Political society in Cumberland and Westmorland 1471-1537

This thesis is intended as an exploration of the administrative and social structures that existed in political society in Cumberland and Westmorland between 1471 and 1537. It has been conceived as a counterpoint to the work of scholars who have undertaken similar research into the networks of authority and political communities in other periods and regions. It will examine the far northwest of England in the context of the upheavals that were occurring in government and society throughout the kingdom at this time and it will highlight degrees of change and continuity apparent in regional administrative and social networks. The thesis will discuss the impact of the region's distance from the capital and its position as a frontier zone with regards to the effectiveness of royal authority and the persistence of feudal administrative and tenurial structures