Sir, Richard Harrison (“A Judge by any other name”, Law, Aug 14) describes law lords taking peerage titles as if from personal whim. Actually, as more and more people with the same name from all walks of life got ennobled in the 20th century, so variations on existing titles became a practical necessity.

When Sir Jocelyn Simon donned ermine in 1971 he became “Lord Simon of Glaisdale” since there already existed a Lord Simon and Lord Simon of Wythenshawe, while in 1997 these three Simons were joined by Lord Simon of Highbury.

When Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, originally Sir Nicholas Phillips, went to the Lords in 1999, he narrowly missed overlapping there with Lord Phillips of Ellesmere (a scientist) and did overlap with Lord Phillips of Sudbury (another lawyer).

Denning, Diplock and Wilberforce, being rarer names, could stand alone as both commoners and peers. There have been no fewer than seven Morris peers overlapping at least once with another in the 48 years since Lord Morris of Borth-y-Gest was ennobled. And Borth-y-Gest is hardly grand in English, roughly “Paunch Bay”.

The House of Lords staff themselves have got confused over two or more peers sharing a single main name. In 1996 when on business there I was shown up to Lord Lucas of Chilworth instead of Lord Lucas of Crudwell.

Charles Mosley
Editor-in-Chief, Burke’s Peerage & Baronetage, 1989-2004
London SW1

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