On 12 March 2014 07:56, Mark Sutherland-Fisher (HFH) < [email protected]> wrote: > These things are not valid. They do not lead to someone becoming anything > except poorer. The Lord Lyon does not recognise these fake titles. In > Scotland there are approximately 10,000 Baronial titles. > Actually there *are* baronetcies which are associated with tiny tiny bits of Scottish land which are not fake. Recognised by the Lord Lyon with whom one has to register each time the baronetcy changes hands. I traced a 3 generation certificated tree for a lady in England who had bought a baronetcy in the Borders. It was done through her lawyer and seemed to be a means of avoiding inheritance tax. As far as I could gather, she could leave this title to anyone ...she had no children of her own....and the inheritor could sell it without paying tax. Irene

Irene, That is not a Baronetcy. A Baronetcy is a hereditary knighthood. There were 2 major groups both founded by James VI. The Baronets of Nova Scotia were founded to raise the cash to pay for the development of Canada and the Knights Baronet were founded to pay for the Plantation of Ireland. In the 19th century they also became popular for industrialists and politicians. The most recent Baronetcy created is currently held by Sir Mark Thatcher 2nd Bart, of the title created for his late father, Sir Dennis. Many think this was done because as a former Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher was entitled to have an "Earldom" created, which as a woman would see her a Countess. Because there were suggestions of an outcry, she only took a Life Peerage which did not pass to her son unlike an Earldom which would. She created an Earldom for Harold MacMillan who had been PM in the 1950s when he became Earl of Stockton, a title now held by his grandson I think. If there are Baronies (note the difference) which attach to small parcels of land these are pre-existing and almost certainly relate to the footprint of a building which at one time was a castle or fortified house at the centre of an estate. The sort of thing Maisie was referring to is people who find themselves buying a piece of ground roughly 1 foot by 1 foot square having been told that enables them to call themselves "Lord" or "Lady". Your lady in England had bought a Baronial title. There is a semi-official organisation which administers the sale of these. Regards, Mark From: Irene Macleod [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 17 March 2014 15:16 To: [email protected] Cc: Maisie Egger; Newsgroup Lanarkshire Subject: Re: Scottish Baronetcy On 12 March 2014 07:56, Mark Sutherland-Fisher (HFH) <[email protected]> wrote: These things are not valid. They do not lead to someone becoming anything except poorer. The Lord Lyon does not recognise these fake titles. In Scotland there are approximately 10,000 Baronial titles. Actually there are baronetcies which are associated with tiny tiny bits of Scottish land which are not fake. Recognised by the Lord Lyon with whom one has to register each time the baronetcy changes hands. I traced a 3 generation certificated tree for a lady in England who had bought a baronetcy in the Borders. It was done through her lawyer and seemed to be a means of avoiding inheritance tax. As far as I could gather, she could leave this title to anyone ...she had no children of her own....and the inheritor could sell it without paying tax. Irene