Synopses & Reviews
The twelfth-century borderlands of the duchy of Normandy formed the cockpit for dynastic rivalries between the kings of England and France. This book examines how the political divisions between Normandy and its neighbours shaped the communities of the Norman frontier. It traces the region's history from the conquest of Normandy in 1106 by Henry I of England, to the duchy's annexation in 1204 by the king of France, Philip Augustus, and its incorporation into the Capetian kingdom. It explores the impact of the frontier upon princely and ecclesiastical power structures, customary laws, and noble strategies such as marriage, patronage, and suretyship. Particular attention is paid to the lesser aristocracy as well as the better known magnates, and an extended appendix reconstructs the genealogies of thirty-three prominent frontier lineages. The book sheds new light upon the twelfth-century French aristocracy, and makes a significant contribution to our understanding of medieval political borders.
Review
"this cautious, richly researched, and intelligent work of regional history offers many rewards to the patient reader...Power's microscopic view of the Norman frontier allows him to describe the history of Normandy's frontier in depth and, in the process, he brings forth a wealth of useful information and sheds light on a wide variety of subjects." The International History Review Hugh M. Thomas, University of Miami
Synopsis
This detailed study of Normandy's frontiers in the twelfth century explores how the dukes of Normandy, who were also usually kings of England, controlled the borders of their realm, and how the local aristocracy responded to their rule. The book discusses ties of land and kinship among the frontier lords, and how the political borders affected government, law, the Church, and the fortunes of the local nobility. It culminates in a major discussion of the annexation of Normandy by the kings of France in 1204.
Synopsis
Providing the first ever detailed study of Normandyâs frontiers in the twelfth century and exploring how those borders were controlled. This book offers a comprehensive treatment of the subject, discussing ties of land and kinship and the effect of the political border on government, law and the Church.
Synopsis
Provides the first ever detailed study of Normandy's frontiers in the twelfth century.
About the Author
Daniel Power is Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Sheffield. He is the author of numerous articles on France and England in the central Middle Ages and co-editor of Frontiers in Question: Eurasian Borderlands 700-1700 (Macmillan, 1999).
Table of Contents
Introduction; Part I. Princely Power and the Norman Frontier: 1. The dukes of Normandy and the frontier regions; 2. Capetian government in the Franco-Norman marches; 3. The church and the Norman frontier; 4. The customs of Normandy and the Norman frontier; Part II. The Political Communities of the Norman Frontier: 5. The aristocracy of the Norman frontiers: origins and status; 6. The concerns of aristocratic lineages: marriage, kinship, neighbourhood and inheritance; 7. The lesser aristocracy; 8. Religious patronage and burial; Part III. The Political Development of the Norman Frontier: 9. The structures of politics on the Norman frontier; 10. The Norman frontier in the reign of Henry I (1106-35); 11. The Norman frontier and the Angevin dukes (1135-93); 12. The Norman frontier and the fall of Angevin Normandy (1193-1204); 13. The Norman Frontier after 1204; Conclusion; Appendix I. Genealogies; Appendix II. The campaigns in eastern Normandy of 1202.