Meet the Members
Meet some of our key members and see what roles they play within the Red Wyvern Society. If you attend any of our events you can be sure to see many of these faces taking part.
Master David Murray - Man-At-Arms
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Master David Murray is one of the Clifford's elite retainers, those who have the nerve to refer to him as a 'Jack of all trades' have reportedly been left with broken thumbs for he is in fact a master of many:
Hailing from the lands of Cumbria he is responsible for training new recruits into the Clifford's private army from their holdings in Appleby having been a seasoned veteran of many conflicts along the Scottish border. With bow and arrow he has struck down many during the tail end of the hundred years war with France and even earned some renown as an accomplished siege engineer during this time. Never growing tired of the blade, outside of battle he is known to some of the Cliffords as a barber surgeon removing arrowheads and treating wounds where he can, a profession he often leaves in his daughter's capable hands. Woe to whoever mistakes his quite demeanor on the battlefield for passiveness! |
Image taken by 'David' on Flickr- https://www.flickr.com/photos/anubis11/sets/72157630082001848?fbclid=IwAR0NZIIjVPPW5hS4iatYFm57saKtqhKXTTY4unAmP8Lo3fSvc7kidNx-cFI
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Mistress Mary - Apothecary and Billman
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A great many nay-sayers have been put in their place with the well-placed butt of a polearm or a sharp glare from Mistress Mary for suggesting that women have no place in war.
Far from the contrary, they are some of the most cruel and callous creatures on god’s earth (words from our own Vintner himself!) and Mistress Mary is no exception, perfect candidates for a 15th century battle. In times of peace she plys her trade as an apothecary offering poultices and ointments to soothe aches and pains as well as selling spices and herbs which are in high demand. In times of war, she dons her helmet and answers Lord Clifford’s summons to take the fight to enemies of the Lancastrian cause in the same vein as the Italian mercenary Onorata Rodiani or Joan of Arc. Few question her prowess in combat and even fewer bare witness to her granting mercy on the battlefield. Hell hath no fury like an apothecary expected to do all the cooking! |
Image taken by Thomas Eagle: http://thomaseagle.com/
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Master James Hodgson - Captain
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Master James Hodgson is one of the Clifford's more sprightly combatants who is normally found wherever the household sets up their armoury where he spends his spare time repairing and maintaining the household's arms and armour.
Armed to the teeth and versed in the ways of crossbows, hammers, bow, billhooks and a variety of weapons, he is also a student in the ways of the German style of longsword combat under the tutelage of some of the Clifford's more experienced knights and men-at-arms. Having recently been appointed a Captain of the household's retainers he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the household and the defence of Lord Clifford's property in his absence. No pressure eh? |
Image taken by Chris Wood: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kumbrian1954/36466650750/in/album-72157685710664504/
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Master Tom Bibby - Billman
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A fresh-faced and eager new recruit to the ranks of the Clifford Household, Master Tom Bibby is a recent addition to the growing ranks of the Lancastrian army.
Hailing like many of the other Clifford retainers from the lands of Penrith he is trained and versed in the arts of warfare to take the fight to the Yorkist traitors. The joys of being among the younger and more agile members of the Clifford retinue! Although he is under the Clifford’s employ as a guardsman, he has been seeking additional work as a dyer’s apprentice whilst he studies the combat manual known as the ‘walpurgis manuscript’ to better himself in combat with sword and shield. |
Image taken by Thomas Eagle: http://thomaseagle.com/
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Master Kenneth Morrison - Reeve and Billman
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Master Kenneth is another of Lord Clifford's men of some long standing having been appointed by the locals of Appleby as a 'Reeve' which is effectively a manager of the Lord's estates, as such he is eagle-eyed and aware of all that goes on within Lord Clifford's estates and where every penny goes.
This does not however defer Master Kenneth to being a quill-scratcher of an accountant, in times of war he dons his helmet and rallies the locals to the defence of the Clifford Lands as he is not only a capable archer but is skilled with polearms, swords and is even learned in the ways of operating siege weapons. |
Image taken by Chris Wood: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kumbrian1954/36863037485/in/album-72157685710664504/
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Master Matt James - Moneyer and Arbalist
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With both halbard and bow, Master Matt is another of Lord Clifford’s loyal troops.
Whilst injuries gained from fighting the Lancastrian cause have left him unable to enter the melee he is far from harmless, armed with a crossbow he patrols the clifford fortifications across the north-west keeping a sharp eye out for marauding Yorkist forces. Rumors amidst the household suggest that Lord Clifford himself has appointed the keen arbalast as a moneyer to stamp out coinage for the king… good thing he has that crossbow close at hand… |
Image taken by Adrian Waite
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