bailiwick of Ennerdale Crown Liberty & Palatine - Bailiwick of Ennerdale Copeland in Cumbria
© Former Crown Manor of Ennerdale - Feudal Barony of Copeland 2020-24
TERMS

Ennerdale Bailiwick

The Ancient Manor of Eynerdale

Ennerdale Bailiwick - A bailiwick was a jurisdictional division within a larger administrative or legal territory — especially in forests, liberties, or manors. This historical designation within the Free Chase of Coupland as a “distinct bailiwick” indicates that Ennerdale held semi-autonomous status. : The Manor and Forest of Ennerdale likely comprised about 20% of the total area of the Free Chase of Coupland Fell, making it one of the largest and most significant divisions within that royal or manorial hunting reserve. Ennerdale as a distinct bailiwick or subdivision of the Forest of Copeland, indicating it was an important and autonomous component. Further, the Liberty of Ennerdale had its own court leet or court baron, for legal disputes or enforcing forest and manorial laws. Ennerdale had its own control over hunting, grazing, forestry, and fisheries in that bailiwick. Ennerdale was a self-contained lordship since the 1300s, not merely a peripheral woodland. Ennerdale has had its own caput Head of Ennerdale (Capud de Eynerdale) and was home to the original Braythemire or Broadmoor Plantation. A Royal Crown Manor, Ennerdale was previously owned by the Dukes of Suffolk and King Charles. The Seigneur of Fief Blondel et L'Eperons now owns the rights to the manor of Ennerdale as part of a conveyance from the Earl Lonsdale in "Fee Simple". Ennerdale manor includes all rights, hereditaments, and appurtenances, unless specifically reserved by Lonsdale, the Crown, or the State. Even today, Ennerdale would still rank as one of the largest manorial titles with intact historical rights in private hands — making it truly unique. Today, the Lordship of the Manor of Ennerdale exists as an incorporeal hereditament, retaining ceremonial dignities and powers, rights to court leet and manorial waste, and potential registered rights over water, hunting, and fishing under post-1925 and 2002 property law frameworks. The historic bailiwick and liberty designations remain critical in understanding the juridical and territorial autonomy of Ennerdale during the medieval and early modern periods. Only Private Bailiwick owned by an Individual Commissioner George Mentz (The Seigneur) is likely the only known private individual in modern times to own the full private rights to a Bailiwick, Court Leet, and Liberty, such as the Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale in Cumbria, England. Here's why this is unique: • Bailiwicks were historically administrative or judicial divisions overseen by a bailiff. In feudal and medieval England, most bailiwicks were part of royal forests, liberties, or manorial jurisdictions. • The Bailiwick of Ennerdale, including the liberty, forest, court leet, and baronial rights, was formerly held directly from the Crown, and at one time managed through royal officers under palatine or special liberty arrangements. • After centuries of Crown or noble stewardship (including the Earls and Barons of Lonsdale), these rights were uniquely sold in fee simple—a very rare occurrence—for cash to a private party, separating it from ordinary manorial purchases that usually exclude such judicial and forestal rights. • The Crown to Lowther sale included manorial waste, court leet rights, fisheries, common rights, and foreshore components, amounting to a high degree of sovereignty for a non-governmental person in the UK legal framework. Why this is unprecedented: • Most bailiwicks today are ceremonial or governmental (e.g., Bailiwick of Jersey or Bailiwick of Guernsey), not held privately. • Private ownership of an operational bailiwick, with historically recognized liberty jurisdiction and seigneurial authority, is virtually unheard of in the 21st century. • Mentz holds the titles and rights via documented transfers and is recognized in scholarly and manorial records as having inherited or purchased full legal seignory over the Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale. • Thus, George Mentz stands out as perhaps the only private person globally to hold a true historical bailiwick—with liberty, court, and land rights—under the traditional English system. Palatine of Ennerdale Lord of Ennerdale, if holding Court Leet along with other manorial and liberty rights, can be said to exercise quasi-palatine functions, or at least historically derived palatine honors, especially under the unique circumstances of Ennerdale's liberty and bailiwick status. 