page_title: March law (Anglo-Scottish border)
section_title: Days of march : practicalities
hierarchical_section_title: March law (Anglo-Scottish border) / Days of march : practicalities
caption_attribution_description: English: The Lochmaben Stone In stubble field at the edge of the square and the only remaining stone above ground of a former stone circle.
context_page_description: March law (Anglo-Scottish border) was a system of customary international law dealing with cross-border dispute settlement, operating during the medieval and early-modern periods in the area of the Anglo-Scottish border or Anglo-Scottish marches – the word "march" being the Old English form of the Old French word "marche" meaning "boundary". They were "essentially a set of regulations for the prosecution of offences committed by the inhabitants of one country inside the territory of the other, and for the recovery of property stolen or lent across their common border".
  The laws were administered by the Wardens of the Marches in times of war between England and Scotland, and by "conservators of the truce" in times of peace, although, given that periods of truce were invariably subject to cross-border raiding, piracy and ransom-taking, the two roles were often amalgamated into that of "warden-conservator". The work of the courts was done at periodic gatherings of plaintiffs and defendants, along with the designated warden-conservators and the jurors from both England and Scotland, at a pre-decided place either side of the border line on what were called "days of march".
context_section_description: The indentures to the truce of 1398 stipulate that days of march (also known as "days of truce") should be held monthly. However, this was never adhered to, for a number of reasons: the hostility of the new Lancastrian regime put border law into abeyance soon after the indenture was signed, and the increase of violence amongst the border magnates (particularly between the Percy and Douglas families) disrupted the workings of the law. In later times, it may simply have been that mutual dislike between the opposing Wardens, or political tactics, was enough to cause extensive delays.
  In terms of the places designated for the days of truce, most seem to have been, by the sixteenth- century, on the Scottish side of the border line. However, prior to that century, various favourite places were used and included Hadden Stank, Redden Burn, and Lochmaben in the Scottish West marches (plus Gretna, Dumfries and Lilliot Cross occasionally). In the Scottish middle march, Cocklaw near Roxburgh and Redeswire (Carter Bar) were used. In the English West march, the Sands in Carlisle, Rockcliffe and Kershopefoot were used and in the East, Norham, Coldstream, Wark, Ebchester and Berwick-upon-Tweed were mentioned in the records.
  Once the place and date had been arranged, and the elaborate precautions taken at the coming together of the two sides, the bills of complaint against those of the opposite nation were presented to the Warden of one's own March.  These were then passed on to the Warden of the opposite March and the accused were summoned and those to face punishment were presented. Bills were 'fouled' (a guilty verdict given), 'cleared' (an innocent verdict), or 'fouled conditionally' (an assumption of guilt because the accused had failed to turn up).
  The truce period was supposed to last until the sunrise of the day following the end of the day, or days, of truce, although occasionally this did not happen (as with the taking by the English of Kinmont Willie at the breaking up of a truce day at Kershopefoot in 1596).
caption: The Lochmaben Stone, a meeting-place for truces on the Border
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