HOW do you measure up to the likes of King Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror or the de Lacy family? You could join the ranks of the great and the good by investing a mere £8,000 in the title of Lord of the Manor of Accrington.

The 900-year-old status, one of seven Lancashire Manors to be auctioned off in London on December 10, is now owned by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, in Hampshire.

The first recorded owner was King Edward the Confessor and after the Norman Conquest of 1066, it was given by William the Conqueror to the powerful de Lacy family.

Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, was the next owner until he was beheaded in 1322 by his cousin King Edward II.

Successive kings and queens of England held the Manor until Charles II granted it to General Monck, later Duke of Albermarle, for his help in ensuring the restoration of the King.

The person who buys the title will be allowed to call themselves Lord of the Manor of Accrington or the Lord of Accrington.

The title can be used on passports, credit cards and cheque books, and the owner will also be permitted to join the Manorial Society of Great Britain, whose governing council includes the Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord Sudeley.

The sale, at Stationer's Hall in London, expects to fetch between £6,000 and £8,000.

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