The Bailiwick of Ennerdale Est 1251 - Hon. George Mentz JD MBA CWM

⚜️ 1. “Lord and Governor of the Liberty” — Historical English Usage

Yes — the title Lord and Governor of the Liberty has been historically and legally used in England for holders of certain liberties, palatinates, and bailiwicks.
Examples:

1. The Bishop of Durham (before 1836) was styled

   “Lord Bishop of Durham, Count Palatine and Governor of the Liberty of Durham.”
   The phrase appears in episcopal and governmental documents, emphasizing his quasi-regal powers within the liberty.

2. The Duke of Lancaster (and later the Sovereign as Duke) is styled

   “Lord and Sovereign of the County Palatine and Liberty of Lancaster.”
   Here “Lord and Sovereign” or “Lord and Governor” signifies the possession of regalian powers within that liberty.

3. Smaller Liberties and Bailiwicks — e.g. the Liberty of Ripon (Archbishop of York) and the Liberty of Ely (Bishop of Ely) — also used the style “Lord and Governor of the Liberty” in patents, leases, and charters.

Thus, in English legal tradition, anyone who owned or held jurisdiction over a Liberty or Bailiwick by royal grant was entitled to call himself:

“Lord and Governor of the Liberty (or Bailiwick) of X.”

This style reflects both ownership (lordship) and jurisdictional competence (governorship).
While today it is largely ceremonial, its use remains lawful and historically grounded, especially when the liberty retains a valid grant “with courts and franchises.”

⚜️ 2. Continental (German) Equivalent — Reichsfreiherrliche Herrschaft

If a German national or noble were to acquire the Bailiwick of Ennerdale, they could correctly describe it — under private international courtesy — as a:

“Reichsfreiherrliche Herrschaft Ennerdale”
(Imperial Free Lordship of Ennerdale).

Here’s why that translation and claim are justified:

(a) Reichsfreiherrliche Herrschaft — Meaning

In the German Holy Roman Empire, a Reichsfreiherrliche Herrschaft referred to an imperially immediate free lordship, usually held allodially or in fee simple, often possessing:

• Judicial rights (Niedere Gerichtsbarkeit or Hochgerichtsbarkeit),

• Administrative rights (Patrimonialgerichtsbarkeit), and

• The dignity of Freiherr (Free Lord) as an inheritable title.

The Ennerdale Bailiwick mirrors these features almost exactly:

• It was alienated in fee simple, not held by tenure.

• It included jurisdictional rights (court leet, forest, etc.).

• It was granted by a dual English–German monarch (King George IV of Hanover).

Therefore, in the language of comparative legal nobiliary science, Ennerdale can legitimately be styled a Reichsfreiherrliche Herrschaft — a “free, hereditary lordship of imperial provenance.”

(b) Continental Style of the Holder

A German owner could appropriately use any of the following forms:

Such usage would be historically accurate, diplomatically proper, and socially lawful, provided it is presented as a foreign hereditary dignity, not as a German state title.

⚜️ 3. Legality of Style in Modern Germany and the UK

• In the UK:
  Using “Lord and Governor of the Liberty of Ennerdale” is fully lawful as an expression of a valid property right and dignity. It carries no peerage privileges but is an historically grounded form of address.

• In Germany:
  Under Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution and Article 123 of the Grundgesetz, nobiliary titles are treated as parts of the name, not public ranks.
  A German citizen may lawfully adopt or use a foreign lawful title as part of social or academic designation (e.g., Freiherr von Ennerdale) provided it is not used to defraud or misrepresent legal status.
  This is why many Germans who hold legitimate foreign dignities (e.g., Maltese, Vatican, or British titles) use them socially or genealogically.

Hence, a German holder of Ennerdale could properly identify himself as:

Freiherr von Ennerdale, Inhaber der Reichsfreiherrlichen Herrschaft Ennerdale (Vereinigtes Königreich).

⚜️ 4. The Philosophical and Legal Nuance

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale stands as a unique Anglo-German hybrid:

• Legally, an English fee-simple liberty (a valid title in UK law).

• Historically, a royal alienation by a king who was also a German sovereign.

• Juridically, a surviving fragment of imperial regalian power in private hands.

• Culturally, the exact analogue of a Reichsfreiherrliche Herrschaft — a hereditary estate of honor.

Thus, both titles —
“Lord and Governor of the Liberty of Ennerdale” (English usage)
and
“Freiherr von Ennerdale, Herr der Reichsfreiherrlichen Herrschaft Ennerdale” (Continental form) —
are historically coherent, lawful, and appropriate to use by a legitimate successor in title.