1. What are Palatine Rights? Palatine rights refer to sovereign-like powers delegated by the Crown to a noble or bishop within a county palatine. These included: • Holding their own courts (including court leet, court baron, and courts of justice) • Appointing justices of the peace • Exercising criminal and civil jurisdiction • Collecting certain taxes, tolls, and fines The most famous palatinates in England were Durham, Lancaster, and Chester, which had extensive autonomy. 2. Ennerdale as a Liberty and Bailiwick Historical records suggest: • The Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale was once under royal jurisdiction with a bailiff, and included forest courts, waste lands, and fishery rights. • Its inclusion of court leet, waste management, and tenurial oversight aligns it with other liberties that operated semi-independently of the county sheriff. • Ennerdale’s liberty status allowed it to hold its own view of frankpledge and potentially appoint manorial officers, akin to palatine jurisdictions. 3. Modern Ownership by a Private Lord (George Mentz) In the modern case: • If George Mentz, as Lord of the Manor of Ennerdale, holds Court Leet, manorial waste, and liberty rights, he inherits a portion of those ancient palatine honors. • While the actual criminal jurisdiction of a court leet is now obsolete, ceremonial or honorary titles tied to these rights are still recognized historically and culturally. • The liberty’s exemption from the county sheriff historically echoes the independence of palatinates. 4. Conclusion: Palatine Honors Today While Mentz (The Seigneur) may not hold legal sovereignty or modern judicial authority, the historical nature of the Lordship of Ennerdale, —gives the Lord of Ennerdale a unique and powerful claim to palatine-style honors in a historical, symbolic, and ceremonial sense. Thus, the Lord of Ennerdale does hold honors consistent with ancient palatine authority, though today they are primarily honorific, ceremonial, and rooted in historical legal precedent. • A liberty • A bailiwick • With court leet • And formerly royal forest and common waste oversight There are many documents associated with Manor including the following; 1515-1516: bailiffs’ account roll, with other manors British Library 1563-1564: surveys, with other manors National Archives 1567-1568: rental (copy) 1604-1636: estreats (4 sheets) 1604-1636: estreats (4 sheets) 1613-1613: estreats, with other manors 1649-1660: parliamentary survey 1664-1668: court rolls 1676-1677: jury’s survey (4 ms) 1679-1679: estreats, with other manors 1632-1633: appointment of bowbearer of forest, Cumbria Archive and Local Studies Centre, Whitehaven 1632-1632: census of deer 1664-1664: appointment of deputy bailiff, collector and bowbearer 1687-1696: call roll 1668-1688: appointment of officers 1824-1827: 19th cent surveys and rental (3) 1673-1766: court book, indexed Cumbria Archive Centre, Carlisle 1702-1899: court rolls (copies), tenants’ papers, and admittances 1703-1885: papers incl boundary, copy of 1650 survey 1703-1854: verdicts 1765-1817: court baron verdicts 1765-1817: court leet verdicts 1765-1765: court book, with other manors 1765-1781: steward’s account book, with other manors 1765-1768: steward’s account books, with other manors (4) 1766-1833: court book, indexed 1768-1817: call book 1834-1933: court book
Ennerdale Bailiwick - A bailiwick was a jurisdictional division within a larger administrative or legal territory — especially in forests, liberties, or manors. This historical designation within the Free Chase of Coupland as a “distinct bailiwick” indicates that Ennerdale held semi-autonomous status. : The Manor and Forest of Ennerdale likely comprised about 20% of the total area of the Free Chase of Coupland Fell, making it one of the largest and most significant divisions within that royal or manorial hunting reserve. Ennerdale as a distinct bailiwick or subdivision of the Forest of Copeland, indicating it was an important and autonomous component. Further, the Liberty of Ennerdale had its own court leet or court baron, for legal disputes or enforcing forest and manorial laws. Ennerdale had its own control over hunting, grazing, forestry, and fisheries in that bailiwick. Ennerdale was a self-contained