From a book of useful knowledge for young ladies printed in 1815, here is a list of proper forms of address for any important person you might wish to write to, all the way down to the ones who are only “worshipful” by virtue of their offices.
Superscriptions for Letters.
To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty.
To the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty.
To the Prince. To his Royal Highness, &c.
To the Princess. To her Royal Highness, &c.
To Archbishops. To his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury; or, To the most Reverend Father in God, &c.
To Bishops. To the Right Reverend Father in God, &c.
To Deacons, Archdeacons, &c. To the Reverend A — B — , D. D. Dean of W—.
To the inferior Clergy. To the Rev. Mr. A — , &c. or, To the Rev. Doctor, &c.
To the great Officers of State. To the Right Honourable R— Lord H— , Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. Lord President of the Council. Lord Privy Seal. One of his Majesty’s principal Secretaries of State, &c.
To temporal Lords. To his Grace the Duke of, &c. To the most Honourable the Marquis of, &c. To the Right Honourable the Earl of, &c. To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount, &c. To the Right Honourable the Lord, &c.
The eldest sons of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls, enjoy, by the courtesy of England, the second title belonging to their father: thus the eldest son of the Duke of Bedford, is called Marquis of Tavistock; of the Duke of Grafton, Earl of Euston; of the Earl of Macclesfield, Lord Viscount Parker, &c. and their daughters are called Ladies, with the addition of their Christian and Surname; thus, Lady Caroline Russel, Lady Augusta Fitzroy, Lady Betty Parker, &c.
The younger sons of Dukes are in like manner called Lords; and those of Marquises and Earls, together with all the children of Viscounts and Barons, are styled Honourable.
To a Baronet, Honourable; to a Knight, Right Worshipful; to an Esquire, Worshipful.
Every Privy Counsellor, though not a nobleman, has the title of Right Honourable.
All Ambassadors have the style of Excellency; as hath also the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and the Captain General of his Majesty’s forces.
The Lord Mayor of London, during his mayoralty, has the title of Right Honourable; and the Sheriffs, during that office, have the title of Right Worshipful.
All Mayors of Corporations have the title of Esquires during their office.
For the Beginning of Letters.
To the King. Sire, or, May it please your Majesty.
To the Queen. Madam, or, May it please your Majesty.
To the Prince. Sir, or. May it please your Royal Highness.
To the Princess. Madam, or, May it please your Royal Highness.
To a Duke. My Lord, or, May it please your Grace.
To a Duchess. Madam, or, May it please your Grace.
To an Archbishop. May it please your Grace.
To a Marquis. My Lord, or, May it please your Lordship.
To a Marchioness. Madam, or, May it please your Ladyship.
To an Earl, Viscount, or Baron. My Lord, or, May it please your Lordship.
To their Consorts. Madam, or, May it please your Ladyship.
To a Bishop. My Lord, or, May it please your Lordship.
To a Knight. Sir, or, May it please your Worship.
To his Lady. Madam, or, May it please your Ladyship.
To a Mayor, Justice of Peace, Esquire, &c. Sir, or, May it please your Worship.
To the Clergy. Reverend Sir; Mr. Dean; Mr. Archdeacon; Sir, &c. as circumstances may require.
At subscribing your name, conclude with the same title you began with ; as, My Lord, your Lordship’s, &c.
To either House of Parliament, to Commissioners, and Bodies Corporate.
To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled.
To the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in Parliament assembled.
To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, or Admiralty.
To the Honourable the Commissioners of his Majesty’s Customs; Revenue of the Excise, &c.
To the Right Worshipful the Governors of Christ’s Hospital.
To the Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants, of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
——The Female Instructor; or, Young Woman’s Companion. Liverpool: Nuttall, Fischer, and Dixon, [1815].