عنوان

Landed society in the far North-West of England c.1332-1461

Number

TLets247271

Title Proper

Landed society in the far North-West of England c.1332-1461

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Marsh, John Patrick.

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of Lancaster

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2000

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

University of Lancaster

Text preceding or following the note

2000

Text of Note

This study is an examination of landed society in the/ar North-West of Englandbetween the outbreak of Edward Ill's wars with Scotland in 1332 and the end of thefirst stage of the Wars of the Roses in 1461. Although violence within regional societyboth in terms of involvement in Anglo-Scottish relations of the period and domesticviolence in the form of gentry feuds and - at a larger scale - magnate feuds during theWars of the Roses, constitutes a major part of this thesis, rather more peacefulconcepts are also explored. Firstly, it is necessary to define the extent of the region as awhole, debating whether there are any boundaries more meaningful than those politicaland administrative boundaries provided by county units; this is followed by aprosopographical reconstruction of the composition of landed society: the significantpeerage and greater gentry families. It will be argued that in the far North-West thetopographical patterns created by physical geography are of far greater significancethan shire units for the greater gentry families of local landed society. This point isdemonstrated by an analysis of gentry identity in terms of attendance at the countycourt, and - more importantly - in property and marriage settlements, which indicatethe importance of sub-county units, especially in the small 'mini-county' of LancashireNorth of the Sands (the Furness and Cartmel peninsulas). Examination of theconstruction and composition of magnate retinues and affinities - the Lucy, Percy,Neville, Clifford and Lancastrian affinities in particular - also suggests a similarconclusion. The theme of the final two chapters - Anglo-Scottish relations - tacklesthe supra-county level, in terms of how far south the Border mattered in the far North-West and considers the cultural and architectural phenomenon ofpele towers in theregion. At both sub-county and supra-county level, the importance of physicalgeography over the 'longue duree' is very clear indeed.

War of the Roses

Marsh, John Patrick.

University of Lancaster

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y