The Populace of Southron Gaard

Here you will find an introduction to some of the people of Southron Gaard, their personas and their interests. This is by no means a complete listing, but it serves to provide a flavour of the people of our fair Barony.

Without a formal survey, it is difficult to discover how many people live within the island borders of Southron Gaard, but we typically hold feasts for between 50 and 100 people, and more than 250 people attend our annual Canterbury Faire encampment.

Some of our peoples are grouped together into households. They may not actually live in a castle together, but the household recognises common interests and friendships. Household groups usually camp together, and nothing is more stirring than to see the likes of House Amberherthe’s encampment with silken banners flying above a matched set of tents.

If you live in Southron Gaard, send a short (max 100 words) description of yourself and your interests; a picture of yourself and/or your arms; a link to your own website, blog, facebook etc.

_{N.B. We reserve the right to edit or refuse a listing where appropriate.}

The People of Southron Gaard

Alexandra de Santiago

Alexandra de Santiago comes from the Pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain, where her father is a minor noble who holds a position in the famous University there in the mid 16th Century. Alexandra also enjoys exploring the fashions of other times and places. She loves to meet new people, try new crafts, foods and cultures. Alexandra is one of the founding members of Household Draco Viridis, and has been involved in Southron Gaard for more than 27 years.

Alexandra is the current Baroness of Southron Gaard

Quarterly vert and argent, a cross of Santiago Or and a bordure counterchanged

Grim of Thornby

Grim of Thornby, hails from the busy 10th Century Norse town of Thornby, in the heart of the Dangeld – near the soon to be famous Stamford Bridge. A humble blacksmith and warrior Grim has travelled far and wide to ply his trade and slay the Jarl’s foes. He is occasionally seen dressed in the clothing or armour of some far Eastern cultures, or fashion forward attire of the 16th century Italian Court.

Squired to Sir Ruslan Voronov of Aethelmarc, Grim is a member of the Order of the Red Wyvern for Armoured Combat. He seeks to encourage all forms of Armoured combat with a focus on youth, and is current Lochac Deputy for Youth Armoured Combat.

Grim is a member of the Order of the Laurel, for metal crafts; and Baron of Southron Gaard.

Per bend sable and argent, a padlock argent and an anvil azure

Bartholomew Baskin

I am an ambitious and conniv-, er, up-and-coming noble of dubious lineage in the court of Henry II Plantagenet of England, around 1155-65. My career has been well documented in a series of stories and songs, though many people hold grave doubts as to their accuracy. My chief skills lay in combat archery and war strategy, though I no longer practice any martial form. My best loves are my lady, katherine kerr of the Hermitage, and all forms of entertainment. Among my children are Dickon and Pippin Baskin, and I also acknowledge Grace Kerr.

Argent, a lion dormant, a chief rayonny gules, for augmentation the lion maintaining an escutcheon bendwise quarterly azure and argent, on a cross gules four mullets of six points argent within a bordure gules

Callum MacLeod

I am from the Isle of Lewis on the Northwest coast of Scotland. Originally a tavern-keeper, I journeyed to the mainland to join the Bruce. I’ve played since the founding of the shire. I can use a sword and crossbow with some skill, and of late have concentrated on wood-working and chronicling the Barony in verse. I’ve tried my hand at a lot of things and if I don’t know, I’ll probably know someone who does.

Counter-ermine, a bend sinister wreathed gules and argent, cotised plain argent

Duarte Alfonso de la Guitarra

Hello! I am Duarte Alfonso de la Guitarra (she/her or he/him). I am well known for playing both the four course guitar and the recorder, as well as being the person with a giant blue feather sticking out of their hat. I have a blog where I post transcriptions of music for the four course guitar, as well as other information I find about the guitar within period.

Blog

Chevronelly inverted argent and gules, a guitar Or and an orle purpure

Eleanora van den Bogaerde

Barones Eleanora is the daughter of a moderately well-off Dutch nobleman Jan van den Bogaerde. She enjoys needlework, weaving, spinning and dyeing, she cooks when necessary, rides infrequently, and enjoys having her neighbours over for feasts.

Eleanora is a Companion of both the Order of the Pelican (March 1996) and the Order of the Laurel (February 2006) and had the honour of being founding Baroness of the Barony of Southron Gaard.

