A key duty of the Renaissance monarchy was the defence of its subjects. This volume looks at what happened when the crown had to rely on local landowners for defence and border rule in the shires of Meath and Northumberland, and the differences in outcome between the two areas. It assesses traditional arrangements for defending English ground, the impact of the frontier on border society, and the way in which the topography and patterns of settlement in border regions shaped the character of the march and border itself.