IF you have ever fancied being a Lord of the Manor but thought it was something only available by birthright then your dreams might be about to come true as a Buckinghamshire Lordship goes up for sale.
Offers of around £5,500 are being taken for the Lordship of the Manor of Burbage in Wingrave after it was willed to the Royal College of Surgeons of England by Dame Kathleen Raven.
It is one of a number of Lordships currently on sale from Manorial Auctioneers.
Along with the prestige that comes with being known as Lord or Lady of the Manor, the buyer will be able to use the title on their passport, chequebook and credit cards, as well as being eligible for membership of the Manorial Society of Great Britain.
But buyers beware, for given the current financial state of the country they could well have anyone from political parties to the Chancellor of the Exchequer knocking on their door asking for cash.
“They might get approached by a party to give them some money because if they are known to have the money for a Lordship they might think they’ve got a bit of spare cash,” said Robert Smith of Manorial Auctioneers.
“They might get the Chancellor paying a visit and if not him then one of his stooges.”
The Lordship is being sold privately, so individuals can decide whether or not to go public about their title.
“No-one will have to know about it if you don’t want them to,” said M r Smith. “If you let it be known you have it you might find people wanting you to wield some influence locally, even with things like getting a new road crossing put in.”
There is no land attached to the title, but Mr Smith said people with money to spare might be attracted to the status.
“People are very traditional in this country, especially in more rural areas,” he said. “It is a nice little thing for them to do if they have got everything else.”
