A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.
33-451: A bachelor is first attested as the 12th-century bacheler : a knight bachelor , a knight too young or poor to gather vassals under his own banner . The Old French bacheler presumably derives from Provençal bacalar and Italian baccalare , but the ultimate source of the word is uncertain. The proposed Medieval Latin * baccalaris ("vassal", "field hand") is only attested late enough that it may have derived from
66-456: A " bachelor's degree ". This sense of baccalarius or baccalaureus is first attested at the University of Paris in the 13th century in the system of degrees established under the auspices of Pope Gregory IX as applied to scholars still in statu pupillari . There were two classes of baccalarii : the baccalarii cursores , theological candidates passed for admission to
99-549: A law to grant all Italians not under arms citizenship. At the instruction of the Senate, Lucius Caesar proposed a law providing that each Italian community would decide as to whether they would take Roman citizenship and establish new tribes – possibly eight – in the Tribal Assembly for the new citizens. This grant to citizenship had the effect of almost tripling the number of Roman citizens and annexing large swathes of Italy into
132-532: A member of one of the organised orders of chivalry ; it is a part of the British honours system . Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight (the rank existed during the 13th-century reign of King Henry III ), but Knights Bachelor rank below knights of chivalric orders. A man who is knighted is formally addressed as " Sir [First Name] [Surname]" or "Sir [First Name]" and his wife as " Lady [Surname]". The designation "Bachelor" in this context conveys
165-646: A new certificate of authentication, a knight's only personal documentation, was designed by the College of Arms . The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor was founded for the maintenance and consolidation of the Dignity of Knights Bachelor in 1908, and obtained official recognition from the Sovereign in 1912. The Society keeps records of all Knights Bachelor, in their interest. There is no female counterpart to Knight Bachelor. The lowest knightly honour that can be conferred upon
198-527: A private and public crime ( lex Julia de adulteriis ). To encourage population expansion, the leges Juliae offered inducements to marriage and imposed penalties upon the celibate . Augustus instituted the "Law of the three sons" which held those in high regard who produced three male offspring. Marrying-age celibates and young widows who would not marry were prohibited from receiving inheritances and from attending public games. The extracts below are from later legal codes and textbooks, but are also valuable in
231-624: A woman is Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE), which is one rank higher than Knight Bachelor (being the female equivalent of KBE or Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is the next male knightly rank above Knight Bachelor). Only citizens of Commonwealth realms can be created Knights Bachelor; people of other nationalities are generally made honorary KBEs. Lex Julia A lex Julia (plural: leges Juliae )
264-415: Is spinster , which is considered pejorative and implies unattractiveness (i.e. old maid, cat lady ). The term "bachelorette" has been used in its place, particularly in the context of bachelorette parties and reality TV series The Bachelorette . Knight bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as
297-423: Is described in heraldic terms as follows: Upon an oval medallion of vermilion , enclosed by a scroll a cross-hilted sword belted and sheathed, pommel upwards, between two spurs, rowels upwards, the whole set about with the sword belt, all gilt. In 1974, Queen Elizabeth II issued a further warrant authorising the wearing on appropriate occasions of a neck badge, slightly smaller, and in miniature. In 1988,
330-572: The gender-neutral term " single " (first recorded 1964). In England and Wales, the term "bachelor" remained the official term used for the purpose of marriage registration until 2005, when it was abolished in favor of "single." Bachelors have been subject to penal laws in many countries, most notably in Ancient Sparta and Rome . At Sparta, men unmarried after a certain age were subject to various penalties ( Ancient Greek : ἀτιμία , atimía ): they were forbidden to watch women's gymnastics; during
363-439: The town hall until kissed by a "virgin". In a 1912 Pittsburgh Press article, there was a suggestion that local bachelors should wear a special pin that identified them as such, or a black necktie to symbolize that "....they [bachelors] should be in perpetual mourning because they are so foolish as to stay unmarried and deprive themselves of the comforts of a wife and home." The idea of a tax on bachelors has existed throughout
SECTION 10
