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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 35, 28 August 1902, Page 29

An English paper, referring to Lord Gerard, says : The fi,rst Baronet was made 291 years ago. The title is said to owe its existence to the first Earl Salisbury, who suggested the baronetage as a means of swelling the coffers of James the First. ' Tush, sire,' the Earl is reported to have staid on the king questioning his scheme ; ' tush, you wart money ; it will do yooi good, aad the honor will do the gentry very little harm.' So it came about that in 1611, undej, the guise of raising a b^nd of citizens for the ' amelioration of Ulster,' 18 baronets were made at the rate of £1000 apiece. The Earl of Salisbury's plan had been for tho creation of 200 titles on tho payment of £1000 each, but the king was less daring, and it was some time before the two hundredth baronetcy was created!. The cash value of the title, however, was as the Earl proposed, and care was taken every baronet should be a man of at least a thousand pounds a year. It is reported that the fee for one of the ftjr&t batch of baronets — Sir Thoroas Gerard, of Bryn, Lancashire, the founder of the title of the Lord Gerard who was with Sir Redvers Buller in Natal was returned to him by the King in consideration of his devotion to the cause of the King's mother ; so that the family of Lord Gerard has to its credit Uie first baronetcy which was freely given without money and without price.