Lordship of Manor of Weston-super-Mare title up for sale

Previous owners of the title were responsible for the development of the town into a seaside resort

A "famous" lordship dating back 950 years has gone on sale for £20,000.

The title will make its owner Lord or Lady of the Manor of Weston-super-Mare, but does not include any land.

It is being sold by a private owner who bought it in the 1980s. It has had four previous owners.

The Manorial Society of Great Britain and Manorial Services Ltd said the lordship will be a "rare opportunity" as it was "unusual" for a famous name to be available for purchase.

The Lord of Weston title is being sold by Bournemouth-based specialists Manorial Services Ltd and will come with documents relating to the title from 1482 up until 1852.

The historic seaside town is well know for its Grand Pier which first opened in 1904 before being destroyed by fire in 1930

The head of research for Manorial Services Ltd Stephen Johnson said the property 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.

"Weston-super-Mare is a very famous town, so it's very rare that a title comes up like this for a famous place," he said.

"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."

Historic manor

The manor has had four owners within it's 950 year history:

• 1086 - William, a local tenant of the Bishop of Coustance

• 1125 - The Clapton family

• 1696 - The Smyth-Piggot family

• 1980 - Private owner

The Piggot family played a large part in developing Weston-super-Mare into a seaside resort.

Lordships of the manor are among the oldest titles in England and pre-date the Norman conquest, according to the Manorial Society of Great Britain.

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 1086 Domesday Book compiled for William the Conqueror with details of principal landowner.