Title of lord

[sprayer]

A friend of mine has just been bought the title of LORD on an internet site, it comes with a 2 inch square plot of land on some remote country estate somewhere, but he insists that he can now legaly call himself lord and have his credit cards and passport etc. with the title lord in front of his name. Is this true as it could get you upgrades on airlines, best seats in resturants etc. I just cannot belive it can be that simple but the paper work that came with it says that it is all perfectly legal.....

[vehelpfulguy]

Here is one site that lets you do it

http://www.mac-sothis.com/

No idea if it is "legal" or not, this is what they say:

http://www.mac-sothis.com/legal-become-laird.p hp

[markysngc]

No,

he has bought a manorial lordship, which is not an aristocratic title.

All he is is the lord of the manor for a 2inch plot of land which does not make him a titled lord it simply means he owns that 2inch plot of land, this form of lord is not a title and it can not be used on passports etc.

though he can if he wishes build a stately home on his nice new plot of land

[sprayer]

Thanx for the info I will have to get him the phone number of MANSIONS-R-US to see if they would be interested in building a 2" X 2" palace

[vehelpfulguy]

>though he can if he wishes build a stately home on his nice new plot of land

I know it is a small plot (others sell larger plots) but even owning the land down not actualy allow you to do anything on it.

So even if it was a yard square (or bigger) he could not build on it.

[Ethel]

Anyone can legally call themselves anything they wish - lord, doctor, reverend - anything, as long as they don't do it for fruadulent purposes.

[sprayer]

ah yes Ethel but what would be fraudulent and can i leagaly have lord or baron or doctor on my passport and drivers licence ????

[Ethel]

Yes you can.

It would be fraudulent if you called yourself doctor and charged patients. It would be fraudulent to call yourself lord to get preferential treatment.

It would be fraudulent to pass yourself off as an existing lord, but otherwise you can call yourself anything and have it on your passport or licence.

[sprayer]

very interesting, I may just try it just for the hell of it and to see if anybody in authority questions it. I do not doubt you but it just seems wrong that you can call yourself whatever you like. I will start with my bank first, will try opening another account with lord in front of my name...should be worth a laugh !!!!

[markysngc]

Ethel is, of course, quite correct, you can easily change you name via deed poll to anything (within reason) that you want to, so you could change you name to lord sprayer and it would be perfectly legal and you could then have that name on your passport, credit cards..etc.

However you would then just have the name lord sprayer, you would not have the title of lord at all and, in reality, all you would really achieve is getting all your friends to laugh at you

[jno]

well, you call yourself sprayer on AB and has anybody tried to stop you? Anyone who doesn't like their name is always free to change it; it may get complicated and expensive to amend passports etc but in daily life just tell everyone 'my name is sprayer' (or in this case 'lord sprayer') and that's what they'll call you.

[sprayer]

Quite true but think of the advantage when booking flights or holidays or restaurants when people assume that you are something that you are not. as if its all true you would not be breaking any law you would just be calling yourself by your correct name, what other people assume is purely down to themselves

[Ethel]

But in my experience, sprayer, unless you are in Debrett's Peerage, then maitre d's laugh at you for the plonker you must be.

You book anywhere and use 'lord' or similar title, and they are leafing through Deb's to see who you are. If you ain't in it, they ain't impressed.

[sprayer]

I knew that there must be a down side to it all, still i think i'll try it down the pub now, see if i can get a free pint as
LORD SPRAYER...... I dont think our local has a copy of Deb's

[rojash]

For considerably less than 38 pounds, your friend could have got badge saying "I'm a dork"

[Ice.Maiden]

Awwww......as others've said, your plot of land entitles you to nothing in the way of becoming an actual Lord. You CAN buy defunct titles, but it'd cost you a lot, lot more than what you've paid, and you still wouldn't be a member of the aristocracy. You could use the name, but if you tried to pass yourself off as having a genuine peerage, and managed to hoodwink folk in order to receive favours, then you'd be breaking the law.

[dzug]

Well if I were in business I'd probably upgrade a lord.

Not for free though - I'd figure he was filthy rich and charge him over the odds for it.

[sharonharvey]

Can you be born a Lord if you were not royalty just rich say??