▁bar ons ▁evol ved ▁into ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords . ▁Since ▁the ▁Crown ▁was ▁itself ▁a ▁her edit ary ▁dign ity , ▁it ▁seemed ▁natural ▁for ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁House ▁of ▁Parliament ▁to ▁be ▁so ▁as ▁well . ▁By ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁the ▁her edit ary ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁Pe er age ▁were ▁well ▁developed . ▁The ▁first ▁peer ▁to ▁be ▁created ▁by ▁pat ent ▁was ▁Lord ▁Be auch amp ▁of ▁Hol t ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Richard ▁II . ▁ ▁The ▁modern ▁peer age ▁system ▁is ▁a ▁vest ige ▁of ▁the ▁custom ▁of ▁English ▁k ings ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁and ▁ 1 3 th ▁centuries ; ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁this ▁right ▁( or ▁" title ") ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁granted ▁by ▁dec ree , ▁and ▁titles ▁also ▁became ▁inherited ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁an ▁estate ▁under ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁prim ogen iture . ▁ ▁Non - her edit ary ▁positions ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁created ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁for ▁Law ▁L ords , ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁generally . ▁ ▁The ▁ranks ▁of ▁baron ▁and ▁ear l ▁date ▁to ▁fe ud al , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁Ang lo - S ax on , ▁times . ▁The ▁ranks ▁of ▁du ke ▁and ▁marqu ess ▁were ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁vis count ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁While ▁peer ages ▁for