Inv. Parker contacted Robert Smith of the Manorial Society and initiated an investigative inquiry.  The results were revealing.

Robert Smith, Chairman of The Manorial Society of Great Britain forwarded us a package that contained several documents, including several applications to join said society by individuals who had purchased titles from Antony Boada and/or British Feudal Investments, Ltd.  In each instance, the applications were denied on the grounds that the titles purchased from BFI were found, after extensive research by the Society to be fake and/or worthless.  Details of these denials are as follows:

On January 22^nd, 2001, the Manorial Society received a letter from someone claiming to  be Baron Tearlăch Dunsford-Mac a’ Phearsoin de Vipont, Baron de Vipont, Lord of Belvelly which reads:

Dear Sirs,

I am the current owner of the feudal Lordship of the Manor of Belvelly, as well as the Barony de Vipont.

I am interested in applying for membership to The Manorial Society of Great Britain.

Please find enclosed photocopies of the Deeds of Conveyance, Apostilles, Statutory Declarations regarding the history of ownership, etc.

A deed of transfer, apparently prepared by Pitts-Tucker & Co. and signed by Antony Boada between British Feudal Investments and  Tearlăch Barra Eoin Ros Dunsford-Mac A’ Phearsoin was included as proof of the conveyance of the above title

In their reply, dated January 30^th, 2001, Robert Smith of the Manorial Society states:

Thank you for your letter and enclosures.  I cannot comment on the alleged “Barony of Vipont, but in respect of the alleged “Manorial Lordship of Belvelly”, if it exists, it was not conveyed by the Earl of Shannon to any person or company in 1993 or any other time.  I know Lord Shannon very well and he is a member of this Council.

I note that you have sent me an apostille from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  An apostille is literally “a marginal note”, in this case a stamp granted to a solicitor in respect of signatures.  Just as a notary Public endorses a signature signed before him, so an apostille is simply that.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office stamp, like that of a Notary Public’s is not an authentication of the legality of the documents, or of the statements contained in them. . .

I cannot, in these circumstances, process an application for Membership at this time and I am so sorry to send such a disappointing reply.

Since signing off the attached letter, I note that Mr. Sheikh [of Pitts-Tucker & Company] refers to HM Land Registry.  He is mistaken: Lordships of the Manor are registrable at HM Land Registry in England and Wales, and at the Registry of Deeds, Dublin.  Lordships are a bundle of rights over and under land (Mr Sheikh refers to some of them) and cover immutable area of land.  Provided a map is supplied, HM Land Registry will register a Manor, and this can have much significance in respect of mineral excavation rights, manorial waste, and common land.  It has been estimated that there are some 3 million acres of common land in England and Wales presently parcel of manors, but unclaimed for want of knowledge n most cases, although this is changing slowly.

Mr Sheikh seems not to have been told that Strutt & Parker will no longer willingly do business with Mr Boada.  I cannot comment on FPD Savills.  Both firms are highly reputable and the person who heads Strutt & Parker’s Lordship section is:  S D Hawes FRICS, Strutt & Parker, Coval Hall, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 2Qf.

It is always unwise, I think, to view any purchase of this sort as an “investment”.  At the first auction in which I was jointly associated with Strutt & Parker, in 1981, the average price was just under £3,000.00.  By 1988-89, the average price had risen to about £10,000.00.  By 1993, it had fallen to about £6,000 and by 1996, it was up to about £11,000.00.  It is presently about £7,000.00 . . .

In another letter to the Society, dated June 28^th, 2001, Paul Halpin wrote the following:

I write to enquire about membership to the society on behalf of my Father, Michael Halpin, Lord of the Manor of Ballywalter Denense.   . . .

I have enclosed a copy of the Deed of Transfer relating to the Ballywalter Demense title for your perusal.

A deed of transfer, apparently prepared by Pitts-Tucker & Co. and signed by Antony Boada between British Feudal Investments, Ltd and Michael Halpin was included as proof of the conveyance of the above title.

In their reply, dated August 28^th, 2001, Robert Smith writes:

Dear Mr. Halpin,

I am sorry to tell you that the “Lordship of Ballywalter Demense” is a nonsense in conveyancing terms.  In the British Isles (which includes the Irish Republic), Manorial Lordships are in law “estates in land” and while they no longer come with real property, they cover an immutable area and may enjoy rights over and under the land.

