History

The deCourcy Estate

Tomas' Grandfather towards the end of his days saw the demand for serfs as the population fell due to plague. In an attempt to keep his serfs, and perhaps increase the number of workers, he began signing what amounted to rental agreements with his serfs. It gave the serfs a section of land and the right to run their sheep on the deCourcy land in exchange for a day of service every week and the first portion of their wool, or the equivilent in money. It also allowed the serfs to pass the land they rented down to their family for the next three generations. This allowed the deCourcy family to thrive in a time where other lords were loosing their serfs rapidly, and then having to sell land in an attempt to continue in the same lifestyle as before. The deCourcys allowed their serfs to sell their wool with them through the same merchants, thus allowing them all to receive the same prices as the deCourcys. This allowed the deCourcys to expand their holdings and by signing exclusive agreements with a single family of merchants led to their becoming very wealthy.

This was not well taken by the other lords, and by the time Tomas was born though his family was well off, they were considered to be no better than merchants by most other noble families. The family doesn't seem to mind much, as the bad feelings are held mostly by the envious whose families squandered their land

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Family

Tomas has three brothers, and both his parents still live. His father manages the estate with a wise hand, and his mother manages the household. His brothers all took different paths. The first is inheriting the manor and works with Tomas' father, learning how to run the land. The second is a lawyer in London, having studied at Oxford. And the third married into a wealthy merchant's family (the same one which Tomas' Grandfather made the agreement with) and is learning the tricks of the wool trade.

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Early Life

Tomas' early life was taken up mostly with lessons and learning about the local trades: sheep and wool. He discovered a passion for his lessons young, and could often be found with his nose in a book of some form or another. Having little interest in trade, and no interest in sheep he decided to follow his brother in education.

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Oxford

After beginning his education and being accepted into one of the colleges Tomas decided that he would make his living in the university. He takes his first step towards that as he finishes his Artium Baccalaureus, and he plans to continue onto a Master of Arts and take his place in Convocation.

The SCA

Getting Started

I first heard about the SCA in high school. It was summer and I had spent the last week playing videogames. Well my parents thought that was a bit too lazy, so we all went out to a demo at Trethewy House. I got to see heavy combat, and see all of the cool costumes and the medieval stuff and thought "dude, I could do this. It would be like being in one of the novels I read". So I started looking into it and quickly realized three things. First I'd need money (which I didn't have), second I'd need time (which I didn't have), and third I'd need transportation (which I didn't have). So I figured I start when I had them.

I kept looking into the SCA, and kept up on it, but it wasn't until my first year of college that I had time, money (not much, but a bit), and a drivers license. So I sent an e-mail to a random guy named Kieran Gunn who was seneschal of the local group at the time. He gave me a call and said that there were two practices coming up. An armoured practice on Sunday, and a rapier practice on Tuesday. Well, at the time I was swing dancing every Sunday. So I decided on the Rapier. I gave him my address and he said he'd come pick me up.

Tuesday rolled around and my doorbell rang. There was a really big guy standing there with long hair and a beard. I looked up... far up. "Hi, I'm Kieran." We got to practice, I meet a bunch of cool people. Learned about fencing. And was hooked. Someone told me that there was an event coming up and said that she'd make me a quick tunic for it. So I attended my first event (Sealion War 2002).

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Rapier

One of my primary areas of interest is Rapier. Historical fencing from the mid 1500s to the early 1600s. It's one of the major reasons why I got hooked on the SCA, and though I don't have as much time to practice it any more due to school, it is one of my passions. For more info see the Rapier page.

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Storytelling

I do not have a very good singing voice. But I love to entertain, and storytelling is how I do that. I have quite the stock of them, both my own, and from myths and legends through the centuries.

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Literature

When I decided to focus more on graduating in the real world I started focusing a lot of my research on English Literature primarily between the late 1300s and the early 1600s.

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Research

I've done quite a bit of research in many areas over the years. Though for the first few years most of it was Rapier or Literature related I have recently been researching early Tudor costume, and academic costume through the middle ages and renaissance.

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Awards

In 2005 I was given an Award of Arms by Princess Bernedette and Prince Ulf at Eisenmarche Tourney