FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEIGNEUR OF FIEF BLONDEL ACQUIRES HISTORIC BAILIWICK OF Stoborough—ONE OF ENGLAND’S LAST
CROWN LIBERTIES WITH COURT LEET JURISDICTION
SEIGNEUR OF FIEF BLONDEL ACQUIRES HISTORIC BAILIWICK OF STOBOROUGH — ONE OF ENGLAND’S LAST
CROWN LIBERTIES WITH COURT LEET JURISDICTION
Wareham, Dorsetshire — [Date, 2025] — The Office of the Seigneur of Fief Blondel
is pleased to announce that Commissioner George Sherwood Mentz, JD, MBA, DSS, Seigneur of the
Fief Blondel and L’Eperons in Guernsey, has formally acquired the
Historic Bailiwick and Liberty of Stoborough, one of England’s last surviving former Crown Liberties possessing Court Leet jurisdiction and the right of the Lord to appoint a Mayor and Bailiff.
The Manor and Liberty of Stoborough, situated on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorsetshire, is among the most ancient manorial territories in
England, first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Stanberge and held by Count Robert of Mortain, half-brother of William the Conqueror. The estate later became known as the Manor of By-East-Wall and Stoborough, referencing its position opposite the
fortified eastern walls of Wareham and extending over 2,600 acres of meadows, rivers, and foreshore reaching into the
sands of Poole Harbour and south toward the lands of Corfe Castle.
Over the centuries, the manor was held by several noble families, including the
Trenchards, the Pitt family of Stratfield Saye, and the Earls of Eldon (Scott family). In the modern era, it retains its ancient
manorial privileges, including hereditary rights of court, fishery, foreshore, and jurisdiction.
The Court Leet of Stoborough, historically convened each Michaelmas, remains one of
the rare examples in England where the Lord of the Manor possessed the authority to appoint both a Mayor and a Bailiff—a legal and ceremonial right
recognized by the Administration of Justice Act of 1977.
With this acquisition, Seigneur Mentz continues a lineage of stewardship dating back nearly a
thousand years. In his statement, he noted:
“The Bailiwick and Liberty of Stoborough represents not only an extraordinary piece of
English legal and cultural history but also a living landscape of environmental and educational value. My
duty as Seigneur is to protect its heritage, preserve its lands and waterways, and ensure that its ancient
traditions—its courts, its freedoms, and its ecological beauty—continue to flourish in the modern era.”
The Liberty of Stoborough today forms part of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve, encompassing protected heathlands, river
systems, and foreshore ecosystems of national importance. The Lordship’s boundaries include the
River Frome, Stoborough Heath, and historic waterways extending into Poole Harbour.
Seigneur Mentz’s acquisition unites his existing Channel Islands seigneuries and English
lordships under a single heritage framework dedicated to historic preservation, cultural scholarship, and environmental stewardship.
About the Seigneur of Fief Blondel
The Fief de Thomas Blondel, located in Torteval, Guernsey, is one of the island’s
most historic Norman fiefs, dating to the 12th century. The Seigneur, George Sherwood Mentz, serves as a Chancellor of the Worldwide Anglican Church, an author, and an educator,
continuing the long Norman tradition of civic and charitable leadership.
Media Contact:
Office of the Seigneur of Fief Blondel & Liberty of Stoborough
Email: info@stoborough.org
Website: www.stoborough.com
Chronology of the Liberty and Manor of Stoborough
A Timeline of One of England’s Last Crown Liberties and Ancient Manors
Pre-Roman and Early Settlement
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Before 1st Century AD – The region around Stoborough forms part of the
Celtic Durotriges Kingdom, a tribe known for hillforts and trade across
the English Channel.
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AD 43–410 – Roman occupation of Dorset begins. The Frome Valley and Poole Harbour
serve as Roman trading ports; artifacts of pottery, coins, and tiles indicate activity at or near
Stoborough.
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5th–7th Centuries – Saxon settlers absorb the territory into the
Kingdom of Wessex, establishing Wareham as a fortified town on the
northern bank of the Frome. Stoborough emerges as the southern outwork of the borough.
