Hon. George Mentz JD MBA CWM – Author – Lawyer – Education Pioneer – Good Will Ambassador

Historical Pedigree and Provenance of the Bailiwick, Liberty, Manor, and Forest of Ennerdale

I. Overview and Significance

The Bailiwick, Liberty, Manor, and Forest of Ennerdale is a historic and legally distinct feudal territory located in the ancient county of Cumberland, now part of Cumbria, England. Uniquely, Ennerdale is not merely a manorial holding but a recognized Liberty and Bailiwick, once administered independently under its own customs and forest law, and later sold outright by the Crown. As such, it remains one of the few hereditary private jurisdictions in England with documented legal autonomy, foreshore rights, and forestal privileges.

II. Ancient Origins

The origins of Ennerdale’s territory date back over a thousand years. The valley (or "dale") of Ennerdale, nestled in the Lake District, was long associated with royal forest lands held in the name of the Crown and preserved under forest law, an independent legal system in medieval England. The “Forest of Ennerdale” formed part of a vast royal domain designated for hunting and preservation, governed by forest officers, verderers, and bailiffs. It held a distinct status from the ordinary manorial system and included elements of palatine administration, typical of frontier regions in the North.

During the Middle Ages, parts of the lands were under the Barony of Copeland, and the Honour of Cockermouth, before becoming part of the extended holdings of the Earls of Lonsdale.

III. Sale by the Crown – 1822

In 1822, during a major rationalization of Crown landholdings and under the authority of the Commissioners of His Majesty’s Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues, the Forest and Liberty of Ennerdale was formally and legally sold in freehold to the Earl of Lonsdale. This was not a lease, patent, or life estate—but an absolute sale of land and manorial rights, including:

• The bailiwick and liberty jurisdiction;

• The forest land and waste;

• Any residual court leet or baronial rights;

• Foreshore and water rights, as implied by customary law;

• Authority to act as lord in fee simple, not in service to a higher barony or overlord.

This transaction, recorded in parliamentary and land commission documents, makes Ennerdale one of the rare examples where a Crown liberty and bailiwick were alienated to a private holder with full jurisdictional dignity.

IV. Provenance and Descent

The Liberty of Ennerdale remained in the hands of the Lowther family, Earls of Lonsdale, for generations. As with many noble families in the 20th and 21st centuries, portions of their estates and dignities were gradually alienated, sold, or transferred.

In the 21st century, the rights, title, and dignity of the Bailiwick, Liberty, Manor, and Forest of Ennerdale were formally and legally acquired by The Hon. Commissioner George Mentz, JD MBA DSS, a distinguished American legal scholar, author, professor of law, and former U.S. Presidential Commissioner. The acquisition included:

• A lawful transfer of title under English property law;

• The recognition of the manorial dignity, liberty, and bailiwick by legal opinion and historical precedent;

• Full entitlement to any associated arms, seals, or ceremonial rights inherent to the Liberty and Forest.

V. Rights and Distinctions of the Ennerdale Liberty and Bailiwick

Unlike typical manorial titles, Ennerdale holds a higher degree of legal and historical significance due to its origin as a Crown liberty and forest bailiwick, which includes:

• The right to create and maintain a legal seal or crest of the bailiwick;

• Court rights, including any surviving baronial or leet functions;

• Potential claims to foreshore, water, and mineral rights, based on the 1822 sale;

• Traditional authority to act as lord and bailiff, with accompanying dignity;

• Legal recognition as a "free tenant in chief", not in service to a higher manor;

• Preservation of symbolic jurisdiction, particularly within heraldic, ceremonial, and historical contexts.

VI. Present Lord and Seigneur

The current Lord and Bailiff of Ennerdale is the Hon. George Mentz, who is also:

• The Seigneur of the Fief of Blondel and L’Éperons in Guernsey (with real beaches and foreshore rights);

• A Doctor of Jurisprudence and MBA;

• A knighted dignitary and chancellor of several philanthropic, educational, and religious bodies;

• A guardian of feudal heritage, who maintains the dignity, seal, and international recognition of his holdings.

• A Datuk Seri of the Sultanate of Kampar which is akin to being awarded a noble status as a Count of Earl by the Kingdom and Government in South Asia

• A KOFO Warrior of ancient Akan Kingdom under the auspices of the government recognized Royal House and Local Council of Sefwi Obeng-Mim and the Chieftaincy of His Royal Highness Oheneba Nana Kwame Obeng II

Commissioner Mentz has restored and preserved the traditions of Ennerdale, including the creation of a formal seal of the Bailiwick, a crest, and ceremonial observances honoring its ancient forestal and liberty heritage.