Hawkyns

Here's another version of Spanish Ladies. This is a version by John Tams, the English folksinger, and was written for the TV series "Sharpe". Tams played Rifleman Hagman in the Napoleonic War series, and wrote a lot of the music for the show. The CD, "The Music of Sharpe" is available from Amazon UK. A pretty song, but not to be listend to after too much rum. A bit more of the reality than the normal sailors rant. Hawkyns Spanish Bride O'er the hills and o'er the main Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain King George commands and we obey Over the hills and far away And we sailed out of England bound for Lisbon harbour With bayonets a-gleaming and pride to the fore We'd little to hope but we tried hard to cherish The thoughts of our loved ones on England's fair shore And soon we were transported through hell and its fury Through smoke and through fire, through shot and through flame And at Telavera we stole Boney's Eagle And in that short time we were heroes of Spain And I met with a maiden hair black as the raven Her eyes they did glister like two diamonds bright We spoke not a word at our very first meeting And I lay in her arms all that long Spanish night And we travelled together o'er mountain and valley And she by my side through many's the fight She tended my suffering and she salved me of pity And bore me a daughter for my heart's delight And we marched into Lisbon proud Wellington's army The war being over it's homeward we're bound And all on the quayside - the weeping and wailing Four thousand women left on that cold ground Farewell and adieu to you Spanish lady Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain For we're under orders to sail home to England But I know in some time we'll return once again And if ever I'm returning it's with gold in great plenty And if I return it's with gold in great store I'll search far and wide for my Spanish lady Who brought me such peace in the midst of such war Farewell and adieu to you Spanish lady Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain For we're under orders to sail home to England But I know in some time we'll return once again Once again Once again Once again O'er the hills and o'er the main Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain King George commands and we obey Over the hills and far away

I use a bunch of different cords, depending on the use. For me matchlock, I like braided clothesline with the nylon core pulled out. The hole down the center give air to make a nice hot coal, even if it does burn a bit quicker. Sometime I can get braided hemp cord, and that works well, too. If I'm doing a museum gig, I'll make it from 3 1/8" strands of macrame hemp and braid it myself. I soak it in a supersaturated solution of potassium nitrate disolved in rubbing alcohol. Soak it about 10 minutes then pull it out and let it dry. Dries fast and leaves a bit of a gritty feel. I like to work with 6 foot lengths. I can wrap it round the linstock shaft, or hold both ends in the hand when firing the musket. Hawkyns

Hey- I resemble that remark!! Nah, it's great stuff, really well done! Everyone charts their own course. While it might not be somethin' I'd wear, I always have respect for a good craftsman and a well made piece. I'd be careful, though. Show it around too much and you'll find yourself shackled to that sewing box with a pile of orders in the in-box. Hawkyns

I'm not a historian like Hawkyns and such, but I'm not sure bright orange is 16th century either. As for leather....HOT HOT HOT. But a leather bodice? Only if you into bondage. Orange is a period colour, as long as it's a muted orange, burnt or a peachy orange. International Distress Orange is definately out. Don't know what to tell you about the leather. I wear it in summer, both as breeches and doublets. Let it dry when you take it off before you pack it up and you should be OK. Depends on the leather, too. If your talking a heavy veg tan, then when it gets damp or wet, it will take the new shape and hold it. Some lighter weight leathers, especially those made for clothing or upholstery won't stretch when wet and will hold their shape better. Most 'bondage' leather is of the heavy veg tan type, belt weight or better and will not take being wet well, unless it is well soaked in waterproofers and surface glosses. On one of my other lists, there's been quite a discussion going about bodices of the late 16th and 17th centuries. Seems that ladies of fashion and court wore them cut below the nipple with most of the breast exposed. Sometimes there might be a *very* sheer chemise, but not always. This was not a working girl's fashion, either. There's a famous woodcut of Queen Mary (of William and Mary) with her bodice cut completely under the breats and no chemise covering them at all. Who wants to model one for us, eh? Hawkyns

yes. we did get some. I just have to figure out how to get them from where they in my email inbox to here. I'm computer illiterate, so need to get help one of me mates to show me how. Hopefully tonight. Hawkyns