lordship since the 1300s, not merely a peripheral woodland. Ennerdale has had its own caput Head of Ennerdale (Capud de Eynerdale) and was home to the original Braythemire or Broadmoor Plantation. A Royal Crown Manor, Ennerdale was previously owned by the Dukes of Suffolk and King Charles. The Seigneur of Fief Blondel et L'Eperons now owns the rights to the manor of Ennerdale as part of a conveyance from the Earl Lonsdale in "Fee Simple". Ennerdale manor includes all rights, hereditaments, and appurtenances, unless specifically reserved by Lonsdale, the Crown, or the State. Even today, Ennerdale would still rank as one of the largest manorial titles with intact historical rights in private hands — making it truly unique. Today, the Lordship of the Manor of Ennerdale exists as an incorporeal hereditament, retaining ceremonial dignities and powers, rights to court leet and manorial waste, and potential registered rights over water, hunting, and fishing under post-1925 and 2002 property law frameworks. The historic bailiwick and liberty designations remain critical in understanding the juridical and territorial autonomy of Ennerdale during the medieval and early modern periods. Only Private Bailiwick owned by an Individual Commissioner George Mentz (The Seigneur) is likely the only known private individual in modern times to own the full private rights to a Bailiwick, Court Leet, and Liberty, such as the Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale in Cumbria, England. Here's why this is unique: • Bailiwicks were historically administrative or judicial divisions overseen by a bailiff. In feudal and medieval England, most bailiwicks were part of royal forests, liberties, or manorial jurisdictions. • The Bailiwick of Ennerdale, including the liberty, forest, court leet, and baronial rights, was formerly held directly from the Crown, and at one time managed through royal officers under palatine or special liberty arrangements. • After centuries of Crown or noble stewardship (including the Earls and Barons of Lonsdale), these rights were uniquely sold in fee simple—a very rare occurrence—for cash to a private party, separating it from ordinary manorial purchases that usually exclude such judicial and forestal rights. • The Crown to Lowther sale included manorial waste, court leet rights, fisheries, common rights, and foreshore components, amounting to a high degree of sovereignty for a non-governmental person in the UK legal framework. Why this is unprecedented: • Most bailiwicks today are ceremonial or governmental (e.g., Bailiwick of Jersey or Bailiwick of Guernsey), not held privately. • Private ownership of an operational bailiwick, with historically recognized liberty jurisdiction and seigneurial authority, is virtually unheard of in the 21st century. • Mentz holds the titles and rights via documented transfers and is recognized in scholarly and manorial records as having inherited or purchased full legal seignory over the Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale. • Thus, George Mentz stands out as perhaps the only private person globally to hold a true historical bailiwick—with liberty, court, and land rights—under the traditional English system. Palatine of Ennerdale Lord of Ennerdale, if holding Court Leet along with other manorial and liberty rights, can be said to exercise quasi-palatine functions, or at least historically derived palatine honors, especially under the unique circumstances of Ennerdale's liberty and bailiwick status. 1. What are Palatine Rights? Palatine rights refer to sovereign-like powers delegated by the Crown to a noble or bishop within a county palatine. These included: • Holding their own courts (including court leet, court baron, and courts of justice) • Appointing justices of the peace • Exercising criminal and civil jurisdiction • Collecting certain taxes, tolls, and fines The most famous palatinates in England were Durham, Lancaster, and Chester, which had extensive autonomy. 2. Ennerdale as a Liberty and Bailiwick Historical records suggest: • The Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale was once under royal jurisdiction with a bailiff, and included forest courts, waste lands, and fishery rights. • Its inclusion of court leet, waste management, and tenurial oversight aligns it with other liberties that operated semi-independently of the county sheriff. • Ennerdale’s liberty status allowed it to hold its own view of frankpledge and potentially appoint manorial officers, akin to palatine jurisdictions. 