Sunday, May 31, 2015

Thomas de Castellan's MoD Text

I really have to remember to keep my notes about sources.  I've been lazy about it, and as a result I have no idea what my inspiration for this text was.   Reading it "cold," as it were, I'm fairly certain it was Scottish due to the reference to "market crosses" and the injunction that the decree must be proclaimed and posted publicly.  That's something I tend to find in Scottish, but not English, charters and decrees in the 16th century.

Also note that this is likely the only time that "pure benevolence" and +Thomas Zadlo will be mentioned in the same sentence.   :-)



Darius, King of the East, and Etheldreda the Queen, to all our dukes, earls, barons, officers, sheriffs, provosts, ministers and faithful men, greeting.  Forasmuch as our servant Thomas de Castellan has pursued, promoted and sustained the practice and arte of the rapier these many years; and acknowledging the affection and pure benevolence with which the said Thomas has served our realm and the many travails endured by the said Thomas in that service; therefore, let it be known that, with the advice of our beloved and loyal Peers of the Realm, we do hereby give, grant and convey, and on behalf of ourselves and our successors confirm in perpetuity, in favor of the said Thomas, the style, estate and renown of a Master of Defence.  And we do further, with the assent of the dukes, earls, barons, knights and other good persons of our kingdom decree and ordain that the said Thomas shall bear hereafter all of the rights, privileges and endowments that are fitly and justly borne by a Peer, as fully, completely and perfectly as all other persons so elevated, according to the most ancient rights and customs of the kingdom.  And we do further will and command that copies of the present letters be directed to our officers of arms, charging them to pass and make publication of the matters above-written by open proclamation at the market crosses of the principal burghs within the realm and all other places needful, through which none may pretend ignorance thereof; and to command and charge all and sundry our subjects to reverence, acknowledge and obey our will as above-written in all points and pertinents.  In testimony of which we have caused the present charter to be marked with our ensigns manual upon 30 May in the fiftieth year of the Society, at Carillion.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Apprenticeship Resources

Throwing things here so I can find them again:

'Introduction: Apprenticeship', in Calendar of the Plea and Memoranda Rolls of the City of London: Volume 2, 1364-1381, ed. A H Thomas (London, 1929), pp. xxx-xlvii https://www.british-history.ac.uk/plea-memoranda-rolls/vol2/xxx-xlvii

Records of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn through 1568:
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Records_of_the_Honorable_Society_of.html?id=EDkQAAAAYAAJ&hl=en

The Records of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn: 1586-1660
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-cyAAAAIAAJ




Sunday, May 24, 2015

Davius's Master of Defence Text

I know I said I was going to be taking a break, but it's hard to say "no" to personal requests from the recipients for one's work.

At Davius Sainct-Jacques's request (writs are a wonderful thing), +Mathilde Poussin collaborated on a scroll text for him in 16th cen. French for his elevation today in Trimaris.  Brunissende used the original French from the same source text I used from the English adaptation, a 1603 charter by Henry IV of France.   If all went according to plan, the C&I was also done in 16th cen. French style (but that's not my department).

The French:

Takamatsu par la grâce des armes, roi de Trimaris et Cecilia notre Reine, à nos conseillers fidèles et bien-aimés, nos sénéchaux, hérauts, poursuivants, gens de loi, prévôts et ministres et à chacun d'entre eux dans le contexte de leurs droits et l'étendue de leurs pouvoirs et de leurs juridictions, salutations. Comme nous avons, de notre pleine puissance et autorité Royale, pour beaucoup d'importantes occasions, ordonné, commis et établi  l’Ordre de Défense au sein de notre royaume, et parce qu’après avoir ainsi ordonné et établi cet ordre, il est nécessaire que nous créions des compagnons pour ledit corps; et parce que nous trouvons que notre cher et bien amé sujet Davius Sainct-Jacques est un maitre avéré dans l'art de l’épée, doué d’honneur et de bravoure et en toutes manières unique, excellent, merveilleux et remarquable; pour ces causes et autres considérations à ce nous mouvans, par l’arrêté ci-présent valide à perpétuité, le commettons, ordonnons, faisons, constituons et établissons un Maitre de Défense et ordonnons et décrétons qu'il porte ci-après et dès à présent par lettres patentes les armes ci-décrites: De péan, sur un gant sénestre d'argent, un corbeau au naturel.

Et outre ce, afin que personne ne prétende cause d'ignorance de cette notre intention: de la charge, dignité et autorité que nous lui donnons par ces présentes, mandons et ordonnons à tous nosdits Officiers, de quelque qualité et condition qu'ils soient, que ces présentes lettres ou vidimus dûement collationnés d'icelles par l'un de nos amis et féaux Conseillers, Notaires et Secrétaires, ou autre Notaire Royal, ils fassent, à votre requête, poursuite et diligence, ou de nos Procureurs, lire, publier et registrer ès registres de leurs juridictionés, pouvoirs et détroits, afin que chacun d'eux puisse obéir et se conformer à cela notre volonté car tel est notre plaisir.  Nous mandons, ordonnons, et très expressément enjoignons à tous nos Justiciers, Officiers et sujets, de se conformer et, pour l'assurance et l'acquittement de notre volonté, de saisir, appréhender et arrêter tous les contrevenans à notre présente défense et ordonnance, pour les amener et remettre ès mains de la justice.  

