Fake Scots Titles

[O'Callaghan]

It is, however, possible to purchase an English title of Lord of the Manor. However, the correct style is either Fred Bloggs, Lord of Little Mucking OR Squire Bloggs, to take a made up example. IOW, it doesn't entitle you to use Lord in front of a name, which would indicate a peer, or in some cases customary usage by the son of a peer.

This type of title passes with the land, and is attached to the last part of the land not already sold off, which might be as little as a square foot. The title of Lord of Little Holland was actually given away in a newspaper competition, and was attached to a strip of beach, the rest of the estate having long since been sold off. Obviously, the title can't be sold multiple times to different people.

The best known modern example of someone who acquired a title by buying a property is Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the composer of musicals, or I should say Squire Lloyd-Webber, but note that he cannot style himself Lord Lloyd-Webber, although he would be lord OF somewhere-or-other. To be fair, he did buy the whole estate, but then I'm sure he could afford to.

We used to live a short distance from an old manor house, still inhabited by by the hereditary squire. He always wore a tweed suit and matching hat, and habitually rode an old bicycle. You would know it was his bike because the freewheel mechanism skipped, making a distinctive sound. He did own a very old car, what used to be called a bull-nosed Morris, which he took out perhaps once a year. I think one time he gave us eggs from his chickens, although I can't remember what good turn we had done him. A true eccentric, but his title wasn't bought.