Lordship of the manor of Rotherham goes on sale for £15,000

The lordship of the manor of Rotherham has gone up for sale – with the deeds to the title priced at £15,000.

Vendors Manorial Services said it was “unusual” for the opportunity to buy the title of such a large town.

It last changed hands in 1988, and previous aristocratic holders of the manor include the Earls of Shrewsbury, the Dukes of Norfolk and the Earls of Effingham. The latter family lived at Thundercliffe Grange, and held the title for 250 years.

A spokesperson for Manorial Services said: “It is very unusual for the lordship of such an important and well-known place to come to the market.”

They said: “The manor of Rotherham played a central role in the governance of the town before the 19th Century and its illustrious owners include the Earls of Effingham, who sold the lordship in 1988.

“Rotherham is rightly famous as an industrial powerhouse but throughout its long and fascinating history its lords of the manor have played an important part.

“This title is now available and we are looking for offers in the region £15,000 for a unique part of Rotherham and Yorkshire history.”

The title will be sold along with its relevant documents that date from 1536 up until 1878.

Rotherham became known for its coal and steel industries, but the market town was founded in the Saxon period.

After the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror awarded the manor to his half-brother, Robert, who became a major landowner.

The town was still under the control of the manorial courts until the start of the 19th Century, but these were eventually superseded by a more modern justice system.

Other lordships currently on sale by Manorial Services include Belper, Derbyshire, with an asking price of £8,500, Micklefield in Hertfordshire, for £8,500, Barforth in Durham for £8,000 and Staunton, Devon, for £8,000.