'A New Frontier?: Lord Edmund and the English Crown in the March of Wales, 1267-1272'

Mortimer Society Lectures

Dr Alastair Ayton 

This paper will explore the early career of Henry III’s often overlooked second surviving son, Lord Edmund (d.1296). Edmund features in several historical studies yet he remains a largely aloof figure in most accounts of the period. His famous and effective brother, Edward I, still casts a long shadow out of which Edmund has still fully to emerge. Here, Edmund's promotion as an English earl and as a Marcher lord of the first rank are studied together. How far did Edmund’s territorial interests in the March of Wales determine his power and authority both locally and further afield? And to what extent did Edmund benefit from the Second Barons’ War (1264-1267), namely from the mass confiscations of baronial property (including several English earldoms) after the battle of Evesham (4 August 1265), and from the creation of the earldom of Lancaster (1267)? Overall, it is argued that Edmund’s introduction into the March heralded a change in the royal approach towards Wales, while bolstering the crown’s ongoing pursuit of power in the region and influence over its lords. 

Currently based in Edinburgh, Dr Alastair Ayton graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2020 with a PhD entitled: 'Politics, Policy and Power: The Marcher Lords and the English Crown in the March of Wales, 1254-1272.' He is currently preparing an article for publication on the de Clare Inheritance of 1262 entitled: 'The Widow and the Ward: the de Clare Inheritance and royal custody in the thirteenth century.' His research interests include: medieval kingship and lordship; the administration of medieval estates; law and practice re., medieval inheritance; the study of politics and warfare in the British Isles during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. He has been a member of the MHS since February 2021. 

The seminar will be hybrid

Meeting ID:  892 5053 0295 
Passcode: 374055