A county community or the politics of the nation? Border service and baronial influence in the palatinate of Durham, 1377-1413

This article considers gentry service and community in Durham, 1377-1413. The Durham gentry were increasingly constrained by the ongoing reform of the bishop's palatine administration - which favoured his own men - even as the focus of gentry service was shifting northward, to the Scottish border. Brought on by the Scottish wars and border instability, the great beneficiaries of this shift were the Nevilles and Percys, who gained power and prestige as royal march wardens, and who amassed still greater private retinues. These shifts altered the character of gentry service and community in the region, even as some talented gentry men redefined their roles and forged successful careers.