#1732844028476396-447: The 1785 Tax on Servants, and the 1798 Income Tax. A study that was conducted by professor Charles Waehler at the University of Akron in Ohio on non-married heterosexual males deduced that once non-married men hit middle age, they will be less likely to marry and remain unattached later into their lives. The study concluded that there is only a 1-in-6 chance that men older than 40 will leave
429-427: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE); Sir Patrick Stewart , Sir Cliff Richard , Sir Tom Jones and Sir Van Morrison are Officers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE); while Sir Paul McCartney , Sir Richard Starkey ( Ringo Starr ), Sir Nick Faldo , and Sir Lewis Hamilton are Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). None of them would be entitled to use
462-482: The Order of the British Empire instead.) Until 1926, Knights Bachelor had no insignia which they could wear, but in that year King George V issued a warrant authorising the wearing of a badge on all appropriate occasions by Knights Bachelor; this badge is worn on the left side of the coat or outer garment. Measuring 2 + 3 ⁄ 8 inches (60 mm) in length and 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 inches (35 mm) in width, it
495-556: The Victorian era, the term " confirmed bachelor " denoted a man who desired to remain single. By the later 19th century, the term "bachelor" had acquired the general sense of "unmarried man". The expression bachelor party is recorded 1882. In 1895, a feminine equivalent "bachelor-girl" was coined, replaced in US English by " bachelorette " by the mid-1930s. This terminology is now generally seen as antiquated, and has been largely replaced by
528-504: The assembly, bypassing the senate. The lex Julia de repetundis , also called the lex Julia repetundarum , was passed by Gaius Julius Caesar during his first consulship in 59 BC. It was a major piece of legislation containing over 100 clauses which dealt with a large number of provincial abuses, provided procedures for enforcement, and punishment for violations. Among other things, it: The law also expanded regulations on all kinds of public actions, including corruption before
561-406: The bill grew. Bibulus resorted instead to obstruction tactics by declaring negative omens on every day the bill could be voted on; one day, when moving to declare those omens, he – along with his political ally Cato – was attacked in the street by a mob (almost certainly organised by Caesar and his allies), forcing him to return home. In the absence of an announcement of negative omens, Caesar carried
594-414: The bill in the assembly. Added to the law was then the requirement that senators swear an oath to uphold the law. Cato and an ally refused until intercession by Cicero , arguing that it would be better for Rome if Cato swore and remained than withdrew to exile. In the face of obstructive tactics from Cato's allies, Caesar brought the bill expanding the public lands subject to redistribution straight to
627-403: The bill, he won a political victory when he forced Bibulus to admit that he had few reasons for opposing the bill while publicly expressing senseless and obstinate opposition: "You will not have this law this year, not even should you all want it!". With the support of Pompey and Crassus , two influential senators with which Caesar was cooperating in a then- secret alliance , popular support for
660-844: The centuries. Bachelors in Rome fell under the Lex Julia of 18 BC and the Lex Papia Poppaea of AD 9: these lay heavy fines on unmarried or childless people while providing certain privileges to those with several children. In 1695, a law known as the Marriage Duty Act was imposed on single males over 25 years old by the English Crown to help generate income for the Nine Years' War . In Britain , taxes occasionally fell heavier on bachelors than other persons: examples include 6 & 7 Will. III,
693-679: The concept of "junior in rank". Knighthood is usually conferred for public service; amongst its recipients are all male judges of His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England . It is possible to be a Knight Bachelor and a junior member of an order of chivalry without being a knight of that order; this situation has become rather common, especially among those recognized for achievements in entertainment. For instance, Sir Michael Gambon , Sir Mo Farah , Sir Derek Jacobi , Sir Anthony Hopkins , Sir Elton John , Sir Michael Caine , Sir Billy Connolly , Sir Barry Gibb and Sir Ian McKellen are Commanders of
SECTION 20
#1732844028476726-490: The divinity course, and the baccalarii dispositi , who had completed the course and were entitled to proceed to the higher degrees. In the Victorian era , the term " eligible bachelor " was used in the context of upper class matchmaking , denoting a young man who was not only unmarried and eligible for marriage, but also considered "eligible" in financial and social terms for the prospective bride under discussion. Also in
