Border Liberties and Loyalties: North-east England, C. 1200 - C. 1400

This book examines the organisation of power and society in north-east England over two crucial centuries in the emergence of the English `state'. England is usually regarded as medieval Europe's most centralised kingdom, yet the North-East was dominated by liberties-largely self-governing jurisdjctions-that greatly restricted the English crown's direct authority in the region. These local polities receive here their first comprehensive discussion; and their histories are crucial for understanding questions of state-formation in frontier zones, regional distinctiveness, and local and national loyalties.

The analysis focuses on liberties as both governmental entities and sources of sociopolitical and cultural identification. It also connects the development of liberties and their communities with a rich variety of forces, including the influence of the kings of Scots as lords of Tynedale, and the impact of protracted Anglo-Scottish warfare form 1296. Why did liberties enjoy such long-term relevance as governance structures? How far, and why, did the English monarchy respect their autonomous rights and status? By what means, and how successfully, were liberty identities created, sharpened and sustained? In addressing such issues, this ground-breaking study extends beyond regional history to make a major contribution to mainstream debates about `state', `society', `identity' and `community'.

M.L. Holford was a research associate at the University of Durham and Cambridge Universtiy from 2003 to 2008. He has written on regional cultures and identities and on the dynamics of local government in medieval England. K.J. Stringer is Professor of Medieval British History at Lancaster University. He has written extensively on the related fields of medieval state-making, noble power structures, religious reform, cultural exchanges, and regional, national and supra-national identities.