Real Titles

Some of the Dodgier Titles That We Have Come Across

In the course of creating Fake Titles, we have come across some absolutely ludicrous claims from purchasers of ‘titles’, as well as from the sellers; unfortunately some behave in ways that bring little credit to themselves and therefore we felt that it might help you if we highlighted some of those.

‘Lord and Lady’ Bjorn and Maria Teksnes (Shropshire)

This couple own Old Colehurst Manor in Shropshire, a wonderful medieval manor house near Market Drayton that they have lovingly restored, and now hold weddings, residential stays and dinners there. Alas, they also decided to ‘advance’ themselves and bought a name change through ‘Lord’ Robert Farmer; apart from ensuring that they are held up to ridicule by everybody that knows about their sudden elevation, sadly they seem to have acquired a new overbearing manner.

They put Old Colehurst up for sale, but have since removed it from the market, and at the time they insisted that all the staff at Savills, the selling agents, called them Milord and Milady, and the same at Wrekin College where their daughter was at school.

Sir Robert Cowley, 2nd Baron Ardwhallan

Though he has apparently dropped his Barony, it might be interesting to find out the source of his Knighthood as Buckingham Palace and The British Government do not seem to have any record of it. However, he does seem to move around quite a lot in Australia, never staying in one place for long enough to create any permanent friendships, though strangely rather a lot of people seem to be quite glad to say farewell to him.

His associates, such as Warren Clarke Anderson, seem to also boast a similar lack of credibility; Warren claims a “distinguish (sic) [BBA] Hons in International Business Studies, [MBA] Banking & Finance (UK) The Regents University of San Moritz”. The same sort of qualification could be yours for around $500! While Sir or sometimes Dr Andrew Haberfield should be treated with similar caution, especially if any of them offer to raise money for you, but want to be paid an ‘up front’ fee.

I am sure the regulatory authorities would be very interested to hear from anybody with information about ‘Sir’ Robert Cowley, particularly if you have paid him a fee but never succeeded in getting your loan.

Anyone who has dealt with his company Investment Suisse, which he claims is a major Swiss financial institution, might be interested to learn that “Investment Suisse is not authorized by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (nor the former SFBC, FINMA’s predecessor). Investment Suisse is not a legitimate Swiss company, nor is it a bank and has no physical presence in Switzerland”, according to the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.

It apparently operates out of a well-known accommodation address on London’s Piccadilly, which seems unusual for such a large financial institution, however, usefully, it does house an escort service among a plethora of other companies.

You might also like to study his involvement with the strange Lichtenburg Foundation and the amazing Princess Maya, Baroness de Haynau, apparently ‘Baron’ Cowley is a Minister of State for the Principality of Lichtenburg, though the place only seems to exist in someone’s imagination, I am sure though that their aims are purely charitable as stated. You might further like to find out more about another gentleman connected to the Foundation, Lord Hankins of Ravensburn, his title seems to have as much credibility as ‘Sir’ Robert’s; they tried to hold a charity dinner in Queensland, Australia at A$1000 a plate to raise funds, but unfortunately for them there were so few takers that it got called off.

Latest News: ‘Sir’ Robert has now threatened me with a Notice of Intention to Commence Criminal Prosecution, however, he seems to have joined forces with a gentleman called Bernie O’Brien, using the notepaper of the Affordable Legal Company. Bernie’s credibility unfortunately seems to be about as great as ‘Sir’ Robert’s, you might be interested to see his recent performance on YouTube, in which he was questioned about where money that investors had given to him for producing business loans had disappeared to.

Lord or sometimes Sir Charles Buchanan Turnor

If you come across a Knightship for sale in an auction, then do not attempt to buy it. Unfortunately on any number of occasions the unwary have purchased ‘Lord’ Turnor’s Field Knightships of the Plantagenet Toxophilites, quite often paying several thousand pounds, including Ian Whyman of South Yorkshire, MD of a demolition company, who coughed up a hefty £7,000 for two at an auction in Malmesbury held by Hilditch Auctioneers, who really didn’t bother to do much checking.

Lord Charles lives in the grandly named East Barkwith Manor in Lincolnshire, actually a small cottage, but seemed unwilling to talk when approached by a reporter from The People. Do avoid him like the plague, and please report any Knightships that you spot being offered for sale either to me or directly to the police.

The Right Hon the Lord Mitford

The most worrying fact about His Lordship’s Website - apparently not live at present, pending a redesign - is that "Lord Mitford maintains a small collection of books related to genealogy and the peerage and in his spare time conducts genealogy and peerage research". Help! Talk about the blind leading the blind.

Though he may well own the two Manorial Lordships of the Mitford family - he is not able to call himself The Right Hon the Lord Mitford, just Mr Mark Mitford, Lord of the Honour of Mitford, and Lord of the Manor of Molesden; and certainly not The Right Hon, the use of that is reserved for peers of the rank of Baron, Viscount or Earl, and Members of Her Majesty’s Privy Council.

The first and most important fact that needs to be grasped is that you cannot purchase a genuine British title, with the one exception of the feudal title of a Scottish baron; and you certainly cannot buy a peerage title.

In Britain the Sovereign has always traditionally been the sole person to grant titles, though in the last couple of centuries, this has very much been at the instigation of the Government of the day. The title (except in the case of Baronets or Knights) confers the right on the recipient to sit in the House of Lords, and pass on the title to his nearest male heir.

While it is impossible to fathom completely the process by which titles and other honours are awarded by the Government in the twice a year Honours List - at New Year and on the Queen’s Birthday - basically it is for achievement in many different forms: in business, politics, public service, charitable work, help to the community or commitment to their job.

In 1958 the British Government - a Conservative one - introduced the first radical reform of the system, by passing the Life Peerages Act. Though Life Peerages had existed for centuries, mainly given to women, this granted all the privileges of a hereditary peer on a life peer, or Life Baron or Baroness to be more correct, including the right to sit in the House of Lords, and for their children to be addressed as ‘The Honourable’.

In 1997 the Labour Party came to power with a commitment in their Manifesto to remove the right of Hereditary Peers to sit in the House of Lords, and in 1999 this was duly enacted; with the exception of 92 who were allowed to stay, but with no guarantee of how long for, and further ten who were granted Life Peerages because of the positions that they had occupied in the House of Lords previously.

The highest ranking Hereditary Title is that of ‘Duke’, followed by a ‘Marquess’ (sometimes spelt by Scots in the French way as Marquis), ‘Earl’, ‘Viscount’ and lastly a ‘Baron’; the last four are usually personally addressed both in normal speech and on paper as Lord, but not a Duke, he is much grander!

The most common title is that of a Knight, however, this means that you can call yourself Sir in front of your name, and is only for your lifetime; the equivalent for a woman is a Dame.

Just to confuse you further, there is also the title of Baronet, which is hereditary and means that you put Sir in front of your name, and Bt at the end, but the best places to find out more are on Hereditary Titles and also the website of The Standing Council of the Baronetage.

(The picture at the top of the page is of Sir Orlando Bridgeman, my ancestor and 1st Baronet, he was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England to Charles the Second, before being removed from his post for refusing to grant pensions to the Royal Mistresses)