What's your title today?

From time to time I have the rather unpleasant task of turning down an application for an entry in The Armorial Register. Occasionally it is because the armorial bearings don't meet our requirements (in which case we try to work with the applicant to remedy the problem) but more often than not it is because the applicant seeks verification of his so called title. "Proof" of the title is always called for, especially when the person refers to themselves as Lord First Name and Surname of Somewhere.

Today we had an applicant who sent along his proof and I thought it worth sharing his Letters Patent of Nobility (I have edited the image to remove his name and so called title to save embarrassing him) because it is of some armorial interest and worth discussing; of course there is no merit to the title and the holder of it is simply the victim.

I am quite sure I have seen the main arms somewhere but can't bring it to mind; the wee group of 16 shields reminds me of images taken from Joseph Foster's Dictionary of Heraldry and have, I'm quite sure, simply been added to add some credibility to an otherwise worthless document. The achievement top right, with the supporters, reminds me of the Ethiopian College of Heraldry but probably isn't.

According to the title vendor's website, our friend seems to have parted with over £900 for this piece of paper. Unfortunately he doesn't appear to have researched the numerous sites warning against such a purchase. 



For a larger image with correct attribution of the arms see http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/elite-titles-edit.jpg

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