The last Lord Field
Origins
The title Baron of Fielden is a historic feudal honour, originally granted to the Field family by the English Crown during the reign of Henry IV, in recognition of their loyal service.
A Baron is formally referred to as “Lord”, and the correct way to write the title is: The Rt. Hon. The Lord Field
Following the Norman Conquest, many of William the Conqueror’s loyal generals and noble supporters were granted land across England. Among them was the Fielde family, who received a substantial tract of land south of a small market town called Bedford. Within this estate, a modest settlement emerged and was named Fielden in honour of the family.
In 1392, Thomas Fielde was granted the title Baron of Fielden for his service to King Henry IV—particularly in support of the King’s Prussian campaign. While the title conferred baronial status, it primarily granted rights over the surrounding lands and limited local governance—making it a barony by tenure. Such “lesser barons”, as they were known, did not hold peerage through royal blood and were therefore not entitled to sit in the Royal Court.
This distinction persists to this day and “lesser barons” do not have an automatic seat in the House of Lords.
Evolution Through the Centuries
In 1528, Lord Thomas Field, the 7th Baron of Fielden, married Lady Jane Fiennes, daughter of Sir Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre, who resided at Herstmonceux Castle. The family subsequently relocated to Bishopstone Manor, whose lands stretched along the Ouse Valley from Newhaven to Lewes, encompassing the villages of Piddinghoe and Rodmell.
Eventually, the original land in Fielden was sold, and the hamlet was absorbed into the growing expansion of Bedford.
With the passage of the Tenures Abolition Act of 1660, all feudal baronies were stripped of legal standing. Thereafter, such titles were no longer tied to land ownership but instead recognised as baronies by writ—hereditary and symbolic, but devoid of governing power.
In 1645, during a period of anti-French sentiment due to the Anglo-French wars, Lord Edward Fielde, the 12th Baron, anglicised the family surname from “Fielde” to “Field.”
Modern Succession
1930s
Lord Joseph Field (the 19th Baron) and his wife Louisa give birth to a Son in 1907 and named him Leslie Charles. From now on, the first born son in the field family will be called Leslie. Joseph passes away in 1937 and the title is bestowd Leslie Charles - the 20th Baron.
1940s
Lord Leslie Charles Field, shifted the family’s focus from agriculture to property development. Within a decade, he had constructed and let over 250 homes in Newhaven—housing 1 in 8 local residents at the time.
1957
While on military leave, his first-born son (Leslie Robert - my Father) fell in love with Marie Marks, a chambermaid working in one of the family’s hotels. Lord Leslie Charles opposed the marriage due to differences in social class, but the court ruled against him. Leslie married Marie just 23 days after first meeting and none of the Field family were present at the wedding. As a consequece of the marrage, Leslie Robert was disinherited and excluded from the family trust—on the condition that it would only be reinstated if he divorced Marie. He never did. The couple remained devoted to one another and were married for over 60 years.
1960s
Lord Leslie Charles Field pioneered one of the UK’s first affordable homeownership schemes. Acknowledging the financial burden of renting versus mortgages, he devised a cooperative building model: training individuals in basic construction skills and enabling them to build or modernise homes they would ultimately own—without deposits and with low-interest mortgages. The scheme delivered an average of 18 houses per week over seven years, supported by a workforce of more than 300 people. He also owned 23 companies, including the Peacehaven Building Society.
Lord Field received a European Heritage Award nomination for the meticulous restoration of both his English country estate, Walton Hall in Warwickshire, and Pitfour Castle in St Madoes, Perthshire.
1974
Lord Field’s eldest daughter June, marries Polish Count Komorowski, a WWII intelligence officer, and becomes Countess Komorowski.
1988
Lord Leslie Charles Field died while in tax exile on the Isle of Man. His estate was divided among his children—excluding the estranged eldest son, Leslie Robert Field. However, as the hereditary barony could only pass to the first-born son, Leslie Robert became the 21st Baron of Fielden.
2017
Following his death, the title passed to his son, Leslie John Field (me) who became the 22nd Baron of Fielden.
I do not have a son therefore on my death the peerage will become extinct. I will be the last Lord Field.
Thats interesting but wheres the proof?
If I were from a noble bloodline, I suspect there’d be far more information about the title online. But as it’s a lesser barony, there’s only limited coverage—such as the entry in the Encyclopaedia Britannica—and not a huge amount beyond that. Because it’s not widely publicised (and even after I’ve explained it), many people still assume my title is one of those novelty ‘Lord of the Manor’ titles you can buy online, and I’m just making it all up.
So let’s clear this up with some facts:
A ‘Lord of the Manor’ title, which can be purchased, holds no legal status. The bearer remains simply Mr or Mrs, as it confers no peerage or noble rank. It may allow them to style themselves as “Mr Jones, Lord of the Manor of Pigpen,” but this is purely ceremonial. It’s a novelty, not a recognised title, and cannot be used on any official or legal documentation.
In contrast, a legitimate Feudal or peerage title must be formally declared on all legal documents. In fact, it is unlawful to use “Mr” if a recognised title has been granted. When it comes to legal identification—particularly UK passports—the Government and HM Passport Office undertake rigorous background checks. They do not make mistakes.
To be eligible for a genuine hereditary title to appear on official documents, a series of stringent checks must be satisfied:
Your family must possess a registered patent of nobility or baron by tenure (pre 1660) recorded with English Heritage.
You must be a direct male-line descendant of the original titleholder—typically through first-born sons—with your lineage verifiable via the National Archives.
Your bloodline must be validated in Debrett’s Peerage.
Only once all three conditions are thoroughly documented and authenticated by the British Government can your title be formally recognised on legal identification.
Heres mine.
Whats the benifits?
None, really.
Most people don’t believe it — they assume I’ve bought the title online and that it’s all made up. To make things worse, my father was disowned and cut off from the family fortune, so I grew up working-class. I certainly don’t look or sound like people expect a “Lord” to be -so I find myself explaining the story all the time.
People do treat you differently, but not in a good way.
Getting a passport takes three times as long, hiring a car becomes a hassle, and airport security is more of a headache.
You don’t get any perks at hotels or restaurants either.
In reality, it’s more of a nuisance than a privilege.
I tend to keep it pretty low-key. The postman knows because it appears on official documents addressed to me, and a handful of colleagues are aware—mainly because I’ve been there for 28 years. Aside from that, only those who’ve spotted it on my ID tend to know. It’s definitely not something I go around boasting about.