759-520: The honorific "Sir" by virtue of their membership of the order alone, but as they are all also Knights Bachelor, they are entitled to preface their names with that title. Knights Bachelor may prefix " Sir " to their forenames, and wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames. The award originated in the Middle Ages . There are no post-nominal letters associated with the honour nor can it be awarded to women. (They are appointed Dames Commander of
792-561: The law remained "the basis of the Roman law of provincial administration". This law may have set regulations for Italian municipalities. The question of whether Julius Caesar was responsible for this law is "fiercely debated". Under Augustus, the leges Juliae of 18–17 BC attempted to elevate both the morals and the numbers of the upper classes in Rome and to increase the population by encouraging marriage and having children ( lex Julia de maritandis ordinibus ). They also established adultery as
825-472: The main exceptions were the Samnites and Lucanians – in an attempt to further stem rebellion. Julius Caesar passed two pieces of agrarian legislation in 59 BC during his first consulship. They were two pieces of related legislation: a lex Julia agraria and a lex Julia de agro Campano . The first law was related to the distribution of public (both existing and purchased from willing sellers) lands to
858-504: The permanent courts, the senate, and public contracts (especially as to public works and grain). It also banned the owning of ships by senators. While it extended to judicial corruption, "Caesar was prudent" in keeping away from the "political hot potato" that was anti-bribery legislation applied to the equites – diverse men including Cato and Pompey had previously tried and failed in passing such legislation. However, Caesar cooperated with an ally in introducing legislation to record
891-580: The republic proper. The offer would be open to all Italian towns which were not under arms or who would lay those arms down within a short period. The main purpose of the law was to prevent those who had not risen up against Roman rule from doing so. It also had the effect of weakening the Italian war effort by making acceptable compromises. The next year, the Romans introduced the lex Plautia Papiria de civitate , granting citizenship to more allies under rebellion –
924-480: The single life, and that after the age 45, the odds fall to 1-in-20. In certain Gulf Arab countries, "bachelor" can refer to men who are single as well as immigrant men married to a spouse residing in their country of origin (due to the high added cost of sponsoring a spouse onsite). The term bachelorette is sometimes used to refer to a woman who has never been married. The traditional female equivalent to bachelor
957-533: The urban poor and Pompey 's veterans; the latter added public lands in Campania for distribution. The passage of the first law was troubled. Caesar started his consulship by introducing it; it immediately met a filibuster from Cato the Younger . After being blocked in the senate, Caesar brought the bill before the popular assemblies. Inviting Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus , his co-consul and political opponent, to debate
990-538: The vernacular languages, rather than from the southern French and northern Spanish Latin baccalaria . Alternatively, it has been derived from Latin baculum ("a stick"), in reference to the wooden sticks used by knights in training. From the 14th century, the term "bachelor" was also used for a junior member of a guild (otherwise known as "yeomen") or university and then for low-level ecclesiastics, as young monks and recently appointed canons . As an inferior grade of scholarship, it came to refer to one holding
1023-451: The votes of the jury panels (senators, equites , and tribuni aerarii ) separately, which "imposed a degree of indirect accountability without violating the secrecy of the individual verdict". It was passed with little dissent, receiving "high praise from [Caesar's] contemporaries". Many senators contributed to it, including Cato, who may have proposed the addition of some regulations against extortion of provincial towns. For centuries,
Bachelor - Misplaced Pages Continue
1056-406: The winter, they were made to march naked through the agora singing a song about their dishonor; and they were not provided with the traditional respect due to the elderly. Some Athenian laws were similar. Over time, some punishments developed into no more than a teasing game. In some parts of Germany, for instance, men who were still unmarried by their 30th birthday were made to sweep the stairs of
1089-506: Was an ancient Roman law that was introduced by any member of the gens Julia . Most often, "Julian laws", lex Julia or leges Juliae refer to moral legislation introduced by Augustus in 23 BC, or to a law related to Julius Caesar . During the Social War , a conflict between the Italians and the Romans over the withholding of Italian citizenship, the consul Lucius Julius Caesar passed
#475524