The recent loan and display of a 1297 copy of the Magna Carta at the National Achives allows careful readers to note how food security and free trade prompted English Barons to negotiate with King John.

"It is something we value and respect and feel honoured and proud to be among the first women freemen to be sworn in," said Karen Crawford about her acceptance into the City of Durham (England) Freemen's ancient craft guilds, a 700-year-old tradition that up until now banned women.

Those hoping to kill a Scotsman in York for carrying a bow and arrow had better act fast. This law, along with many others dating as far back as 1322, will soon be removed from the UK law books.

How were disputes settled in Anglo-Saxon England? Implications suggest there was a common law, but "...where had it come from and how had it developed?"

On February 17, 2012, the only medieval copy of the Magna Carta in the United States will return to display in the National Archives. The copy was purchased by philanthropist David Rubenstein in 2007 and is on long-term loan at the museum.

Between 1500 and 1782 CE, 25,000 people, including children, were tortured and executed for witchcraft in what is today Germany. Now activists, such as retired Protestant minister Hartmut Hegeler, are seeking to exonerate as many as possible of the German "witches."

Laws in the United States are supposed to take their legal precedent from the Constitution of the United States, but a new law proposed by Republicans in New Hampshire would require all legislation find its origin in the 800-year-old Magna Carta.

A history buff who made some medieval-style stocks as a Halloween prop is offering to give them away free to whoever writes the best mini-essay explaining why they'd like to have them and how they will be used.

A vote by the 16 members of the British Commonwealth has allowed a daughter of William and Catherine the possibility to ascend to the British throne. The rule of male primogeniture, giving males precedence over females in British royalty, dating to 1689, was recently overturned.

15 years ago, George Greenia discovered a 13th century medieval Spanish document, missing for centuries, in the archives at the University of Virginia’s Alderman Library. Now the contents and story of discovery of the document have been disclosed.

The Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa) website, which publishes the writings by students in the class, Women Writers in the Age of Shakespeare, includes a short essay on vagrancy in Tudor England. The article, Vagrancy in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century England, was written by Sara Byrnes.

When Mel Gibson brought the story of Scottish hero William Wallace to the screen in Braveheart, Wallace became a worldwide symbol of freedom, but the seeds of rebellion may have had a slightly different beginning according to a new study.

14th century England was a dark time, and a time of change in Britain. In a hour-long, online documentary, historian Michael Wood investigates changes in medieval life by following the family of peasant Christina Cok.

A 15th century will from the Norfolk Record Office, one of few records of common soldiers, was left by Thomas Longe who was "willing to die" for King Richard III at Bosworth Field.

In 12th century Scotland, the "tolbooth or praetorium was the office from which the provost and baillies organised the running of the newly-created burgh." Now archaeologists believe they have found the remains of the tolbooth in St. Andrews.

The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College will host "Making History: Antiquaries in Britain," September 4 through December 11, 2011, tracing "milestones in the discovery, recording, preservation, interpretation, and communication of Britain's history."

At Crown Tourney on Saturday, September 4, 2011, An Tirians once again took to the list field to fight for the cause of Inspirational Equality -- the right of all couples, regardless of gender, to enter Royal Lists in the SCA.

In Ironclad, a new film from director Jonathan English, a small group of Knights Templar strive to hold King John to his signature on the Magna Carta by defending Rochester Castle. The film debuted July 26, 2011. (photos)

In his dissertation, Henric Bagerius of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, explores sexuality and politics in the late medieval Iceland, and redefines sex as less of a personal relationship and more of an exercise in power.

A large selection of documents held by the Vatican have been released online at the Documenta Catholica Omnia. All material is in Latin.

Oxford University historian, Dr. Steven Gunn, has undertaken the task of scouring 16th Century coroners' reports to compile a list of accidental deaths in Tudor, England. The list includes death by bears and archery accidents.

Land records, court rolls, and maps of Nottinghamshire, England are being made available to the public online for the first time. Some of the documents go back as far a the 13th century.

Dr Reuben Davies, from Glasgow University recently made a "startling" discovery in the Exchequer rolls for 1304-1305 of King Edward I: Scotland's Protector, William Wallace, "falsely sought to call himself King of Scotland".

According to an article by ObiterJ on the Legalweek.com website, Our legal heritage, part 1: early times and the Anglo-Saxon period, much of English law is based on legal traditions passed down through history from Anglo-Saxon times.

In the 7th century, seventy lines of text were created to record the number of men in western Scotland for the purpose of military service and tax collection. The Senchus fer nAlban (History of the men of Scotland) includes resources for the population of Dál Riata, the Kingdom of the Gaels on the west coast of Scotland. (photos)

In preparation for celebration of the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, the BBC offers information about the historic document.

The HM Courts Service reports that it has scrapped plans to move the Magna Carta from Lincoln Castle to another building inside the castle grounds now used by the crown court.

BBC news magazine recently carried a 14th century 'Asbo' (English acronym for Anti-Social Behaviour Order) -- a complaint from one London neighbour against another about her 'creative' waste disposal,  that piped her privy straight into a nearby gutter.

In an extensive article for BBC News Magazine, Tom Geoghegan looks at what makes King John of England the classic "pantomime villain."

Thefts and vandalism of historic British landmarks has led English Heritage to team with police chiefs in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset to create a new police force to guard historic sites.