Their role was to administer justice and to collect taxes and revenues, often being castellan of the local castle. Under the Normans, the position developed into a hereditary one, an example of such being the viscounts in Bessin. The viscount was eventually replaced by bailiffs, and provosts.

What does being a viscount mean?

: a man who is a member of the British nobility and who ranks below an earl and above a baron. See the full definition for viscount in the English Language Learners Dictionary. viscount. noun.

Are viscounts Royal?

A viscount is the fourth rank in the peerage of the United Kingdom, Great Britain, England, Scotland and Ireland. ... It was only turned into a noble title, with hereditary dignity, in England by Henry VI in 1440, following the similar transformation of that title in France.