A Baronet is a Commoner. Baronets are eligible for election to the House of Commons. Baronets are not part of the Peerage.

Baronetcies did occur before 1600, but very rarely. The title appears to have been equivalent to Banneret.

In 1611 King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland granted letters patent to two hundred gentlemen, of good birth with an income of at least £1,000 a year, in return for which each was required to pay for the upkeep of thirty soldiers for three years. These Baronets were created on 22 May 1611, 29 Jun 1611, 24 Sep 1611 and 25 Nov 1611.

Wives of Baronets are referred to as "Lady"; they are not Baronetesses. Most Baronetcies descend through the male line only hence Baronetesses are rare. See Created Baronetesses of England.

Before 1631. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 74) and Jane Pole. Unusual for showing the couple holding hands. Sir Thomas was one of the richest and most influential people in south Wales. Not only had he acted as MP and Sheriff of Glamorgan on several occasions, he had been knighted, and in 1611 became one of the first ever to be given the title Baronet - see May 1611 Creation of Baronets. Sir Thomas wears a white doublet with delicate lace collars and cuff, and a dark tunic intricately embroidered with gold. These were not his everyday clothes, but would have been chosen especially for the portrait, to demonstrate his wealth and taste. Beards were considered a sign of virility, and were important fashion statements for men. Thomas Mansel wears his long and squared. Lady Jane wears a dark dress embroidered with gold and an elaborate lace collar and headdress, offset by a lavish triple-string of pearls. This was an age when new fashions and luxury materials like lace were being imported from abroad. Her costume was not of the latest fashion, and suggests the taste of an older generation. Lady Jane holds a marigold, also called Mary's Gold. This may be a reference to their daughter Mary, who appears with her parents in another, almost identical portrait. Marigolds were often used to symbolise grief and comfort, so it may also refer to the death of Jane's second husband.

Jane Pole: she was born to Thomas Pole of Bishops Hall. Before 20 Dec 1631 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet and she were married.