This thesis conducts a legal analysis of the Duchy of Cornwall and how its perceived status has changed over the centuries. The roots of the Duchy date back nearly a thousand years therefore an understanding of the roots of the Duchy and its evolution, focussing on the significant legal issues, over time is necessary to comprehend its present position. The thesis concludes by exploring issues surrounding the contemporary legal status of the Duchy and identifies areas in which there is a convenient ambiguity. In doing so it establishes that while the Duchy and Government describe it as a “private estate” it enjoys privileges and rights which are unique to a “private estate”. In addition it has a significant role in supporting the United Kingdom’s Head of State, the Sovereign, and the heir to the throne. The associated research undertaken in connection with this thesis presents new information which challenges the arguments of those who claim via the Duchy a special constitutional status for Cornwall. The evidence also suggests that the Duchy is not, despite claims to the contrary, publicly accountable in way that is expected in the 21st Century. The possibilities suggested by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been utilised and the experience gained will be of value to future researchers. As a consequence of the refusal of public authorities to provide information five complaints have been made to the Information Commissioner and there have been, at the time of writing, four cases in front of the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights). The material contained within the National Archives has been comprehensively investigated for the first time by anyone with any interest in the Duchy. This has revealed significant new information which although publicly available was not generally known and casts new light on the status of the Duchy. An exploration of the Parliamentary Archives, not previously undertaken, raises questions about the basis of the privileges enjoyed by the Duchy. A similarly detailed review of the legal material, including important court cases challenges the “rights” claimed for the Duchy.

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Much of the success of the Allied Peninsular Army was due to the effectiveness of Wellington's supply system. The ability of Wellington to keep his army supplied presented him with an enormous advantage over the French. This paper examines the role logistics played in deciding the outcome of the war in the Peninsula as well as detailing the needs of the troops. The primary focus of this paper is the procurement, transport, and payment of supplies for the use of the Allied Army during the Peninsular War. Wellington's ability to consistently defeat French forces despite a substantial numerical disadvantage presents the thesis that the efficiency of Wellington's logistical system impacted the strategic situation to a significant degree. While superior logistics alone cannot win a war, their absence can lead to defeat, as the French learned to their detriment.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

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The purpose of this work is to describe the system of administration which existed on the estates of a megnatic of the fifteenth century, using mainly the estate records, the accounts, as source materials. To set the period and the estates themselves in context, the first two chapters have been devoted to a consideration of the life and career of the magnate, Humfrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, and to a description of the estates, their history and their extent. The various types of accounts themselves as working documents are then described. From them it is possible to build up a picture of the estate administration based on the units of the manor or village and the receivership, and the scope and importance of the Receiver-General and the Auditor. The actual work of the memorial officers, the receivers and the auditors is also dealt with insofar as the running of the estates is concerned. Following from the organization of the administration of extensive estates is the secondary consideration of the men who ran the estates, their origins, their connexions with Stafford, their use to Stafford outwith the purely routine affairs of administration and their expectations of advancement within his service. As far as is possible, a study is made of these men and of the men who were supported from the estates by retaining fees, in order to discover their political importance to Stafford, and whether he used them as a means of increasing his own influence and power in national or local politics. These points are covered in the two final chapters and the conclusion.

Soucieux d'avoir une armée nombreuse et efficace, Charles le Téméraire lance une série d'enquêtes féodales. Il s'agit pour lui de recenser ses vassaux et d'en obtenir un service militaire en fonction de la valeur de leurs fiefs. Entre 1467 et 1477, son personnel parcourt tous ses territoires pour recueillir les informations sur les terres et les rentes possédées et pour en contrôler les possesseurs. Ces recherches ont laissé des registres divers. Dans un contexte de guerres, de résistances diverses, de lenteurs administratives, quelle a été l'efficacité des enquêtes féodales ? / Since he was anxious to have a large and efficient army, Charles the Bold wanted to obtain from his vassals an armed service in accordance with the value of their fiefdoms. Therefore he launched a series of feudal surveys to inventory the lands and possessions of his vassals. Between 1467 and 1477, his staff travelled to all his territories collecting information about owned lands and incomes, thus providing a way to control the owners of those lands. Different records remain from those investigations. However, looking at these in the context of wars, of various opposing factors, and of administrative slowness, how efficient were these feudal surveys ?