Squire or Esquire (from the English. Esquire) - a title in the UK, awarded for special services to the state and people. It is the lowest noble title in England, which is rooted deep in medieval history.
History
The English word esquire comes from the Norman escuier, which translates as “squire”. The appearance of the word on foggy Albion dates back to the 14th century, although it itself appeared three hundred years earlier. Initially, a squire is a knight's squire, his faithful servant and assistant. Later, this title was granted to all nobles who had their own emblem and seal, but did not bear the superior title of a knight. Often you can come across the opinion that a squire is a basic marker of a nobleman, at the same time indicating that he has no other titles and merits. Historically, the title was given at an early age to boys whose fathers were the armor-bearers of the knights or the knights themselves.
After a while, the word “esquire” was transformed into “squire”, which indicated that a person belonged to a small landowner. Squire often was the landowner of a single village, leasing its territory. This was the main item of his income. In return, the squire received a formal position in the village council.
Situation today
Today, the squire title is awarded in various English-speaking countries. So, in today's England, a squire is an official or official who works closely with the government. In the USA, “squire” is an appeal to lawyers with appropriate education, diploma and qualifications. There you can hear a similar appeal to the workers of diplomatic missions.
When writing a title, the word is often not written in its entirety and is reduced to esq. In general, British dictionaries give only one method of using this word - in writing. It is also worth saying that Squire is a common British surname.