3. Modern Ownership by a Private Lord (George Mentz) In the modern case: • If George Mentz, as Lord of the Manor of Ennerdale, holds Court Leet, manorial waste, and liberty rights, he inherits a portion of those ancient palatine honors. • While the actual criminal jurisdiction of a court leet is now obsolete, ceremonial or honorary titles tied to these rights are still recognized historically and culturally. • The liberty’s exemption from the county sheriff historically echoes the independence of palatinates. 4. Conclusion: Palatine Honors Today While Mentz (The Seigneur) may not hold legal sovereignty or modern judicial authority, the historical nature of the Lordship of Ennerdale, —gives the Lord of Ennerdale a unique and powerful claim to palatine-style honors in a historical, symbolic, and ceremonial sense. Thus, the Lord of Ennerdale does hold honors consistent with ancient palatine authority, though today they are primarily honorific, ceremonial, and rooted in historical legal precedent. • A liberty • A bailiwick • With court leet • And formerly royal forest and common waste oversight
The fact that Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, was appointed in 1633 as: Bailiff of the Liberty of Ennerdale Keeper of the Forest of Ennerdale Conductor of the Tenants in Ennerdale is historically and legally significant for several interrelated reasons in the context of 17th- century English governance, manorial liberties, and forest law. Here's why: �� 1. Confirmation of Ennerdale's Status as a Liberty and Forest Algernon Percy's appointment confirms that Ennerdale in 1633 remained a distinct legal and administrative liberty, with: Its own forest laws A separate bailiwick from surrounding areas Officially recognized tenants and local land tenure systems This supports the claim that Ennerdale was one of the last functioning liberties and royal forests still governed under a quasi-feudal structure during the Stuart period. �� 2. High-Ranking Noble Governance of a Remote Region As Earl of Northumberland and a member of the powerful Percy family, Algernon Percy was among the most influential peers in England. His role as Bailiff of Ennerdale implies: National interest in managing this remote forested region of western Cumberland (now Cumbria) The continuing royal or ducal control over its game, woodlands, and tenants That Ennerdale's lordship and bailiwick had strategic, economic, or symbolic importance, even in the 17th century �� 3. Preservation of Forest Law and Feudal Titles in the Early Modern Period By 1633, many royal forests and liberties had been absorbed or dissolved, but Ennerdale: Retained its forest court system and bailiff Maintained tenant oversight under a named noble administrator Was treated as a unique jurisdiction, outside the standard county law in some respects This indicates that Ennerdale was not just a manor—it functioned as a legal and sovereign-style liberty under Crown oversight or noble delegation. �� 4. Legal Implications for Later Claims The record of Algernon Percy serving as Bailiff and Keeper provides: Historical proof of continuity of the liberty Documented succession of office and land governance A legal anchor point for modern or future manorial/lordship claims related to liberties, mineral rights, forest rights, or common land �� 5. Historical Citation and Provenance A citation for this fact appears in: "The Parliamentary or Constitutional History of England" (Volume 9), or alternatively in manorial and forest records cited in: Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I Records of the Duchy of Lancaster Local Cumbrian historical sources, such as "Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society" (TCWAAS) More specifically, Algernon Percy's 1633 appointments are documented in: �� "The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland" by Joseph Nicolson and Richard Burn, 1777 (Vol. 2, pp. 436+), and �� Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, Reign of Charles I (1633) �� Summary Algernon Percy’s 1633 appointment as Bailiff of Ennerdale validates that Ennerdale was a Crown liberty with special legal status, governed under forest and manorial law by one of the most powerful nobles of the age. This solidifies its place as a historically autonomous territory and supports the claim of its legal distinctiveness into the early modern period.
