Lord Warden of the Marches

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Map of the Scottish Marches

The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action. They were also responsible, along with 'Conservators of the truce', for administering the special type of border law known as March law.

The Marches on both sides of the border were traditionally split into West, Middle and East, each with their own warden answerable to the Lord Warden-general. The English Western March was based on Carlisle and the Eastern March on Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The offices became unnecessary after the union of the crowns of England and Scotland under King James in 1603.

For England[edit]

Warden of the Marches[edit]

Lord Warden of the Marches[edit]

Warden of the Eastern March[edit]

Warden of the Middle March[edit]

Warden of the Western March[edit]

For Scotland[edit]

Lord Warden-general of all the March[edit]

Warden of the Eastern March[edit]

Warden of the Middle March[edit]

Warden of the Western March[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Pedigrees recorded at the visitations of the county palatine of Durham made by William Flower, Norroy king-of-arms, in 1575, by Richard St. George, Norroy king-of-arms, in 1615, and by William Dugdale, Norroy king-of-arms, in 1666. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. London, Priv. print. for J. Foster. 1887.
  • Reid, Rachael Robertson (1917). "The office of warden of the marches its origin and early history". English Historical Review. 32 (128): 479–96. doi:10.1093/ehr/xxxii.cxxviii.479. JSTOR 550854.
  • Howard, Pease (1912). The lord wardens of the marches of England and Scotland: being a brief history of the marches, the laws of march, and the marchmen, together with some account of the ancient feud between England and Scotland. London: Constable. pp. 194–201.