marquis. The title of marquis, second to duke in rank, was the last to be introduced into the peerage and was slow to catch on. The first marquis, Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, was made marquis of Dublin in 1385 by Richard II, but within a year had been promoted duke of Ireland. The next, John Beaufort, earl of Somerset, was promoted marquis of Dorset in 1397, degraded in 1399, and offered reinstatement in 1402: he declined, explaining that the title had a foreign flavour. In 1714 there were still only 2 marquises in the English peerage, compared with 22 dukes and 74 earls. The eldest son usually takes his father's earldom as his courtesy title: younger sons and daughters are referred to as Lord James or Lady Mary, with the family surname.

J. A. Cannon

marquis, marquess ruler (orig.) of a ‘march’ or frontier district; peer between the ranks of duke and earl XIV; † marchioness XVI–XVII. ME. marchis, markis — OF. marchis, alt. later to marquis after the corr. Pr. marques, Sp. marqués; f. Rom. *marca MARCH2 + *-ese :- L. -ēnsem -ESE; prop. adj. The sp. with -ess (XVI) is now used for the British title.
Hence marquisate XVI. So marquise kind of pear; † marquee. XVIII. — F., fem. of marquis.

mar·quis / märˈkē; ˈmärkwəs/ • n. (in some European countries) a nobleman ranking above a count and below a duke. Compare with marquess. ∎ another term for marquess.

Marquis ★★ 1990

A bizarre satire combining sex, lust, and the French Revolution, based on the writings of the Marquis de Sade. Amusing, decadent, and not for the prudish. In French with English subtitles. 88m/C VHS . FRD: Henri Xhonneux; W: Henri Xhonneux, Roland Topor; C: Etienne Fauduet; M: Reinhardt Wagner; V: Francois Marthouret, Michel Robin, Valerie King, Isabelle Wolfe.