There are various institutions that boast that, for a certain sum of money, they can provide you with a genuine title of nobility. BE WARNED: There is no such thing as a genuine dealer in noble titles. However, there are a few types of lordships that can be purchased. In Britain, these fall into two categories:

1. Scottish feudal baronies. Many of the feudal baronies of Scotland were never incorporated into the peerage, and Scottish law permits the sale of the caput of a barony – usually a particular piece of land which is regarded as the core of the baronial domain.
The new owner of such a property is then entitled to petition the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who has authority over such matters in Scotland, for recognition as “the Baron of ___”, or “Baron ___”.

However, such feudal barons are NOT entitled to be styled “Lord ___”. This is reserved for members of the peerage.[8]

[8] The English word peer is derived from the French pair, indicating someone who is equal to the sovereign; a member of the nobility.
The Scottish equivalent of an English baron is styled a Lord of Parliament; unlike the Scottish feudal baron, such a lord is in fact noble.

2.a. English manors: From time to time an English manorial lordship will come on the market, and might be sold for a considerable sum.
But again, the possession of such a property does not entitle its owner to be a member of the peerage. He (or she) may be called “Lord of the Manor of ___”, but may not be styled “Lord ___” – this is reserved for members of the House of Lords.[9]

[9] The style “Lord ___” used with a given name, rather than a surname or title, is reserved for the sons of dukes and marquesses, and for the eldest sons of earls. An earl’s eldest son will generally have a courtesy title, and so will not use this style anyway.
For women, the style “Lady ___” used with a given name is reserved for the daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls.
The wife of a peer (usually a viscount or baron), a Scottish feudal baron, a baronet or a knight will usually be styled “Lady ___” and her husband’s title or surname – never the given name. An alternative is to use “Dame ___” and the given name, but although is technically acceptable, it is rarely encountered.

2.b. Scottish lairdships: Similar to the English manor is the type of Scottish estate whose owner may be styled “Laird”. As in the case of a feudal barony, this can often be acquired through the purchase of a ridiculously small piece of land.
The sellers of such “postage stamp”-sized estates frequently spout such preposterous rubbish as the argument that the title laird is little understood in foreign countries, and that it is permissible to style oneself “Lord ___”.

As in the two previous instances, this is utter rubbish.IT NEEDS TO BE EMPHASISED that neither a Scottish feudal barony nor a lesser lordship – be it an English manorial lordship[10] or a Scottish lairdship – will entitle its holder to be regarded as a member of the nobility.

[10] A manor is a peculiarly British concept, comprising landholdings that have been maintained as a manor since the Middle Ages.

Titles of nobility are within the gift of crowned heads, of which Europe retains but a handful. It is not possible to trade in them.

Occasionally the holder of an ancient title will have no living descendants to whom he may pass his title. From time to time a dealer in fanciful and obscure material might advertise that such a title may be passed to a stranger in return for a large sum of money. Anyone tempted by such an invitation should be on his guard.

For reliable information on the purchase of Scottish feudal baronies or lairdships, English manors and other such tradeable titles, there is no better authority on the Internet than the British website The Baronage Press.

It has so successfully undermined the business of charlatans that it has been the target of a great many attacks, usually by underhand means, and mostly through the manipulation of the Internet.

No attempt has been made to approach Baronage through British courts of law, which would be a reasonable avenue of seeking redress if it had published false, unfair or incorrect information – an accusation frequently levelled at it.