In-depth examinations of the role played by liberties across the British Isles.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, aspirationand 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

IntroductionStates, Liberties and Communities in Medieval Britain and Ireland [c.1100- 1400] - Keith StringerArbitration and Anglo-Scottish Border Law in the Later Middle Ages - Cynthia J NevillePeacekeepers and Lawbreakers in Medieval Northumberland, c.1200-1500 - Henry SummersonWar, Lordship and Community in the Liberty of Norhamshire - Matthew HolfordThe Lordship of Richmond in the Later Middle Ages - Melanie Devine`Tam infra libertates quam extra': Liberties and Military Recruitment - Michael C PrestwichNeighbours from Hell? Living with Tynedale and Redesdale, 1489-1547 - Claire EttyStriving for Marcher Liberties: The Corbets of Caus in the Thirteenth Century - Max LiebermanFranchises North of the Border: Baronies and Regalities in Medieval Scotland - Alexander GrantThe Liberties of Ireland in the Reign of Edward I - Beth Hartland