England's Northern Frontier: Conflict and Local Society in the Fifteenth-Century Scottish Marches

The three northern counties of England's borderlands have long been a turbulent region, but in the fifteenth century, open war was infrequent. This book-length study examines conflict, kinship, lordship, law, justice, and governance in the region, arguing that common law and march law were part of a mixed framework that included feud aspects. It challenges the prevailing understanding of conflict in late medieval England and sets the region within a wider comparative framework.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 412 pages
Publication date: 23 December 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The three counties of England's northern borderlands have long held a unique and marginalized position within the medieval kingdom, characterized by local turmoil stemming from their proximity to the hostile frontier with Scotland. However, in the fifteenth century, open warfare was a rare occurrence in a region that is better understood by historians specializing in the fourteenth-century Anglo-Scottish conflict or in Tudor responses to the so-called "border reivers." This groundbreaking book-length study delves into the fifteenth century of England's far north, exploring conflict, kinship, lordship, law, justice, and governance in this dynamic region. It traces the norms and behaviors employed by local society to manage conflict, arguing that common law and march law were merely components of a more comprehensive framework that encompassed elements of feud as understood within a broader European context. By examining the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland collectively, Jackson W. Armstrong challenges the traditional east-west division in the region's historiography and offers a fresh perspective on conflict in late medieval England. By placing the region within a broader comparative framework, Armstrong sheds light on its unique characteristics and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the medieval world.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108460859
Edition number: New ed