ABSTRACT
Originally a military border land, the Marches had a clear sense of its own identity before the late-Victorian period when the 'invented tradition' of 'Rural England', postulated by Howkins and others, took shape. Whilst this study concentrates on the county of Shropshire, it draws evidence from parts of the adjacent counties which share that 'Marcher' tradition: Herefordshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire. It also includes comparative material from the neighbouring Welsh counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Monmouthshire. Being subject to English incursions for generations, these have been termed by Welsh historians: 'British Wales'. Technically, the Marches were lawless, militarised zones between England and Wales, controlled by medieval warlords under licence from the English crown. Although the term may smack of modern tourist planning, it has been used here to signify a geographical area wider than Shropshire, with a shared cultural identity. This tremendous pride of place is termed here 'local patriotism' and is largely defined by separateness from Wales and a respect for the hierarchical authority.1
