Law and order on the Anglo-Scottish Border 1603-1707

[摘要] For centuries the Borders were notorious for their lawlessness and wereregarded as beyond redemption by those in London and Edinburgh. Undisturbed,the landowners had assumed extensive powers and the population organisedthemselves into virtually autonomous clans. For James VI and I, however, theBorders symbolised the Union of the Crowns, for 'be the happie union' they werenow 'the verie hart of the countrey'. It was thus, intolerable that the Bordersshould remain in their old state and so from 1603 there was a new drive to.pacify the region.Previous studies have either considered the region from one side of thefrontier only, or have stopped at some date within the seventeenth century. Itis however, important that the Border counties of England and Scotland beconsidered as a whole, for although divided by man-made divisions, they wereunited geographically, topographically, economically and socially. It isequally vital that the seventeenth century be regarded in its entirety, for thepacification of the Borders was a gradual process, of which the final stageswere not reached until the last quarter of the century.In order to examine the whole process of the pacification and how theregion gradually adapted to its new role as the Middle Shires of Britain, thethesis looks at the whole range of law courts operating in the area - from thecentral courts in London and Edinburgh, down to the local burgh, franchise andecclesiastical courts. A chapter is devoted to each level of court and examinesthe role of a particular type of court in the judicial hierarchy of England andScotland - its methods, procedure and personnel and the type of offender andoffence dealt with. Perhaps the most important chapter in this respect is thaton the Border Commissioners who were the body most intimately concerned withpacifying the region and who made a lasting impression upon every aspect ofBorder society. The Commissions have spanned over 80 years and more thanany other judicial body shaped the Borders into the Eiddle Shires, yet nodetailed study of them has ever been undertaken before.The combined effect on the inhabitants of all the law courts operatingin the Borders, is measured in the Conclusion, where it can be seen that thelife and ways of the Borderers had changed significantly between the Unionsof the Crowns.

[发布机构] University:University of St Andrews;Department:History (School of)

[效力级别] Scottish Borders (England and Scotland)--History

[关键词] Scottish Borders (Scotland)--History;Scottish Borders (England and Scotland)--History