Donné, le 24 de Mai durant la cinquantième année de la société.

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And the English:

____ by right of arms, King of Trimaris, and _____ our Queen, to our well-beloved and faithful advisors, our seneschals, heralds, pursuivants, justiciaries, provosts and ministers, and to each one of them in their own right, and in the extent of their powers and jurisdictions, Greetings.  Forasmuch as, from our full power and royal authority, we have, for many important reasons, ordered, commissioned and established the Order of Defense within our Realm; and forasmuch as, so ordering, commissioning and establishing, it is needful that we create Companions of the said Order; and forasmuch as we find our good subject Davius Sainct-Jacques to be a true master in the arts of the rapier, possessed of a full measure of honor and valor, and in all ways singular, preeminent, wonderful and remarkable; therefore, by this our present and ever-valid charter, we create him a Master of Defense, and instruct, ordain and decree that he shall bear hereafter arms by letters patents in the form following: Pean, on a sinister glove argent, a raven proper.
  
To ensure that our will in this matter is carried out, we command and order you, the officers of our realm, to have the within charter immediately published and read in all the public places of your powers and jurisdictions so that none of our subjects may claim cause of ignorance, so that each one may obey and conform to this our will, since such is our pleasure.  We do further command and order you, for the assurance and acquittal of our will, to seize, apprehend, and arrest all those who go against our present charter, to take and remit them into the hands of our justice.  Given in [place] on the [number] day of [month] in the fiftieth year of the Society.




Sunday, May 3, 2015

Frasier's Master of Defence Text

For +Stephen Wright 's elevation as one of the Premiers of the East's Order of Defense, a text based on 16th cen. Scots charters, written in 16th cen. Scots.

We, Darius, Kyng of the Est, & Etheldreda the Qwene, with the advys & matture deliberatioun of oure grete councill, recognise that it turnis to the honour & glory of kyngs quhen persouns of nobill race, by nobill encheving, resave preferment to glorious rewairds & dignities, so that thairby, as thay find thaime selfis decorit with greter honours of titill & name, thay may applie thaime selfis to straif with greter feruencie towert fwrthir maistrie, graunder & more verteuous, & towert fwrthir thingis promoting thair own renowne, & the honour & profyt of the realmme & the commoun gude.  Be it thairfore known to all men, both now & in thie futuir, that we haue consideryt the diuers & sundrie labouris, surpassing skill & excellens & unfatigat purpose shewen these many yeirs by Frasier MacLeod in materis of thee rappier, & willyng & wisshyng thie same Frasier to be attendit by greter favours of grace & honor, to schynit moure brichtly with staturis, & we do thairfore by our sure knowledge, fulnes of power & speciall grace, elevate, mak, creat & newlie raise to the Perage the said Frasier, wisshing him to reioyce in & possess perpetuallie thie titill of a Maister of Defence.  And we do fwrthir insese & indow the said Frasier with armes by patentz letteris, to wit: Argent, a gantelatted sinister cubit arme sable mantaning a rose gules, barbyt, slipped & leavit vert, wythin a bordure sable semy of roses argent.  Done upoun 1 Maie in the feftieth yeyr of the Societie at An Dubhaigeainn.

Donovan's Master of Defense Text

This one was largely made up wholly out of my own head, and then put into spelling appropriate for the 1580s, to go with a quite spectacular scoll by +Nataliia Hurd , for Master Donovan Shinnock ( +Timothy Walsh ), one of the three premiers of the East's Order of Defense.


We, Darius the Kyng and Etheldreda the Queene, give greetings to all good men throughout the Reaulme of the East.  Forasmuch as Donovan Shinnock has performed worthie, remarkable, singular and notable dedes of martial valour and prouwess, and forasmuch as the saied Donovan has, by his works and studies advaunced the practise of the arte of the rapier, and forasmuch as the dedes and works above-wrytten find great favour in our eyes, therefore, by our power and authoritie, and by the wording of our pressent charter,we do herebie make, create, elevate and establissh the saied Donovan as a Master of Defence, to hold faithfullie, trulie and in perpetuitie all rights, freedoms, profites, and whatever juste pertinents relate or could relate to a Peere of the Reaulme, as freely as any Peere has been endouwed bye us or our predecessors wythin our reaulme, wythout any revocastioun or contredictioun whatsoeveer.  And we do further investe and endow the saied Donovan with Arms by lettres patentes in the form following:  Per pale sabell and verte, on a chief argent a fox passant gulles.  On our instrucioun this chartere has been seen, rede, inspected and diligentlie exaumined, and is sound and complete, and shall not be reduced, nor cancelled, nor in any respect suspect.  Therefore, we do affyrm, ratifie and approve this chartre in all its points, articles, condictions, modes and circumstaunces whatsoever, in all and through all, in form as in effect as mentioned.  In testimonie of this, we have set our ensygns manual belowe upon 2 May in the fiftyeth yere of the Society, in An Dubhaigeainn.