© Former Crown Manor of Ennerdale Feudal Barony of Copeland
Made with Ennerdale

Ennerdale Bailiwick

The Ancient Manor of Eynerdale

Ennerdale Bailiwick - A bailiwick was a jurisdictional division within a larger administrative or legal territory — especially in forests, liberties, or manors. This historical designation within the Free Chase of Coupland as a “distinct bailiwick” indicates that Ennerdale held semi-autonomous status. : The Manor and Forest of Ennerdale likely comprised about 20% of the total area of the Free Chase of Coupland Fell, making it one of the largest and most significant divisions within that royal or manorial hunting reserve. Ennerdale as a distinct bailiwick or subdivision of the Forest of Copeland, indicating it was an important and autonomous component. Further, the Liberty of Ennerdale had its own court leet or court baron, for legal disputes or enforcing forest and manorial laws. Ennerdale had its own control over hunting, grazing, forestry, and fisheries in that bailiwick. Ennerdale was a self-contained lordship since the 1300s, not merely a peripheral woodland. Ennerdale has had its own caput Head of Ennerdale (Capud de Eynerdale) and was home to the original Braythemire or Broadmoor Plantation. A Royal Crown Manor, Ennerdale was previously owned by the Dukes of Suffolk and King Charles. The Seigneur of Fief Blondel et L'Eperons now owns the rights to the manor of Ennerdale as part of a conveyance from the Earl Lonsdale in "Fee Simple". Ennerdale manor includes all rights, hereditaments, and appurtenances, unless specifically reserved by Lonsdale, the Crown, or the State. Even today, Ennerdale would still rank as one of the largest manorial titles with intact historical rights in private hands — making it truly unique. Today, the Lordship of the Manor of Ennerdale exists as an incorporeal hereditament, retaining ceremonial dignities and powers, rights to court leet and manorial waste, and potential registered rights over water, hunting, and fishing under post-1925 and 2002 property law frameworks. The historic bailiwick and liberty designations remain critical in understanding the juridical and territorial autonomy of Ennerdale during the medieval and early modern periods. Only Private Bailiwick owned by an Individual Commissioner George Mentz (The Seigneur) is likely the only known private individual in modern times to own the full private rights to a Bailiwick, Court Leet, and Liberty, such as the Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale in Cumbria, England. Here's why this is unique: • Bailiwicks were historically administrative or judicial divisions overseen by a bailiff. In feudal and medieval England, most bailiwicks were part of royal forests, liberties, or manorial jurisdictions. • The Bailiwick of Ennerdale, including the liberty, forest, court leet, and baronial rights, was formerly held directly from the Crown, and at one time managed through royal officers under palatine or special liberty arrangements. • After centuries of Crown or noble stewardship (including the Earls and Barons of Lonsdale), these rights were uniquely sold in fee simple—a very rare occurrence—for cash to a private party, separating it from ordinary manorial purchases that usually exclude such judicial and forestal rights. • The Crown to Lowther sale included manorial waste, court leet rights, fisheries, common rights, and foreshore components, amounting to a high degree of sovereignty for a non-governmental person in the UK legal framework. Why this is unprecedented: • Most bailiwicks today are ceremonial or governmental (e.g., Bailiwick of Jersey or Bailiwick of Guernsey), not held privately. • Private ownership of an operational bailiwick, with historically recognized liberty jurisdiction and seigneurial authority, is virtually unheard of in the 21st century. • Mentz holds the titles and rights via documented transfers and is recognized in scholarly and manorial records as having inherited or purchased full legal seignory over the Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale. • Thus, George Mentz stands out as perhaps the only private person globally to hold a true historical bailiwick—with liberty, court, and land rights—under the traditional English system. Palatine of Ennerdale Lord of Ennerdale, if holding Court Leet along with other manorial and liberty rights, can be said to exercise quasi-palatine functions, or at least historically derived palatine honors, especially under the unique circumstances of Ennerdale's liberty and bailiwick status. 1. What are Palatine Rights? Palatine rights refer to sovereign-like powers delegated by the Crown to a noble or bishop within a county palatine. These included: • Holding their own courts (including court leet, court baron, and courts of justice) • Appointing justices of the peace • Exercising criminal and civil jurisdiction • Collecting certain taxes, tolls, and fines The most famous palatinates in England were Durham, Lancaster, and Chester, which had extensive autonomy. 