The set social division is evident, and with all three estates, the ''General Prologue'' examines the good and bad people in society. ]'s "representatives of the three estates are moral and social exemplars; the ], the ], and the Ploughman all strive but they do it selflessly rather than competitively". | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *], a nickname applied to various people | |||
| *] | |||
| {{disambiguation}} | |||
| ==British universities== | |||
| In some British universities (notably ] and ]), a commoner is an ] student who does not hold either a ] or an ]. This form is also mimicked by certain British public schools (for example, ]).{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}. | |||
| A '''mature commoner''' was an older commoner at traditional universities such as Oxford.<ref>Alan B. Cobban, '''', ], 1975. ISBN 978-0-416-81250-3. .</ref> | |||
| In the past, there have been '''gentleman-commoners''' (those who paid all their fees up front) and '''fellow-commoners''' (those associated with the Foundation of the Colleges). | |||
| ==Other meanings== | |||
| A commoner can also refer to someone who, by right of landholding or residence, holds a common right in a given manor. See ]. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 17:32, 24 December 2023
A commoner is a person who is not a member of the nobility or priesthood.
Commoner(s) may also refer to:
Status or membership
- Commoner (academia), a term used at some universities for a student not receiving a scholarship or exhibition
- Commoner, a person who is not a member of the British nobility
- Commoner, a person who shares rights over common land
- Commoner, a member of the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation
- Commoner, one of the estates of the realm
- Commoner, a member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom
People with the name
- Barry Commoner (1917–2012), American biologist and politician
Arts, entertainment, and media
- Commoner (Dungeons & Dragons), one of the base non-player character categories
- The Commoner, a newspaper published in Nebraska from 1901 to 1923, owned and published by William Jennings Bryan
See also
- Common (disambiguation)
- Commons (disambiguation)
- Common man (disambiguation)
- Everyman (disambiguation)
- Morganatic marriage
- The Great Commoner (disambiguation), a nickname applied to various people
- The Masses (disambiguation)
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Commoner.If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Category: