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Once again this year the Sealed Knot gathered to remember the battle and the skirmish one day prior to it at the river crossing at Bude. A wreath-laying ceremony took place on the original battlefield and two battles were fought bringing Knotters together for a good deal of pleasure and providing a focus of activity for members who live in the West Country and often have to travel large distances to support other events. Our 29-year involvement with Stratton and Bude was instigated and has been led through the very hard work of two long serving and hard working members of Hopton's Tertio Staff. Their achievements and contribution were recognised in this their final year as muster organisers: "A presentation of a sword made by 'Armour Class' and a crystal candelabra were made as tokens of our thanks to Derek and Madeleine Carter - not from the Sealed Knot, not from any one Tertio or Association or Regiment, but from the members who have enjoyed Stratton so much over the last 29 years". The torch has now been passed on and the Sealed Knot will continue to commemorate the Civil War events of Stratton and Bude. Manfield - 4th-5th June Supplied by Nick Appleyard The organiser of one of Col Thomas Laghtnan's Regiment of Foote regimental events provide the following report of a much enjoyed weekend: "With the support of members from Sir Thomas Glemham's, Sir Thomas Fairfax's, Hawkins' and Hamilton's Regiments, we put on a small skirmish event in the village of Manfield near Darlington. The skirmish was based upon actual events that took place just two miles away from where we were. Our host and sponsor for the weekend was the landlord of the local pub The Crown Inn who even renamed one of his guest beers for the weekend. A small living history camp was set up on the battlefield and our regimental living history team provided lunchtime fare of bread, cheese and a splendid Dutch pudding. The small crowd gathered around and battle commenced. An artillery barrage from our four guns (provided by Fairfax's and Glemham's) opened the proceedings and continued throughout the skirmish. The musketeers then joined the fray as the small pike block advanced across the field. After one or two forays across the imaginary bridge (logistics said we couldn't have a real one) the pike were pushed back towards the living history area. Most of the pike managed to reach the safety of the living history camp but the pike officer was captured. All the artillery pieces came together and the guns and musket commenced to fire upon the camp. In a last ditch attempt to free our officer two heroic pikemen drew swords and rushed the gun line, only to be shot down within yards of the camp. The skirmish ended with the Parliamentarian pike officer being tried and executed in fine SK tradition. Afterwards the crowd were invited to look round the camp and interact with the troops. Day Two was different again as we were entertained in the pub beer garden by two teams of American Morris dancers and the local Morris team who just happened to be in the area. We even delayed the start of the battle to allow the Americans to have their lunch! The weather was damper than on the Saturday, but to ensure a good show our commentator found himself not just giving an outline to the audience, but also manning the guns! Although the event was small, both re-enactors and the crowd enjoyed themselves. My thanks go to all the members of the SK who helped with this event." Dinefwr Castle Park - 11th-12th June Jeff Vincent Charles Gerard's Regiment of Foote and the National Trust combined forces to enable the Sealed Knot to re-enact one of the opening events of the second Civil War in a "small but perfectly formed" muster in West Wales. With BBC Wales in attendance, Gerard's organised an impressive series of displays and certainly caught one gun captain when the simulated misfire on their gun turned into a real 'hang fire'. The crew of Fire Dragon adlibbed brilliantly as one of their number was swiftly and soundly dealt with for his alleged incompetence. Fortunately Fire Dragon was soon back into effective action, albeit with a chastened crew, as Royalist forces moved to drive the Parliamentarians from their encampment and to secure the river crossing. One of the King's soldiers recounted: "Set in the grounds of Dinefwr Castle, with a fantastic view across a wooded valley to the gothic ruin of the castle, we depicted a skirmish from the area, close to the nearby town of Llandeilo. A strategic river crossing was in the balance, and the Royalist forces were trying to take it. However local Parliamentarian forces detailed to hold the crossing were in revolt against their commanders. This led to a short sharp fight with ground charges adding to the effect. When it became clear that Parliament were going to lose and their powder store had blown up, the soldiers mutinied and their commander was killed. History does not record exactly what happened to him, but in our version he was shot in the back by one of his own men." SEALED KNOT REVIEW 4 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004/5
Boscobel House - 18th-25th June Set in the grounds of Boscobel House, overlooked by the descendant of the Royal Oak where the young Charles II is said to have hidden from Parliament's troops, Colonel Richard Bagot's Regiment have for over two decades organised week-long living history camps taking visitors and school parties back to the 1640's. One of those who sustained the garrison writes: "The camp is 'staffed' by some 30-40 members of the regiment and friends. It acts as a giant open-air classroom for the week. Groups of schoolchildren come to learn a little of the history of the time, both military and social, and gain an insight into how life may have been in the seventeenth century. This year, having passed the poacher and ne'er-do-wells outside the encampment and survived the challenge of the musketeers on guard, they could be enrolled in the King's army as pikemen or novice gunners. Then they could visit the horses and learn of the cavalry, view the musketeers drilling and firing, listen to the village wise woman tell of her herbs and remedies, visit the tavern for a game or a story, handle the wares of the armourer, view the luxurious accommodations of the Colonel, see carts bringing