Both Uses of
Esquire
in
A Great and Terrible Beauty
- May I also present Mr. Bartleby Bumble, Esquire?†
Chpt 26 *
- Behind her, Bartleby Bumble, Esquire, is anxiously waiting for his future bride.†
Chpt 26
Definitions:
-
(1)
(Esquire) United States: a lawyer -- typically abbreviated after the name
United Kingdom: a title of respect for a man -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Esquire is also the name of a magazine. As a common noun, esquire was the title of a Middle Ages attendant and shield bearer to a knight. The attendant was also typically a candidate for knighthood. See the linked Wikipedia article for subsequent, but still dated, British usage.