The March of Wales is now a vague area on the border of England and Wales. During medieval times, it was an ever-changing borderland which took two hundred years to create. The land was fiercely defended, with Welsh and English families making or losing their fortunes on the valuable borderlands.
How the March of Wales was Created
The book covers the period between 1067, following the Norman conquest and 1300, when the March had been established, but still faced an uncertain future. The author uses maps, a list of key dates and original source material to examine the role of the March in the politics of medieval Britain.
The Welsh March was created gradually by the English, with land being added to the area as and when it was acquired. As Max Lieberman explains, this is why the region has been so difficult to study and categorise. The English kings never felt they had satisfactorily conquered Wales and were constantly aiming to increase their military presence in the country.
Land acquired by the English during attacks on Wales were often given to English noblemen. Some of these had little interest in running their Welsh estates, others took a keen interest in their holdings and ran their area almost as a mini kingdom.
The History of the Welsh March
The author is keen to ensure that the Welsh March is recognised as a place of historical importance. This was a region where people of different social and cultural backgrounds intermingled, whether willingly or not.
Nine different English kings ruled whilst the Welsh March was being created and yet none could claim he had a firm hold on the area. According to Lieberman, the history of the March is not just about the nobles who ruled in the area, but about the ordinary families who owed their living to the administration and ruling of the March.
Summary
This is a well-written study which is full of interesting information about the people who were involved in the history of the March, in various capacities. The author explores the experiences of people from all levels of society and backs up his information with examples from contemporary sources.
There is a notes section at the end of each chapter, which allows the reader to see the various sources the author has used. The notes section is concise and presented at the end of each section, is more user-friendly than a huge reference section at the end of the book.
In his introduction, the author hopes that his study will stimulate further research and discussion on the history of the Welsh March. This fascinating book should make that wish a distinct possibility.
Publication Details
Lieberman, Max The March of Wales 1067-1300, A Borderland of Medieval Britain [University of Wales Press, 2008]
146 pages, ISBN 9780708321157
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