Lord of the Manor
The title of
Lord of the Manor arose in the
English medieval system of
Manorialism following the
Norman Conquest. The title 'Lord of the Manor' is quite a different title from those of the
Peerage. Today, a title of 'lord of the manor' is usually represented by just a bundle of old documents and carries no special privileges.
Since
Saxon times land had been owned by a powerful local patron, who gave protection in return. The people who had sworn homage to the lord were known as
vassals. However after the Norman Conquest, all the land of England was owned by the monarch (and still is), who then granted use of it, a transaction known as
enfeoffment, to earls, barons and others in return for military service. The person who held feudal land directly from the king was known as a 'tenant-in-chief'. (see also
Land tenure}.
Military service was based upon units of ten knights (see
Knight-service). An important tenant-in-chief might be expected to provide all ten knights, and lesser tenants-in-chief, half of one. Some tenants-in-chief '
sub-infeuded', ie granted, some of their land to a sub-tenant. Further sub-infeuding could occur down to a lord of a single manor, which might only represent only a fraction of a knight's fee. A
mesne lord was the level of lord in the middle holding several manors, between the lords of a manor and the superior lord. The sub-tenant might have to provide knight service, or finance just a portion of it, or pay something purely nominal. Any further sub-infeudation was prohibited by the Statute of
Quia Emptores in
1291. Knight service was abolished in
1660 by the
Tenures Abolition Act.
A typical manor contained a village with a church and agricultural land. The lord usually had a large block of this land. Some of the inhabitants were
villeins and were bound to the land, others were freeholders, known as 'franklins', who were free from feudal service. Periodically all the tenants met at a 'manorial court', with the lord of the manor, or his steward, as chairman. These courts, known as
Courts Baron, dealt with the tenants' rights and duties, changes of occupancy, and disputes between tenants. Some manorial courts also had the status of a
court leet, and so they elected constables and other officials and were effectively
Magistrates Courts for minor offences.
The tenure of the
freeholders was protected by the royal courts. After the
Black Death, labour was in demand and so it became difficult for the lords of the manors to impose duties on villeins. However their customary tenure continued and in the sixteenth century the royal courts also began to protect these customary tenants, who became known as
copyholders. The name arises because the tenant was given a copy of the court's record of the fact as a title deed. During the nineteenth century manor courts were phased out. In 1925 copyhold tenure formally ended with the enactment of
Law of Property Acts, 1922 and 1924.
Since 1926 the
Historical Manuscripts Commission maintains two Manorial Documents Registers. One register is arranged under parishes, the other is arranged under manors and shows the last-known whereabouts of the manorial records. Those that have survived are often at County Record Offices but some are still in the hands of the owners.
In English and Irish Law, the lordship of the manor is treated as being distinct from the actual lands of the manor. The title of lord of the manor is regarded as an 'incorporeal heriditament' (an inheritable property that has no explicit tie to the physical manor itself) ie it can be held "in gross", and it can be bought and sold, just as fishing rights might. Landowners may, therefore, sell their feudal title while retaining their land. Naive people, often not British, have sometimes been defrauded into paying large amounts for a title believing that it brings special status. Some people have been known to buy fake titles off the internet thinking they were real. (See
False titles of nobility)
Some rights and privileges, or even obligations may go alongside a particular lordship. Lordships with a church affiliation often have a clause that the owner of the title must contribute to the cost of repairs of the church building. If the lordships owns a road, it is possible to charge others a fee for travelling down this road on the basis that they are crossing your land. From this point of view investing in a lordship of the manor could be quite profitable, especially if you are able to sell it again for the same price or more that you purchased it for.
A lot of debate has occurred on the Internet as to whether purchasing a lordship of the manor entitled one to be called a "Lord", the two sides being polarised. The reality is, when people talk about "the right to do this... or that" there is simply no legislation that governs the issue. There is no legislation stating that there is a specific right, or that there is not. However by custom-and-practice it would be possible to refer to yourself as a lord, especially as there is a common-law right to be known by whatever you desire to be known as. However official agencies such as the Passport Agency would be unlikely to recognise your title, whereas various other institutions such as banks are likely to on the basis of respect for the customer's wishes.
