What was/is a position of power under an Earl?

I'm doing this for a short story and I need to know who served an Earl, who was his banker, or something like that.|||Earls have existed from the 7th century AD until the present day.





Is your story about a pagan Saxon earl? a Norman earl? A Tudor one? a 17th.18th/19th/20th century one? Or the present day?





The answer will be different in each case!|||An earl was given a piece of land (a shire) etc. by the king!He was naturally in charge of everyone that lived on this piece of land, as people/peasants didn't own land themselves but simply lived and worked there ( that is until quite recently).When there was a war on the people living on his land were also obliged to follow him into battle as common soldiers. He was also naturally in charge of the people in his household.





Now I'm not too sure who exactly served under an Earl apart from his own household. i guess he had people taking charge of his finances, but I don't think it was an official/ appointed position|||The title I think you want is "Keeper of the Privy Purse"





Privy means belonging or proper to a person, such as the British sovereign, in a private rather than official capacity.





The other officers in the Earl's serivice would be his Private Secretary,


and the "Master of the Household鈥檚 Department".|||The titles (in England) are:





Lord/Lady (Knight)


Baron/Baronet


Earl (Count in Europe)


Marquis/Marquesse(a) mostly in Europe


Duke/Duchess


Archduke/Archduchess (RARE)