Marches

Marches, the border districts that run contiguous on each side of the boundary line between England and Scotland, and between England and Wales. The Lords of the Marches were the nobles to whom estates on the borders were given, on condition that they defended the country against the aggressions of the people on the other side. Under the Norman and Plantagenet kings of England there was almost chronic war between the English Lords of the Marches and the Welsh. For the Scottish-English Marches, see BORDERS.—The Mortimers, Earls of March, took their title from March in Cambridgeshire.—The corresponding German word Mark was in like manner applied to the border countries or districts of the German empire, conquered from neighbouring nations—the marks of Austria, of Brandenburg, Altmark, Steiermark, &c. The governors entrusted with the charge of these marks were called mark-grafs or margraves, corresponding to the English and Scottish Wardens of the Marches (see MARQUIS). The ancient German tribe of Marcomanni were 'Marchmen.' In Italy The Marches include the march of Ancona (q.v.) and three other provinces (see ITALY).