Defending English Ground: War and Peace in Meath and Northumberland, 1460-1542 - Hardcover

Ellis, Steven G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199696292 ISBN 13: 9780199696291

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2015

Synopsis

A key duty of the Renaissance monarchy was the defence of its subjects. For the English monarchy, the rule and defence from enemies beyond the long-landed frontiers in Ireland and the English far-north proved an intractable problem. It was not, however, a duty which was accorded a high priority by successive Yorkist and early Tudor kings, nor is it an aspect of state formation which has attracted much attention from modern historians. This study assesses traditional arrangements for defending English ground, the impact of the frontier on border society, and the way in which the topography and patterns of settlement in border regions shaped the character of the march and border itself.

Defending English Ground focuses on two English shires, Meath and Northumberland, in a period during which the ruling magnates of these shires who had hitherto supervised border rule and defence were mostly unavailable to the crown. Unwilling to foot the cost of large garrisons and extended fortifications, successive kings increasingly shifted the costs of defence onto the local population, prompting the border gentry and minor peers to organize themselves through county communities for the rule and defence of the region. This strategy was generally successful in Ireland where the military threat presented by 'the wild Irish' was not so formidable, but in the English far-north Tudor reform, centralized control, and the burden of defence against the Scots soon led to 'the decay of the borders'.

About this title

About the Author

Steven G. Ellis studied at Manchester University, Queen's University, Belfast, and the National University of Ireland. He has been Professor of History at NUI Galway since 1991. He teaches mainly British and Irish history, 1300-1700. His current research interests focus on British state formation, regions, and frontier societies

Review

"Steven Ellis has clearly demonstrated here the value of comparative studies, and he has shown the quality of work that is feasilbe... He expresses a concern that it might be regarded as ârather a dry bookâ (p. ix). However, not only does he provide fascinating detail on his subject, he opens the book with an introduction that may ruffle a few feathers. Henry A. Jefferies, Ulster University

"Ellis's study of the economy and social structures of the two counties is welcome, aided by a series of exceptionally well-produced maps...[T]his rich data is where Ellis's work has always broken new ground and in this respect...Defending English Ground is no exception...Defending English Ground will find a wide audience among scholars of Ireland and the north of England in the early Tudor period, and also students of wider European border regions in the early modern period."--Renaissance Quarterly

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0199696292
• ISBN 13: 9780199696291
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 234