Website

*Argent fretty Gules, a panther passant Sable incensed Proper spotted of various tinctures, on a chief Sable 3 crescents Argent*

Garrick Halverson

Garrick Halverson, otherwise known as “Garrick the Black” was the descendant of the Viking Leader Godfrid, Duke of Frisha in the 9^th Century. This ancestry however did not help him as he was born into a Frisian Tribe in the year 1415.

Isabel Maria

Isabel Maria is one of those Spanish ladies from Madrid who doesn’t believe she is properly dressed without at least a 3′ train and several pounds of jewellery.

Per chevron vert and gules, a chevron between two fleurs-de-lys and an eagle Or

katherine kerr of the Hermitage

Pelican, Laurel, Baroness

I was born in Venice in 1526 of a Scottish captain and a Venetian mother of the Family Mocenigo, and lived in the Border fortress of the Hermitage to the year 1567 when Mary, Queen of Scots, was struggling to hold on to her throne.

I have lived in the Barony of Southron Gaard since its founding over four decades ago, and served Lochac as its Landed Baroness. I have many interests, from printing and cartography, to correspondence and theatricals. My lord-husband is Bartholomew Baskin, and we have three grown children, Dickon, Pippin and Grace.

There is a large amount of information on all manner of things on katherine’s website

Or feel free to email me

Website

Per chevron embattled gules and azure, two curs’ heads couped argent each gorged of a pearled coronet sable, attached thereto two chain links Or, and a tower argent, for augmentation overall on a lozenge quarterly azure and argent, a cross gules charged with four mullets of six points argent within a bordure Or

Sigurd Hardrada

Sir Sigurd is a Norseman living near the end of the tenth century. He has a fondness for silk which he buys in Miklegaard and is renowned for his baggy pants, skill as a smith and business acumen.

Sigurd is a Knight of the SCA (July 2007) and a Companion of the Order of the Laurel (March 1996) for his skill with blade smithing and as an armourer and had the honour of being founding Baron of the Barony of Southron Gaard.

Website

*Per pale gules and argent, three boars rampant regaurdant counterchanged*

Solveig Ulfsdottir

Lady Solveig Ulfsdottir, a Norwegian by birth.
Her father nicknamed her Solvi.
Married too a Norse cloth merchant on the silk road.
Became a Völva, (norse witch, seer, priestess) this is both honoured, feared and a life-long journey.
Her cousin, Lord Ceallach Wulfhierson, accepted her and is now protected by his house – Wyvern Guard

Skills include: archery, drop spindle use, weaving, woodworking.

Often seen with staff in hand.
Travels when in need.
Helps people where she can.
Yet she doesn’t own a steed.

Per pall argent, gules, and azure, an arrow perfuses sable and argent

Yasuda Tatsu’aki

Lord Yasuda Tatsu’aki was born into a country still divided by waring clans, the unification of Japan was still many wars distant. My clan is cunning with money and trade and eventually though I would not live to see it, the Yasuda Clan has gone down in history as a power house in Japanese Banking. I went out to seek my fortune in other ways, I chanced my way though lands controlled by Mongolia and finally ended my days in Venice, that most cosmopolitan of cities.

Sable, a butterfly within and conjoined to an annulet argent

Elena Sophia di Luciano dei Medici

Per fess enarched Or and sable, three torteaux and a serpent nowed in a quatrefoil knot vorant of its own tail Or

Elena Sophia di Luciano dei Medici is a 16th Century Italian noblewoman hailing from Florence, Italy. Widowed from a respectable and wealthy older gentleman (from one of the Medici allied families in Venice), whose passing was believed due to a particularly vicious and rapid bout of the flux. Elena inherited the bulk of the estate, and although she was able to sell much of the property/chattels back to his family, she still maintains a small estate in Tuscany.

Since the disappearance of her one-time Fencing Maestro (and Lochac’s missing Admiral) she applied for (and was granted) a letter of Marque from King Stefan II.

She was granted control of her brother’s trading company to search out her missing maestro, and her raison d’être to return him to the Crown of Lochac completed, she now controls the Company of the Argent Rose while her dear brother takes a well-deserved ‘vacation’