We are a Medieval re-enactment group, portraying living history, battles and tournaments from the 15th century, mainly from the period of the Wars of the Roses.

We attend medieval fayres and festivals, putting on living history displays with our medieval encampment setup and taking part in battles and tournament displays.

The group has a range of living history displays: weapons, armour, games, pedlar, spinning & weaving, barber surgeon, wise woman, cooking and butter making, dyeing, finger looping, blackwork embroidery, as well as archery, knights and men-at-arms.

Meet The Household

Lord Sutton

Lord Sutton, Lord of the Sutton Household and commander of Sutton’ men at arms.

Mathilde Whitlock, Spinner and weaver.

God be here. How is it with you?

I am Mathilde Whitlock, wife of Lord Sutton’s lawyer. My husband draws up wills and soldier contracts as well as other legal matters for his Lordship, and I am indeed fortunate to have a husband of standing within the household. Would that you could see the fine tapestry he has given me for my bed chamber!

Within the household I oversee the preparation of wool and flax for spinning into yarn and weaving into cloth. Every household must produce enough to dress those living within it – although his lordship also purchases fine silks and velvets from overseas for his own attire. As all girls must, I learnt at the knee of my mother so I could be adept at spinning whilst being about my other business, like walking to market or checking on household staff. Spinning occupies many hours of every day to produce enough good yarn, and so my distaff is most always at my side.

Good wife Toildy Purkiss, peddler

Good day to you fine gentlefolk, my name is Good wife Toildy Purkiss. I hail from the town of Sherborn, or at least I do in the winter months of each year the Lord givest us. As Spring breaks across the fields and until the Fall I follow the highways and byways to peddle our wares. Like my father and grandfather I follow their long walked routes selling small goods to those in the villages, saving them the long walk to markets or fairs.
You may wonder at a woman seeking such a living but peddling has been in our family for many generations, since my great grandparents dwelt on Dartmoor. Like so many peddling families we come from the areas of moor and mountain. The village folk may turn up their noses, nor do they invite me into their dwellings, but they are pleased enough to buy the pins, candle, aiglets and spices I carry in my poke. After all widow women are allowed to manage their dead husband’s trades so why not women folk whose husbands travel for many years with the King in his wars in the kingdom of France.

I journey with my son, Tristan who is 12 summers of age and of great help in the carrying of our goods, though I tell him he doest not carry as much as a pony! Even with him of an age to be considered nigh on a man, he is not full grown and so we do not travel alone. We walk alongside other, pilgrims or lordly households, such as Lord Sutton’s, for there is safety in numbers, is there not?

I learnt the trade, as Tristan does, walking as a child with my father. I learnt the routes we took, the alehouse keepers who would store our stock, whilst we walked out to the villages. From him I learnt the markets and fairs to attend , and the traders who give a good price, where to buy the spices which come in from the ships at Lyme or the almonds and oranges that come into Weymouth.

This day we are in your village, now what can I sell you………

Alys Deier, Dyer

I am Alys Deier. I live in Lord Sutton’s household where I dye his lordships cloth using plants and nuts from the land.

William Cowmeadow, Reeve

My name is William Cowmeadow. I am Lord Sutton’s reeve whose job is recording and ensuring that persons put forward to go to war (archers) turn up at the muster point. I am responsible for writing the names and letting Lord Sutton know who was missing.

Sir Edmund Sutton, Knight

My name is Sir Edmund Sutton, a senior Knight of the household and cousin to Lord Sutton.

I am responsible for the training and equipping of Lord Suttons Retinue of men at arms and archers.

I am required to provide my own lance of men to the households retinue should we be called to support the king in battle. This consist of an armed squire to support me in battle, a varlet to maintain the horses and equipment, plus 2 men at arms and 6 archers and horses.