Become a Lord for £20,000: Historic title of Lord of the Manor of Weston-super-Mare that dates back 950 years is listed for sale… but doesn’t come with any land
- Lordship title for Weston-super-Mare dating back 950 years listed for £20,000
- But the title – thought to predate 1066 invasion – does not include any land
- It is owned by private owner and is being sold by specialists Manorial Services
An ancient lordship title which experts believe may predate the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066 has gone on sale for £20,000.
However, the 950-year-old title – which would make its owner Lord or Lady of the Manor of Weston-super-Mare – does not include any land.
It is being sold by Bournemouth-based specialists Manorial Services Ltd on behalf of a private owner, who bought the lordship in 1980, and will come with documents relating to the title from 1482 up until 1852.
An ancient lordship title which experts believe may predate the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066 has gone on sale for £20,000. However, the 950-year-old title – which would make its owner Lord or Lady of the Manor of Weston-super-Mare – does not include any land
Stephen Johnson, head of research for Manorial Services Ltd, said the title does not come with any land, but does come with records that are hundreds of years old and leases related to fishing in the village.
It is thought the title likely predates the Norman aggression of 1066, but the history of its ownership begins with the Domesday Book.
The manuscript is a record of the ‘Great Survey’ of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by the order of William the Conqueror.
Mr Johnson told the BBC: ‘Weston-super-Mare is a very famous town, so it’s very rare that a title comes up like this for a famous place.
‘It would be nice to see that the new title owner has an interest in getting involved in the local area. A lot of people buy titles as a way of rewarding themselves or because they have a personal interest in the history of an area.’
Stephen Johnson, head of research for Manorial Services Ltd, said: ‘Weston-super-Mare is a very famous town, so it’s very rare that a title comes up like this for a famous place’
The lordship title appears to have had just four familial owners in its 950 year history, the first record of which is in the Domesday Book.
In 1086, Weston received an entry describing how a William – a local tenant of the Bishop of Coustance – had bought the historic title.
By the early 11th century, Weston had come into the possession of the Clapton family of Clapton-in-Gordano – now a service station on the M5.
In 1696, it was bought by the Smyth-Piggot family, who played a large part in developing Weston-super-Mare into a seaside resort. And in 1980, it passed over to a private owner – who is now selling the title.
Both the Manorial Society of Great Britain and Manorial Services Ltd said the title is a ‘rare opportunity’ as it is ‘unusual’ for an historic name to be available for purchase.
Lords were once the most important person in village affairs whether it was collecting taxes for the King or having the power to inflict death in the courts.
The Normans institutionalised the manorial system in the Domesday Book.
Source: Read Full Article
