The next Lord or Lady of West Bromwich has arrived as title sold to unnamed buyer for £28k at auction

The title, which is one of the oldest nobility titles in England, was up for grabs on Thursday.

'The Lordship of the Manor of West Bromwich' went under the hammer with a guide price of £20,000 – a small price to pay for those who long for a taste of the high life.

The buyer will be able to put the title on their passport, and in certain cases, have enforceable rights including the right to claim what is known as the Waste of the Manor (land not claimed by others) and rights to mines and minerals and sporting or fishing rights.

Celebrities who came from West Bromwich who may have thrown their hat in the ring include Frank Skinner, Robert Plant and Cat Deeley.

Gurpreet Bassi, chief executive of Bond Wolfe, said: "This title predates the Norman invasion in 1066 and brings with it the right for the purchaser to style him or herself, The Lord or Lady of West Bromwich.

"It's very rare for a title of this antiquity to come on the market, and we are expecting interest, not only in the UK but from around the world, from those proud of their West Bromwich roots."

The motto on the Coat of Arms of the Lord of the Manor of West Bromwich is "Gaudet Tentamine Virtus" or "Strength rejoices in the challenge".

England is almost unique in the world in still having legally valid Lordship titles which can be bought and sold.

The feudal system which such titles represent dates back over 1,000 years to the Saxon period and continued throughout the Middle Ages and up to the present day and, even though the law was modernised in 1922, titles and their privileges were preserved.

The Manor of West Bromwich came into existence in Saxon times and at the time of the Doomsday Book in 1086 was held by William Fitz Ansculf, the Lord of Dudley.

The Lords of Dudley continued to hold the Manor of West Bromwich until 1322 and by the 15th century it was held by the Vernon family and then by the Shelton and Jervoise families until it was bought by the 4th Earl of Dartmouth in 1823.

West Bromwich, not to be confused with Castle Bromwich, first appears as a tiny settlement in the 8th century when the area was known as "Bromwic" meaning a settlement in the broom. The open heathland in the area must have been covered in broom.

Gurpreet Bassi added: "As they say in the Black Country, you'd have to be 'saft as a biled taernip' to miss the chance to proclaim your West Bromwich roots to the world and leave a legacy for your children."

The Lordship of the Manor of West Bromwich was sold to a buyer, who wished to remain anonymous, for £28,500,.

Bond Wolfe has set a new record for auction sales in 2023 at its latest livestreamed event on Thursday.

More than £26 million was raised as auctioneers sold 135 lots from the 163 lots offered for a success rate of 83 per cent – well above the industry average.

The 2023 auctions began in February with £16.6m raised, followed by £23m in March, £22.4m in May and £23.1m in July.

Highlights of the day-long sale included the sale of the Acorn Centre, a collection of workshops sold on behalf of Walsall Council for £134,000 from a guide price of £50,000.

There was competitive bidding followed for a 7.4-acre freehold parcel of land off Pedmore Hall Lane , Hagley, near Stourbridge, which had a guide price of £69,000+ and eventually sold for £242,000.

35-37 High Street, Pelsall, Walsall, a freehold, mixed use development, sold prior to the auction for £590,000, from a guide price of £500,000.

Another freehold mixed use investment at 9-17 Station Road, Codsall also sold before the auction for £870,000, from a guide price of £800,000.

Mr Bassi added: “This was truly a national auction with lots and interest across the Midlands, in London, Wales and the North West and North East.

“Such is the demand for auction lots, that we would seriously urge anyone seeking to sell to contact us urgently so that we can assess the property and include it in our marketing as we now turn our attention to our next auction on Thursday, October 26."