Have you ever fancied being a Lord of the manor? Well now’s your chance to realise that dream.
The Lordship of Postcombe, near Lewknor, is up for sale to anyone interested in taking on the prestigious title.
Offers of around £5,250 are being accepted through Manorial Auctioneers of London and anyone is entitled to the Lordship for a price.
No land comes with the Lordship, just the title, but the new Lord or Lady of the Manor will be able to use it on their passports, chequebooks and credit cards.
They will also be eligible to become a member of the Manorial Society of Great Britain, which was founded in 1906 and holds functions throughout the year, including an annual reception at the House of Lords.
It sounds like an extravagant honour to fork out for, so what sort of person would be likely to take on the Lordship?
Robert Smith of Manorial Auctioneers, which handles the sale of Lordships, said: “It’s usually a man or woman who has quite a lot of everything else.
“They will usually be UK-based and quite often come from the area where the Lordship is based.”
Early in the 20th century the manor passed to the White Baronets, one of whom, Sir Dymoke White, in 1976 sold Postcombe to Colonel Victor Humphries, who was commander of the medical corps in Berlin during the Cold War.
Following Col Humphries’ death, the title passed to his wife and then his daughter, who is now looking to sell it.
In medieval times the manor was held by Abingdon Abbey, the tenants of which from were the de Sulhams, Lords of the Manor of Sulham in Berkshire in the 12tch century.
The family’s male line died out by the mid-14th century and were superseded by the de Philiberts by marriage.
Several generations of this family took part in the Hundred Years’ War, with John de Philibert becoming Mayor of Bordeaux in the 1350s.
After the dissolution of the abbey in 1538 by Henry VIII’s Government, the King granted it to Sir John, later Lord Williams.
By 1603 Thomas Rolles held the manor and those of Lewknor, Nethercote and Moorcourt.
Postcombe, Lewknor and other manors eventually passed into the hands of the Jodrell family, one of whom, Richard Paul, was a Fellow of the Royal Society and the last surviving member of Dr Samuel Johnson’s club.
Dr Johnson was the lexicographer who wrote the first English dictionary and whose friend and biographer was James Boswell.
Interested? For more information on the sale of the Lordship call 02075821588 or visit the official website at www.msgb.co.uk