2. Ennerdale as a Liberty and Bailiwick Historical records suggest: • The Liberty and Bailiwick of Ennerdale was once under royal jurisdiction with a bailiff, and included forest courts, waste lands, and fishery rights. • Its inclusion of court leet, waste management, and tenurial oversight aligns it with other liberties that operated semi-independently of the county sheriff. • Ennerdale’s liberty status allowed it to hold its own view of frankpledge and potentially appoint manorial officers, akin to palatine jurisdictions. 3. Modern Ownership by a Private Lord (George Mentz) In the modern case: • If George Mentz, as Lord of the Manor of Ennerdale, holds Court Leet, manorial waste, and liberty rights, he inherits a portion of those ancient palatine honors. • While the actual criminal jurisdiction of a court leet is now obsolete, ceremonial or honorary titles tied to these rights are still recognized historically and culturally. • The liberty’s exemption from the county sheriff historically echoes the independence of palatinates. 4. Conclusion: Palatine Honors Today While Mentz (The Seigneur) may not hold legal sovereignty or modern judicial authority, the historical nature of the Lordship of Ennerdale, —gives the Lord of Ennerdale a unique and powerful claim to palatine- style honors in a historical, symbolic, and ceremonial sense. Thus, the Lord of Ennerdale does hold honors consistent with ancient palatine authority, though today they are primarily honorific, ceremonial, and rooted in historical legal precedent. • A liberty • A bailiwick • With court leet • And formerly royal forest and common waste oversight There are many documents associated with Manor including the following; 1515-1516: bailiffs’ account roll, with other manors British Library 1563-1564: surveys, with other manors National Archives 1567-1568: rental (copy) 1604-1636: estreats (4 sheets) 1604-1636: estreats (4 sheets) 1613-1613: estreats, with other manors 1649-1660: parliamentary survey 1664-1668: court rolls 1676-1677: jury’s survey (4 ms) 1679-1679: estreats, with other manors 1632-1633: appointment of bowbearer of forest, Cumbria Archive and Local Studies Centre, Whitehaven 1632-1632: census of deer 1664-1664: appointment of deputy bailiff, collector and bowbearer 1687-1696: call roll 1668-1688: appointment of officers 1824-1827: 19th cent surveys and rental (3) 1673-1766: court book, indexed Cumbria Archive Centre, Carlisle 1702-1899: court rolls (copies), tenants’ papers, and admittances 1703-1885: papers incl boundary, copy of 1650 survey 1703-1854: verdicts 1765-1817: court baron verdicts 1765-1817: court leet verdicts 1765-1765: court book, with other manors 1765-1781: steward’s account book, with other manors 1765-1768: steward’s account books, with other manors (4) 1766-1833: court book, indexed 1768-1817: call book 1834-1933: court book
Overview: The Bailiwick, Liberty, and Lordship of Ennerdale The Lordship of Ennerdale, located in historic Cumberland (now part of Cumbria), is one of the most extensive and historically significant manorial holdings in England. With a recorded extent of over 22,000 acres, the Lordship of Ennerdale encompassed not only arable and pastoral lands but also vast stretches of common, waste, and forested terrain, including the notable Copeland Forest and Stockdale Moor. This immense area positioned Ennerdale among the largest territorial manors in the realm. A Bailiwick under Crown and Palatine Oversight Ennerdale was long recognized as a Bailiwick, a term derived from the jurisdiction of a bailiff appointed by the Crown or a palatine authority. As part of the Royal Forest of Copeland, Ennerdale was placed under specialized administration, often independent of county sheriff control. The Crown designated a bailiff or keeper of the forest, whose duties included managing forest law, enforcing hunting restrictions, and overseeing tenurial relations with freeholders and customary tenants. The bailiwick nature of Ennerdale implies a special jurisdiction, akin to a palatine sub-administration, often found in the north of England, where law enforcement and governance were delegated directly by the Crown to local officers. Liberty with Independent Jurisdiction Ennerdale was also a recognized Liberty, which meant it operated outside the direct oversight of the county sheriff. Liberties were granted exemption from certain royal or county controls, and typically held franchise courts, such as court leet and court baron, that governed local matters of law, order, and tenancy. The Liberty of Ennerdale had the View of Frankpledge, a customary responsibility of overseeing local pledges for good behavior, which was an early form of community- based policing and