I was out of F grade on this one, need to go back down to Dixon's to stock up. I used FF and downsized the charges, so total use was a little over 2 pounds. Using F and full size charges it would be about 3 pounds. It really varies on usage. Some events are just a shot or two for saluting, or a couple of shots before the opposing forces get too close for safety. Being a a hundred yards off shore made for a nice safety zone, so we could fire as much as we wanted. We had more charges prepared, but the battle ended quicker than we expected. Don't know about where you are, but I'm paying about $14.00 per pound right now. Hawkyns

So me gun crews and I reported aboard the schooner Quinnipiac bright and early yeasterday morning. Loaded our swivel, Nightingale, and our bastard 3, Cricket, and sailed off to join the British, burning New Haven, CT. This was one of the Rev War 225th anniversary battles and was well attended. Some British Forces made a landing in longboats, while the rest joined up at Lighthouse Point. We provided cover against the rebels. The land forces then fought a 2 mile running battle through the streets of Morris Cove up to Black Rock Fort. We stood offshore and kept the bombardment going. When the rebels finally got to the fort to make their final stand, we anchored off the beach and fired on them until they surrendered. Dock to dock, we were out for about 5 hours. Lovely day, the Sound was a millpond, barely enough breeze to fill the sails. Lots of powder expended, 2 new gunners trained, and a day with ships, sails, and cannon firing. Pipe 'Up Spirits'!!!!!! Hawkyns

Hey Doc! 'Ast'a iver bin t' th' Cantonement? Bloody wonderful litttle artillery museum thea. Coupla pieces ah woudn'a mind mekkin' off wi. Hawkyns

Yep, time, sweat and body oils are the best way to age leather. Repeated polishing/soaking with a good harness oil keeps the leather from drying out and makes it nice and supple over time. I like Weaver's darkening harness oil. Hawkyns

It doesn't look aged to me, more like what I'd call a mistake, unevenly applied dye. Use 6-8 oz veg tan leather. You can buy precut belts or cut them from bellies. Dye it with Fiebings Professional Oil Dye and apply uing a small piece of sheepskin or a sponge. (you might want to wear rubber gloves) If you apply unevenly or even just let the leather soak it up unevenly which it will do, you will get that uneven effect. Hawkyns

That double breasted jacket (Gunner's Jacket ??) does not appear that early that I've ever found. I'm not even sure it's good for F&I. Much more likely is the sleeved waistcoat. The sleeved waistdoat is very similar to a single breasted peacoat or bumfreezer. Being looser on the body, it is easier to work in. The waistcoat that is long in front (thigh length) and waist length in back is definitely correct. I've seen it variously described as being for riding or working. For riding, your coat is split in the rear, and your waistcaot short, so you don't get them stuck between you and the saddle. it's also described as being for workmen, again, so that the tails don't get in the way. Either way, it's documentable and period for the early 18th C. Hawkyns

Pirate raid night? haven't heard of that. 'Course, since I work security shifts, I may have dealt with it and just not known it. Come by and say hello. I'm in the front corner of B08, the gunner's camp, and St. Barbara Central. If I'm not there, I could be at the battery position on the NW corner of the battlefield. Or, I'm on the marshal's radio channel as GUNNER ONE. Fair warning!! Flinlocks are verboten at Pennsic, unless they are converted to earlier styles. I will be enforcing that. Nobody is allowed to bring powder to Pennsic unless it is officially sanctioned as part of the gun crews. That means it gets cleared through me, and all powder will be stored in my central magazine for the duration. It will be issued as needed. Sorry to be hardarsed about this, but those are the rules and I am on staff. This comes under the safety regs, and with 12000 people, we HAVE to enforce them, and we will. Hawkyns

It's an early form of firelock from the last quarter of the 16th century. More complicated than a flintlock, the steel and the pancover are 2 separate pieces, with a linkage between the two. http://www.silcom.com/~vikman/isles/script...rearm/snap.html Not many people make them, they are expensive and not particularly popular. Leonard Day has made some muskets, and Dale shinn has made some pistols, but either way, we're talking about a grand, give or take. Hawkyns

Grendle That only goes so far. Whereever you go, whatever the event, you have to play by the host's rules. If it's a renfair, the rules are going to be looser than a recreation, and those are going to be looser than a re-enactment. You play where you are comfortable. I do everything from renfaires where pretty much anything goes, to re-enactments where I carry a documentation book in the car. I have 4 or 5 different kits, so I can change focus or date or authenticity level as needed. I enjoy all of them in thier own way, but the real hardcore re-eanctments are what I enjoy best, stictch counters and all. btw, I do wear wool in the summer. Mostly with leather over it. As far as the sword play, I've been doing it for 25 years in various groups. When I go to a group, and enter a fighting ring, I want to know what the combat conventions are. Are heads shots legal? Are we playing contact or not? What is the calibration standard? Are we using blunts, sharps, or salle weapons? Armour and masks or not? There are a lot of people playing this game, and not all of them are too tightly wrapped. I'm willing to risk life and limb against people who have a clue, but someone who comes in and says that the rules don't apply to them is not going to be fighting me or most of the people I know. Rules are neccesary to ensure that we can do this more than once. Hawkyns

1600

I think I'll weigh in on the last 2 posts, since I am the Master Gunner and Guild Master for the Guild of St. Barbara. That is the group dedicated to expanding knowledge and use of black powder in the SCA. I'm also the Captayne General of artillery at Pennsic, and, as such, on the staff. First, the English lock appears in the second quarter of the 17th century. It is in common use on pistols by the English Civil War and hangs around a bit after that, but is eventually supplanted by the French lock, which most of us recognise as the common flintlock. As such, it is out of period for the Society, which ends at 1600. As far as the idiot who said firearms weren't invented until 1650, show him the manuscript of Walter de la Millemete that dates to 1326. It's not the first time I've heard this idiocy, and it generally traces back to the attitude that people don't want their Society contaminated by 'guns'. They put the date of firearms to coincide with the end of the Society. The Guild exists to bring black powder to the Society. Since there is a resistance, we are doing it in a way that must be 1000% justifiable historically. All firearms nust predate 1600. That means handgonnes, matchlocks, wheellocks, and snaphaunces only. The one exception is a flintlock that has been modified to look like a snaphaunce externally. Why do we do this? Well, there have been problems with blackpowder in the Society, and I hate to say it here, but the majority of the problems have been caused by pirates. People in out of period garb, carrying out of period weapons, firing them at the wrong time and place. Not all, true, but from what is in my files, certainly the majority. So we are hard assed about authenticity. That way there is no legitimate reason to come down on us. We teach, both practical and theory, as well as the history. Safety is number one priority. there are a bunch of us who'll teach firearms at the drop of a hat, we teach at Pennsic, and have a good reputation of helping the marshals by firing signal guns. If you're going tgo be there, put on your Elizbethan kit (or earlier )and come on down. We are also on Yahoogroups as SCA-gunners. Hawkyns Master of the Laurel for Blackpowder Firearms Research and Practice

So, I spent yesterday at Plimoth Plantation. They've set up an exhibition on the show, and are moving two of the houses down to their education center. More background information than was on the cheesy 2 minute 'interviews' at the end of each episode. They did attempt to give the colonists more training than was apparent in the show. I'm guessing this crew was just totally clueless and couldn't grasp what they had to do. The premise as shown in the exhibit had much more potential than came across. I son't know if that was the fault of the movie company- directing, editing, etc., or if it was the colonists. Certainly, it would appear that the production staff looked for every problem they could find and high-lighted it. Did they push the colonists to do waht they wanted? Don't know, but I'm using my contacts to try and find out. I did spend half an hour with one of the costume staff and asked some questions. The stays question had been generating a lot of talk on some of the Living History boards. Latest research indicates that the bodice was not boned, but was worn over the stays. so- shift, stays, bodice, jacket is the correct sequence of clothing. The boned bodices so beloved of ren faires are inaccurate and are an attempt to combine two articles of clothing into one. Lower classes- servants, milkmaids, etc., might have skipped the bodice and not worn their jacket while working, but they would NOT have appeared in public in just their stays. Side Note!! I drove down to the Mayflower and was very surprised to find 2 sets of masts and spars in the harbour. The Bounty was visiting Plymouth and was tied up for tours on the other side of the harbour. I paid my fiver and went on board. Boy was I disapointed. she really needs some work. Dacron sails and steel standing rigging? Needs a general paint job and a good spruce up. Particularly noticeable when near the Mayflower which is so well done and in particularly good shape after the latest round of sprucing up. Hawkyns

