The Bailiwick and Liberty of Ennerdale

An Ancient Jurisdiction Held in Private Stewardship

Overview

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale, located in the historic county of Cumberland in North West England, is one of the rarest surviving examples of a privately held bailiwick, liberty, and lordship—a unique blend of feudal heritage and legal tradition that stretches back nearly a millennium.

Today, the title and territorial rights to this historic domain are held by Commissioner George Mentz, JD MBA CWM DSS, who may be the only private individual in the world—outside of King Charles III—to lawfully hold and own the rights to a full historical bailiwick under English law.

What Is a Bailiwick?

A bailiwick is a medieval legal and administrative jurisdiction, typically governed by a bailiff acting under royal or quasi-royal authority. Historically, bailiwicks were found in royal forests, liberties, and special jurisdictions, often possessing autonomy from the sheriff of the county. In cases like Ennerdale, the bailiwick included:

• Judicial powers (court leet, court baron)

• Stewardship of waste and common land

• Forest management

• Tenurial oversight and manorial rights

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale historically operated as an independent liberty within the Forest of Copeland, granting it privileges and responsibilities akin to those of a small palatine authority.

Size and Jurisdiction

Ennerdale is one of the largest lordships in all of England, encompassing over 22,000 acres at its height, including:

• Ennerdale township – 13,178 acres

• Kinniside township – 6,722 acres

• Copeland Forest & Stockdale Moor – 2,507 acres

• Plus enclosed lands like Ennerdale Fell and Kinniside Common

Approximately 11,000 acres of unenclosed waste and moorland once fell under its management, providing significant rights of common, turbary, estovers, and fisheries. The Liberty also included View of Frankpledge, a legal practice in which local freemen were grouped into pledges and held accountable for each other's conduct—an early form of communal justice.

A Liberty with Legal Autonomy

The Liberty of Ennerdale functioned independently from the county’s sheriff and courts, maintaining its own court leet for the administration of minor criminal and civil matters. It was exempt from some royal taxes and possessed the rare right to govern local affairs without external interference—a privilege typically reserved for ecclesiastical liberties or palatine territories.

These rights positioned Ennerdale as a semi-sovereign estate, echoing the greater liberties of Durham and Lancaster.

Modern Stewardship: George Mentz

In the 21st century, the rights and titles to the Bailiwick and Liberty of Ennerdale were lawfully transferred in fee simple—an exceedingly rare transaction. Today, the manorial rights, court leet, waste land interests, and associated honors are held by George Mentz, an international lawyer, law professor, and commissioner.

George Mentz is believed to be the only private individual in the modern world to own a bailiwick, making him the only private bailiwick-holder in the United Kingdom aside from the Sovereign, King Charles III, who holds royal bailiwicks such as Jersey and Guernsey.

This makes the Lordship of Ennerdale not just a historic relic, but a living legal entity—an operational liberty and bailiwick with court rights and historical continuity. Mentz’s stewardship honors centuries of English legal tradition, forest law, and liberty governance.

Legacy and Significance

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale stands as a powerful symbol of England’s feudal past, decentralized justice, and customary rights. In a world where such jurisdictions have all but vanished, Ennerdale remains a rare and extraordinary exception.

Through preservation, research, and public education, the Bailiwick of Ennerdale offers a living testament to the ancient institutions of liberty, lordship, and lawful autonomy that shaped the British Isles.

The Historical Lordship of Ennerdale: A Borderland Bailiwick of Vast Extent

Early History and Scottish Influence

The Lordship of Ennerdale, located in what is now Cumbria, occupies a unique position in the history of the British Isles—sitting at the confluence of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Scottish spheres of influence. During the early medieval period, Ennerdale formed part of the contested border region between England and the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde, and later Scotland.

By the late 11th century, King Malcolm III of Scotland (Malcolm Canmore) and his son, David I, exercised dominion over large parts of what is now northern England, including Cumberland, Westmorland, and Northumberland, areas that were considered Scottish possessions, either nominally or practically. During this period of overlordship (c. 1070s–1157), powerful Scottish lords were installed to manage these remote and often lawless border territories.

It is widely believed that Ennerdale, due to its scale, remoteness, and strategic location, may have been part of a Scottish lordship, distinct and potentially larger than an English barony. It functioned as a quasi-independent holding, likely under the control of Scottish-aligned nobles or royal agents tasked with securing the western frontier.

From Forest Lordship to Bailiwick

Following the return of Cumberland to English control under King Henry II in 1157, the lands of Ennerdale were incorporated into the Royal Forest of Copeland, a vast area of protected land governed by forest law. Ennerdale evolved into a forest bailiwick—a district administered by a royal bailiff responsible for enforcing forest customs, managing tenancies, and upholding the king’s rights to hunting and land use.

The term bailiwick reflects the legal jurisdiction once exercised independently from the county sheriff. Ennerdale’s court leet, view of frankpledge, and liberty status placed it among the few lordships in England with enduring autonomous jurisdiction.

One of the Largest Manorial Holdings in England

The size of Ennerdale is what sets it apart historically. According to 19th-century parish and manorial records, the area included:

• Ennerdale Township – approx. 17,782 acres - The manor territory being Larger than New York City

• Kinniside Township – approx. 6,722 acres

• Copeland Forest / Stockdale Moor – approx. 2,507 acres

• Ennerdale Fell (waste) – approx. 7,637 acres

• Kinniside Common – approx. 5,189 acres

• Over half of the Lordship of Ennerdale is made up of manorial waste, including wild mountain terrain, upland crags, moors, fells, and lake. This vast area of unenclosed, traditionally governed land under manorial and liberty rights makes Ennerdale one of the largest and most topographically diverse lordships in England.

While some of these territories may have fluctuated in jurisdiction over the centuries, the Ennerdale estate at its height exceeded 22,000 acres, with over 11,000 acres of unenclosed manorial waste and forest. This size rivals or exceeds many baronies and even some minor palatinates in medieval England and Scotland.

Unique Legal Status and Continuity

As a liberty and bailiwick, Ennerdale maintained view of frankpledge, court leet, and exclusive administrative oversight over tenants and common rights, especially in the forest. It was governed by a keeper of the forest or bailiff, often appointed directly by the Crown or its delegates, further distinguishing it from ordinary manorial estates.

Over the centuries, Ennerdale passed through the hands of powerful families, including the Barons of Egremont and the Earls of Lonsdale, but retained its liberty status and feudal franchises even into the 19th and 20th centuries.

Modern Ownership and Revival

In a rare and notable modern development, the manorial and liberty rights to Ennerdale were acquired in fee simple by George Mentz, an international lawyer, legal scholar, and commissioner. Mentz’s acquisition included the court leet, manorial waste rights, and historic liberty privileges—making him one of the only private individuals in the modern era to own a functioning bailiwick and liberty, apart from King Charles III, who retains such jurisdictions as sovereign.

This marks the revival of an ancient and powerful lordship, likely tracing its structure to early Scottish feudal grants that pre-date the English baronies created after the Norman Conquest.

Conclusion

The Lordship, Liberty, and Bailiwick of Ennerdale is not just a historical curiosity—it is a living relic of Scotland’s influence in northern England, of royal forest governance, and of medieval decentralization. Its vast acreage, administrative independence, and enduring legacy confirm its place among the great lordships of the British Isles, and perhaps one of the last privately held bailiwicks in the world.