Reading the March: Interpretations and Constructions of the Welsh Marcher Lordships and the Church in Wales, c. 1100–1284

Reading historians' views on the March of Wales from the 19th century onwards reveals a range of interpretations of the region, but these have been predominantly secular in nature. Historical constructions of Marcher lordship have varied depending on the way historiographical trends have developed, and how this subject could be placed and understood within frameworks for understanding the medieval history of England and Wales as a whole. Not since the mid‐20th century have scholars dealt with the relationship between the Church in Wales and the impact this had on the constructions and development of Marcher lordships. This article explores this gap, focusing on the interplay between Church and lordship and the scope for further exploration of earlier, influential ideas, such as R. R. Davies' view that the church in the Wales played a ‘subjugation’ role in support of the military conquest, and the more nuanced observations of Glanmor Williams, who allowed for a more complicated picture to emerge based on brief analysis of certain events before 1282. In following the threads of these scholars and highlighting more recent studies, particularly in the field of family studies, where individual case studies of Marcher families has revealed more of this complex picture, this article argues for a microcosmic approach to tackle the gap and opens up avenues for future studies.