Consequently, they convey as if they were real property with epitome of title: ie proof (a) that there is a property known as the “Lordship of Wherever” (b) proof that the person conveying (selling) is the legal owner.

In the present case, we have found no evidence of such a Lordship in Co Cork or anywhere else in Ireland.  Nor is there any peerage or courtesy title of “Lord Chafford”, the purported signatory to the alleged conveyance as an inspection of Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage would have revealed.  . . .

I am very sorry to have to send you such a disappointing reply.

In a faxed letter to the Society dated October 15^th, 2001, someone identifying themselves as Paul Palmer-Cowell writes:

Further to our telephone conversation today please find enclosed documentation supporting the transfer of the above-mentioned title.  I would be honoured to join the Manorial Society and ask that you please consider my application.

A deed of transfer, apparently prepared by Pitts-Tucker & Co. and signed by Antony Boada between British Feudal Investments and Paul Barry Cowell was included as proof of the conveyance of the title, Lordship of the Manor of Cove of Cork.

In their reply, dated October 16^th 2001, Robert Smith writes:

. . . I am sorry to have to tell you that there is no Lordship of The Manor of Cove in Co Cork and even if there were, there is no evidence, from the papers you have sent me, that British Feudal Investments owned it at the time of the alleged conveyance to Paul Barry Cowell.

My advice is that you should revert to the solicitor who acted for you and if you were not represented at the time of the purchase to engage a solicitor now.

In a letter to the Society dated September 5^th, 2001, Adrian A. Barham, of St James’ House, 77 New Walls, Totterdown, Briston, BS4 3TB writes:

I have recently discovered your internet web site and should be most interested to receive further details regarding application for membership of the Society.  I understand that, in order to release this, you require a copy of the conveyance under which I acquired a manorial title.  Accordingly, please find enclosed a certified copy of the Transfer Deed under which I acquired the Feudal Barony of Berham in November 1998.

I trust this is sufficient for your purposes and I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

In their reply, dated September 12^th, 2001, Rober Smith writes:

Thank, you for your letter and enclosure of the 5^th and we have since spoken on the telephone.

Although incorporeal, feudal baronies and manorial lordships are “estates in land”, covering an immutable area sometimes with rights over and under the land.  Consequently, they convey in the same way as real property with root of title, exemplified by an epitome of title.

As we discussed, there is no root of title given for the conveyance of “Berham” so it is unknown how the vender came to be possessed of it.  Nor is there, according to our records – which are exhaustive – any manor of feudal barony of this name in Kent.

I am sorry to send you so disappointing a reply.

In a letter to the Society, (undated) someone identifying themselves as Mr. C. E. Braddock, 22 Anncroft Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6US writes:

I read your web page with interest and would be very obliged if you could forward an application for membership to your society.

I have enclosed a copy of the transfer deeds for my manor title and hope this meets your approval.

In their reply, dated July 31^st, 2000, Robert Smith writes:

Thank you for your undated letter and “Deed of Transfer”.  Lord Shannon happens to be a member of the Governing Council and, as he had not mentioned selling Carrowreagh, I telephoned him, which brought the enclosed very disappointing reply.

I do not know what has happened in your case, but if you were represented by solicitors then you have a prima facie claim against them for negligence, I would say.

In any event, the assertion on the first page that the “feudal title” was acquired from Lord Shannon in 1993 needs to be proved by reference to the original conveyance or “deed of transfer” to British Feudal Investments Ltd.  Such a conveyance would be backed by an epitome of title or Statutory Declaration as t Lord Shannon’s ownership.

He attached a copy of a letter to Robert Smith, Esq. dated July 28^th, 2000 from the Earl of Shannon, his address given as Pimm’s Cottage, Mans Hill, Burghfield Common, Berkshire, RG7 3BD which states:

Lordship of the Manor of Carrowreagth

Thank you for forwarding the “Deed of Transfer” between British Feudal Investments Limited and Mr. Christopher Braddock.

I am not aware that my family ever owned the manor of Carrowreagh (if there is such a Manor) and I certainly did not make a conveyance of it to anyone in 1993 or at any other time.  The transfer does not even say where the purported Manor is supposed to be located.

(The letter is signed by The Earl of Shannon)

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