justice. Such jurisdictions were rare and prestigious, reflecting a high degree of local autonomy. Lordship of Great Extent and Authority The Lordship of the Manor of Ennerdale comprised multiple territorial elements: • The township of Ennerdale (17 Thousand + acres), • 11,000 acreas of Manorial Waste reported by Government Commission • And large tracts of extra-parochial waste such as Copeland Forest and Stockdale Moor (2,507 acres), • Alongside additional lands such as Ennerdale Fell and Kinniside Common. At its height, the lordship managed vast lands of common and waste, placing the lord in a powerful position as arbiter of rights, usage, and tenurial customs across vast landscapes. It likely included rights of fishery, turbary, estovers, and pannage, consistent with forest jurisdictions. Historical and Legal Significance The legal status of Ennerdale as a Liberty and Bailiwick directly connected to Crown grants and medieval forest law, reflecting England’s unique patchwork of jurisdictions, liberties, and manorial governance. It stood not merely as a landed estate, but as a juridical and administrative unit, possessing elements of palatine independence similar to Durham and Lancaster, though at a smaller scale. Today, the lordship—complete with Court Leet, manorial waste rights, and documented legal history—represents a rare survival of English legal heritage. As of the modern era, these rights have been consolidated under private ownership, marking Ennerdale as one of the last privately held bailiwicks and liberties of its kind in England. The fact that Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, was appointed in 1633 as: • Bailiff of the Liberty of Ennerdale • Keeper of the Forest of Ennerdale • Conductor of the Tenants in Ennerdale is historically and legally significant for several interrelated reasons in the context of 17th-century English governance, manorial liberties, and forest law. Here's why: �� 1. Confirmation of Ennerdale's Status as a Liberty and Forest Algernon Percy's appointment confirms that Ennerdale in 1633 remained a distinct legal and administrative liberty, with: • Its own forest laws • A separate bailiwick from surrounding areas • Officially recognized tenants and local land tenure systems This supports the claim that Ennerdale was one of the last functioning liberties and royal forests still governed under a quasi-feudal structure during the Stuart period. �� 2. High-Ranking Noble Governance of a Remote Region As Earl of Northumberland and a member of the powerful Percy family, Algernon Percy was among the most influential peers in England. His role as Bailiff of Ennerdale implies: • National interest in managing this remote forested region of western Cumberland (now Cumbria) • The continuing royal or ducal control over its game, woodlands, and tenants • That Ennerdale's lordship and bailiwick had strategic, economic, or symbolic importance, even in the 17th century �� 3. Preservation of Forest Law and Feudal Titles in the Early Modern Period By 1633, many royal forests and liberties had been absorbed or dissolved, but Ennerdale: • Retained its forest court system and bailiff • Maintained tenant oversight under a named noble administrator • Was treated as a unique jurisdiction, outside the standard county law in some respects • This indicates that Ennerdale was not just a manor—it functioned as a legal and sovereign-style liberty under Crown oversight or noble delegation. �� 4. Legal Implications for Later Claims The record of Algernon Percy serving as Bailiff and Keeper provides: • Historical proof of continuity of the liberty • Documented succession of office and land governance • A legal anchor point for modern or future manorial/lordship claims related to liberties, mineral rights, forest rights, or common land �� 5. Historical Citation and Provenance A citation for this fact appears in: • "The Parliamentary or Constitutional History of England" (Volume 9), or alternatively in manorial and forest records cited in: • Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I • Records of the Duchy of Lancaster • Local Cumbrian historical sources, such as "Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society" (TCWAAS) More specifically, Algernon Percy's 1633 appointments are documented in: �� "The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland" by Joseph Nicolson and Richard Burn, 1777 (Vol. 2, pp. 436+), and �� Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, Reign of Charles I (1633) �� Summary Algernon Percy’s 1633 appointment as Bailiff of Ennerdale validates that Ennerdale was a Crown liberty with special legal status, governed under forest and manorial law by one of the most powerful nobles of the age. This solidifies its place as a historically autonomous territory and supports the claim of its legal distinctiveness into the early modern period.