T: 01327 828602 - E: enquire@manorial.co.uk

FAQ

These are the frequently asked questions we receive from our clients. Should you have any additional questions about our service, or these answers are not clear, please contact us.

About Lordships Our Service BEWARE! Adding a Title to Your Life

About Lordships

Q. What is a manor?

A. A manor is a collection of lands grouped into an administrative unit for tax collection.

Q. What is a lordship?

A. A lordship is a collection of rights over the manor, including the right to call yourself Lord.

Q. How many lordships and feudal baronies were there?

A. No one knows exactly, however it is estimated that there were approximately 20,000 lordships and 300 feudal baronies.

Q. I have been told the Crown owns all the lordships where the owners are not known. So how can you sell the titles?

A. Although all unowned property passes to the Crown, the Crown still has to prove there is no owner. It takes extensive knowledge and time to do our work, which the Crown would have to research and undertake. The Crown estate has decided that this is too much work for the value of the lordship so make no claims for lordships where the owners are not known.

Q. What is the difference between a feudal barony and any other type of barony?

A. A feudal barony is the earliest form of barony. The term was used for a collection of overlordships, so has its existence justified by rights over land. A baron would have rights over a group of lords. Feudal baronies were sold/ conveyed like lordships, so are property. The later use of the words baron and barony were titles granted by the Crown to individuals. These are known as peerages. Unlike feudal baronies these cannot be sold/conveyed. When granted, the Crown decided whether the peerage would be inheritable or if it would become extinct when the holder died. Where a baron has no heirs a peerage barony becomes extinct.

Our Service

Q. What is a UK registered solicitor?

A. It is a criminal offence for someone in the UK to claim to be a practising solicitor who is not. All practising solicitors must be registered with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) and are given an SRA registration number. On the SRA website you can check if a solicitor is legitimate. All solicitors also have to adhere to a strict code of conduct and each year many solicitors are struck off by the SRA for not meeting these standards.

Q. What is “The Gazette”?

A. The Gazette (formally known as the “London Gazette) is a publication where legal notices are placed and where the Queen announces her Honours. As such, it is also an official public record.

Q. How do I pay?

A. After you have read and signed the contract, we will provide you with our bank details for you to transfer the funds either in the UK or from abroad. Alternatively, you can pay via PayPal.

Q. How long does it take to purchase a lordship title?

A. We like to allow 4-6 weeks.

Q. I am a foreign national, can I still purchase a lordship title?

A. Yes, a lordship title is property and there are no restrictions on this type of property being purchased by foreign nationals.

Q. Do I get land with a title?

A. No, we only sell legal rights to use historic lordship/barony titles. Our clients want to own a piece of English history but do not wish to be burdened with land and potential liabilities that can be contained within the lordship. Possible liabilities are maintaining a church, repairing roads, bridges and quaysides. These liabilities can amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds and be hidden at the time of purchase.

BEWARE!

Q. Some websites offer land with a title, are these the best titles to purchase?

A. A well-known scam is to sell a tiny block of land and say it also commands a title. These pieces of land are usually 300mm square. They have no more a right to a title than anyone who marks out a small square of their garden. The sellers also ask the customer to name their title. To demonstrate how ridiculous this offering is, you can give yourself the title of Lord Mickey Mouse!

Q. Can I register my lordship title?

A. No. HM Land Registry used to maintain a registry of lordships but they did not require the applicant to prove ownership. Due to lack of demand, the registry was closed. Any registry you see online and run by societies/companies has no standing legally or otherwise. Care should also be taken when providing your details to these societies/companies as they may use them for illegal purposes. Also, many of these societies/companies charge a fee. What are you getting for your money? As part of our service we publish your ownership of the title in The Gazette. As these notices can only be placed by a member of the legal profession, the online notices act as an accurate record of titles held, and therefore undertake the similar function as a register.

Q. There appear to be historic societies for manorial lordships, are they what they appear to be?

A. Historic implies something that has existed for at least 100 years. There are NO societies on the internet that have existed this long. Unfortunately, there are limited companies that trade in titles on the internet who claim to have existed for over 100 years. Where such a claim is made look in the small print and you will probably find that the society is in fact a limited company incorporated much later. A search of UK Companies House will show when the company was incorporated. If a company/society lies about the time they have existed, we strongly recommend you treat them with extreme caution.

Q. Other websites offer insurance policies to guarantee the lordships they sell, do you offer this?

A. No, the rights we sell all have three UK SRA registered solicitors confirming their legality. If a seller claims to offer an insurance policy, ask to see a copy before you proceed and contact the insurance company direct to check it out. We suspect it will not be sent to you, as we know of no such policies that exist. This is a scam and the so-called title seller should be avoided as they are probably selling nothing but worthless pieces of paper.

Q. Other websites offer manorial rings, chains of office, and manorial robes, do you offer these?

A. These items can be readily purchased on the internet for far less. We only supply a legal right to use a lordship title and that is where our expertise lies.

Adding a Title to Your Life

Q. Can I add my title to my passport?

A. Yes, you can apply to add your title to your passport on the observation page. Complete the correct passport amendment/renewal form, these are available online or at the post office (in the UK), and send a copy of the solicitor’s letter of introduction together with a copy of the conveyance deed.

Q. How do I word my title?

A. A lordship or barony title is an expression of being tied to a certain place, which is why most lords are proud to show their title as being Lord of XXXX. It has also been accepted through the centuries that the “of” can be dropped. You therefore have a choice as owner of the title to use whichever you prefer. It should be noted that a title is an addition, not a change, to your name, so for official documentation you must still provide your name. It is acceptable in many circumstances to just use your title. For example, your bank accounts must include your name but on your cards you may wish to just have your title. You must never use Lord or Baron in front of your name as that is reserved for peerages, and pretending to be a peer is a criminal offence.

Q. How do I ensure the title passes on to my heir?

A. Make a will. A title can only be passed on to one individual, not necessarily a family member, but if you have two children who will inherit half your estate each then you must specify which child will get the title.

Q. I want to pass my title onto my son/daughter whilst I am still alive?

A. Contact us and we can prepare a conveyance to make the transfer. We can also place a notice in The Gazette and provide a new solicitor’s letter of introduction. A fee for this service will be required.