"Few historians are more closely associated with Nottinghamshire than Professor John Beckett. The purpose of this Festschrift is to mark John's contribution to regional history, and especially the history of Nottinghamshire, at a significant intersection of events in his life. First, John's retirement from the University of Nottingham, after forty one years' continuous employment. Second, John's retirement as Chair of Council of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire, after twenty eight years' service. Third, and by no means least, John's seventieth birthday. The contributors represent some of the individuals with whom John has collaborated - as teacher, mentor, supervisor, researcher, author, colleague, coadjutor and friend - on topics relating to the history of Nottinghamshire. There are also essays considering Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, the two other east Midland counties with which John has been principally concerned. The chronological range of the volume largely mirrors that with which John's academic career has been concerned, from the mid-17th century onwards, and comprises a suitably wide range of subjects. The volume's title hints at three of the larger themes in John's mature output as a historian - Church, Land and People"--Page 2 of cover.