Viking and Early Medieval Period
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AD 875 – The Viking Siege of Wareham and Stoborough: Guthrum’s army captures the
fortress and nearby manors; Alfred the Great later regains control.
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10th–11th Centuries – Stoborough (then Stanberge or Stowbergh) develops as a river settlement and port, controlling crossings
between the Purbeck peninsula and the mainland.
Norman and Medieval Eras
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1086 (Domesday Book) – Stanberge is recorded as being held in demesne by Count Robert of Mortain, Earl of Cornwall and half-brother of
William the Conqueror. The manor includes a mill and three households, forming part of the Hundred of Hasler.
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12th–13th Centuries – The manor becomes associated with the estates of
By-East-Wall (“Bi-est-wall”), referring to its location opposite
Wareham’s eastern fortifications.
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1300s – William de Stokes holds the manors of Stoke, Bestwall, and Stoborough under Robert FitzPayne by knight’s service, beneath the Earls of March.
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1400s – The Chauntmarle family of Dorset holds Stoborough and Bestwall. Through
inheritance, the manor passes to the Trenchards of Lytchett.
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1439–1480s – The Trenchards’ lands are later forfeited to the Crown
following rebellion.
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1484 (March 25) – King Richard III grants the “Crown Manor and Liberty of Stoborough” to William Claxton, Esquire, for his loyal service.
Tudor and Stuart Eras
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Late 15th–16th Centuries – After Claxton, the manor reverts to the
Crown.
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1591 – Queen Elizabeth I regrants Stoborough to Sir William Pitt, Clerk of the Exchequer and later Comptroller of the
Household to King James I.
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1636–1643 – Edward Pitt, son of Sir William, inherits Stoborough; he is imprisoned
during the Civil War, and the manor is briefly confiscated by Parliamentarian forces.
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1643–1850 – The Pitt family, later ennobled as the Barons Rivers of Stratfield Saye, retain ownership of Stoborough, Arne,
and Slepe for nearly two centuries.
Georgian to Victorian Period
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1733–1734 – Records of the Court Leet of Stoborough survive, documenting the appointment of
Tithingmen, Constables, Breadweighers, and Haywards, as well as the
Lord’s right to appoint a Mayor and Bailiff—a unique liberty right in all England.
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1849–1850 – The Pitt family (Lord Rivers) commissions a valuation of
estates, including Arne, Slepe, and Stoborough, before selling them to the
Trustees of John Scott, 3rd Earl of Eldon.
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1850–1873 – The Eldon-Scott family assumes lordship; the manor becomes attached to
Encombe House, Corfe Castle.
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1873–1953 – Sir Ernest Stowell Scott, KCMG, second son of the 3rd Earl and Governor
of Jamaica, continues the family’s stewardship.
Modern Era
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1953–2001 – David Eldon Scott, great-nephew of Sir Ernest, resides at
Encombe House and retains manorial rights. The Lordship of Stoborough is
offered for sale in 2001.
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2021 – The Seigneur of Fief Blondel, Commissioner George Sherwood Mentz, JD MBA DSS, acquires the
Crown Manor and Liberty of Stoborough in fee simple, uniting the heritage of Guernsey’s Norman fiefs with one of England’s last true Crown Liberties.
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2021–Present – The Lord of Stoborough maintains the Court Leet and Baron rights, overseeing the preservation of the
Stoborough Heath, Purbeck foreshore, and Frome River lands—continuing a thousand-year lineage of stewardship,
governance, and environmental care.
Summary of Legal and Cultural Legacy
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Crown Liberty Status: Stoborough was one of the few liberties where
regalian rights were devolved into private hands.
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Court Leet Authority: Historically, the Lord of Stoborough could appoint
a Mayor and Bailiff, an extraordinary jurisdiction not known elsewhere in
England.
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Territorial Extent: The Liberty includes lands on both sides of the River Frome, with foreshore, meadows, and heaths stretching to Poole Harbour and the Corfe Castle estate.
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Modern Recognition: Today, much of the Liberty forms part of the
Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site and Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve.
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