fuel and supplies for the kitchen and, perhaps most importantly for those providing the experience, see how their food was being prepared. Manning a large pit cooking fire is hot work, especially in full kit and on one of the hottest weeks of the year. Add to that the necessity to turn out meals for 30 (to period recipes) and to keep children happy, interested and safe, and you have a full-time job on your hands. Wet days bring relief from the heat, but add new problems of their own - cold damp children and eye watering smoke from the fire. Doing something like this, you need to be able to think on your feet and quickly find (or re-invent) suitable methods for coping with problems. Large pans placed over the fire in the rain keep the water off the burning logs. Fill those pans with water and not only do you have a protected fire, you also have hot dishwater... I was struck by the things which the children didn't know. Simple things that I had taken for granted, like when fruits were in season, and several of them had clearly never seen a real horse before. Many of them couldn't quite grasp that we were really living in the tents for the week, and I was asked more than once whether we were really going to eat the food. At that point I could have cried - the thought of all that hard work going to the pigs was just too much! It's not all hard work though. In the evening once the site was closed, supper eaten and the dishes cleaned, the camp would show its other face. We played games, took evening walks to the atmospheric ruins of White Ladies Priory where seventeenth century attire really spooked the local youths (or was it the sight of a mounted and armoured curassier that really caused a stir?). In the grounds of the Hall we tried our own hands at archery and generally 'let our hair down'. The evenings were seen out around the fire accompanied by music, laughter and friendship." St Mary's Church, Devizes - 25th June A small contingent of Knotters from Saye's, Northampton's and Newcastle's supported the annual Patronal Festival of St Mary's Church, braving a blustery day to provide a static 'show and tell' display of equipment, clothing and artefacts at the church fete. In addition to contributing to the success of a local event, it proved to be a useful opportunity to make new contacts in the local community and media, promoting interest in the Roundway Down event planned for July. "Attack!" Devizes - 9th-10th July Saye's returned to Devizes in July to take part in the Devizes Wargames Show "Attack!" . The local wargames group had themed a demonstration game around the fighting in Longstreet in Devizes on 12 July 1643, one day before the battle of Roundway Down when Hopton's men had been able to beat off Waller's Parliamentarians. Saye's provided demonstrations of pike, musket and artillery to visitors to the show and around the Market Square in the town, helping to set the scene for "Attack!" and the events of the coming week. "Local members of Newcastle's were present at the show in kit. On Sunday we were challenged to have a go at the "Battle of Longstreet" game, competing against our old adversaries. History was not repeated. Though Waller's Dragoons were held back by strong Royalist opposition his foote were able to secure the street and annihilate the remnants of Hopton's forces - a great victory. Morale was high and only slightly dampened when it was pointed out that the opposing commander was in fact 10 years old!" Parliamentarian bullies! Roundway Down Battlefield Festival - 13th-17th July The grand finale of the season's Sealed Knot promotional and educational work in and around Devizes was its participation in the Roundway Down Battlefield Festival. Saye's report that: "Lord Saye and Sele's Blewe Regiment of Foote moved onto the superb setting of Roundway Down on Sunday 10 Julywhere they were able to enjoy the stunning views across Wiltshire and from a distance view firework displays across the horizon. Hot summer days and clear nights with beautiful skies were going to be the setting for an action-packed week. Reinforcements from many regiments began to arrive over the next few days. Their assistance and forbearance as the site set-up continued and throughout the week's activities were greatly appreciated. Wednesday 13 July - Rowdeford School Today we undertook something a little bit different. A large party of Knotters visited a school for some very special children just outside Devizes. All the children had some special need and so we had to focus on stimulating the whole range of their senses. Displays of costume, textiles, musket, artillery and pike, sensitive to the needs of each group of children were very successful. Foxy's cannon, fitted with a CO2 fire extinguisher so that the children could see the loading and 'firing' of artillery without the loud bangs that could have frightened them, and skins and furs that the students could touch, courtesy of "Gannet the Poacher", proved very popular. Thursday 14 July - "Market Day with a Difference" The Knot were back in Devizes. Troops marched through the shopping streets, proclaiming the imminent attack of Waller's army and encouraging the townsfolk to prepare for war. Arms and equipment were demonstrated and apprentices were drilled. A pay parade was held, though in view of the breaches of discipline fines levied and the fact that there would be fewer to pay in a day or two it was wisely decided by the officers commanding the rag-tag local levies that none should receive pay. Traders were ordered to hand over cord for match and supplies were siezed. Local churches were involved as a lay minister exhorted the Devizes militia to do their duty and look to their God for support. His rousing sermon was interrupted by a Puritan man of God who challenged the good Reverend's theology and agitated for the troops and townspeople to turn against their King and to declare for Parliament. A local minister was discovered to have wronged a lady of the parish after his efforts to blame the SEALED KNOT REVIEW 5 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004/5
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Page 9 and 10: Linda Thomas together to create an
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Page 19 and 20: On 20th June 1627 Prince Frederik H
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