Title:
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Landed society in the far North-West of England c.1332-1461
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This study is an examination of landed society in the/ar North-West of England
between the outbreak of Edward Ill's wars with Scotland in 1332 and the end of the
first stage of the Wars of the Roses in 1461. Although violence within regional society
both in terms of involvement in Anglo-Scottish relations of the period and domestic
violence in the form of gentry feuds and - at a larger scale - magnate feuds during the
Wars of the Roses, constitutes a major part of this thesis, rather more peaceful
concepts are also explored. Firstly, it is necessary to define the extent of the region as a
whole, debating whether there are any boundaries more meaningful than those political
and administrative boundaries provided by county units; this is followed by a
prosopographical reconstruction of the composition of landed society: the significant
peerage and greater gentry families. It will be argued that in the far North-West the
topographical patterns created by physical geography are of far greater significance
than shire units for the greater gentry families of local landed society. This point is
demonstrated by an analysis of gentry identity in terms of attendance at the county
court, and - more importantly - in property and marriage settlements, which indicate
the importance of sub-county units, especially in the small 'mini-county' of Lancashire
North of the Sands (the Furness and Cartmel peninsulas). Examination of the
construction and composition of magnate retinues and affinities - the Lucy, Percy,
Neville, Clifford and Lancastrian affinities in particular - also suggests a similar
conclusion. The theme of the final two chapters - Anglo-Scottish relations - tackles
the 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 the
region. At both sub-county and supra-county level, the importance of physical
geography over the 'longue duree' is very clear indeed.
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