The liberties and franchises of medieval England have been a neglected area of study in recent years, yet they were an important aspect of government and society, providing an influential basis of collective awareness, aspiration and loyalty. The papers in this volume examine them in a wide British context (the north of England, the Welsh march, Ireland and Scotland), from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries, looking at the varied role that liberties played in defining local identities and providing bases of power; other topics addressed include their maintenance of law and order, as well as the threat they might present, and their part in military recruitment.

Contributors: MELANIE DEVINE, CLARE ETTY, SANDY GRANT, BETH HARTLAND, MATT HOLFORD, MAX LIEBERMAN, CYNTHIA NEVILLE, MICHAEL PRESTWICH, KEITH STRINGER, HENRY SUMMERSON