And I'd be like ta shoot thee if tha did. Pieces like this belong in museums or good collections. If you do wear an original as a carry piece, and I do, it should be proberly scabbarded, securely slung, and treated with some care. I wonder what the reserve is. and how many parts Gwen would hack me into..... Hawkyns

FYI, if the shoes fit properly, they are not slip ons. You do actually have to fasten the buckles. Hawkyns

That, mate, is entirely a matter of opinion. I've spent more hours than I care to count in museums, craning my neck and falling foul of alarm systems to see the back side of exhibits to see how they were properly constructed. For every hour I spend in kit, I figure I've spend well upwards of 10 hours doing research. For me, my ultimate goal is that if we ever do get to the time machine, I can take my stuff and have it be indistinguishable from the originals. Failing that, I want to put my stuff alongside museum artifacts and have them be as identical as possible, given nearly 400 years of aging difference. As I've said before, for me its a lifestyle challenge. To know how they lived, what they thought, what they wore, what they used- so much of this information has been lost. The more we can rediscover by finding lost journals, records, etc., and by experimetal archeology, actually trying to duplicate what we can of their lifestyle, the better for history. It's not the glitz for me, it's the day to day. A filthy shirt, linen slops, and a torn doublet will teach me more about them than any braid covered captain's coat. Hawkyns

Yeah, I think. at least a positive probably. I've lived the period life for up to a couple of weeks at a time and seen no ill effects. Lack of comfort bothers me not a bit, I'm as comfortable on a sack of straw as in the waterbed. I'm OK with my own company or in a group. When I backpacked across England last year, I was 3 or 4 days without saying a word to a soul, and only seeing them at distance or in passing. I'm a reasonable hand with a sword, for someone who doesn't use one everyday, and I can handle a gun or a whole battery. No head for heights, though, so you wouldn't find me aloft. Reasonable health, no particular hangups about doing what's neccesary to survive. I do get seasick, though. I've never been at sea long enough to see if it does go away, something I hope to remedy this year. If not pirate, then definitely highwayman. I love riding. Hawkyns

You guys might want to check out the Faire vs. Re-enactment thread from this section. change the seeting to show everything from the beginning and it's about halfway down page 3. Me, I'm for the most accuracy I can get. There are a bunch of reasons, but boiled down it amounts to the fact that I don't do this for just a day at a faire or gathering. I need to be able to live in these clothes for a few days at a time, camping, sailing, cutting wood, fighting, running cannon or whatever. The historical clothing lets you do that, it was designed for it. The fantasy kit looks good, but is not always practical for activities more than just standing around, looking good. Unless that coat is well tailored for you, you can't fight in it. That bodice may look nice, but can you bend over and cook on an open fire? As well as the heat involved with synthetic fabrics, they are very flammable. In a place where we are involved with campfires, gunpowder, pan flashes, and muzzle fire, I don't want to be in anything that's flammable. There are times that I and my lady will wear fantasy pirate, but it is rare and only for very specific reasons and short periods. Hawkyns

I haven't seen the movie but I have been told that it is similar to my cutlass. Proably something Tony Swanton cooked up using a cutlass like mine but with an aluminum blade. I saw the movie last night. To me, the hilt looked a bit more like a schiavona than the cutlass cage hilt, and the blade was a bit longer. VERY eastern european in the blade and scabbard, though. Hmmm..... I've got a schivaona hilt on noe of my schlagers. Wonder if I can pick up a decent sabre blade and scabbard and mate the two? Got to look into this. Hawkyns

Been re-enacting about 28 years, now. Started 17th c about 19 years ago, went hard core about 16 years ago. Hawkyns

Interesting. I've done some ren faire events around the northeast. We don't often get the triple digits, but humidity of 85% is fairly normal. Even at that, most of the folk I deal with stay in kit. Bodices and doublets may get dumped, but beyond that, we try and stay in period. Of course, if there's a lake, skinny dipping becomes the order of the day. Shifts and shirts, breeches and skirts are still the preferred kit. Changing to shorts and t-shirts is very rare. Cultural differences, I suppose. And, as I say, I mostly hang out with the re-enactors, rather than strictly faire folk. Hawkyns DEFINITELY in the hard core camp.