What we do
Who are the Medieval Combat Society
The society is run by the members for the members who have fun taking part in reenactment shows in the UK and further afield. Members come from all walks of life and enjoy different aspects from living history displays through to fighting with sword, axes and maces, or it may be the archery, dancing or banqueting.
Where to see us
Book the Medieval Combat Society
01
Displays
Archery, combat, dancing, Living history, have-a-go archery, set to a display of living history and medieval tents.
02
Entertaining
More than just a display, we engage with the crowd to have them cheer for their favourite knight or boo the bad.
03
Experience
We practice all the off season and have many years of experience in hundreds of bookings, and tailor each show to its setting.
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Medieval Combat Society
(opens in a new tab)The Medieval Combat Society (MCS) is a 14th Century Re-enactment Group, active since the 1970's. Welcome to the Medieval Combat Society Facebook page.
30 October 1337 Following the arrests of the Templars in France on Friday 13th October Edward II openly refused to believe the charges of heresy. Edward wrote letters to the Pope and the kings of Portugal, Castile, Aragon, and Sicily, vigorously defending the Templar Order against the French allegations.Dan Snow talks to Dan Jones about the Templar Knightswww.themcs.org/history/Knights%20Templar/knights%20templar.htm
The True History Of The Knights Templar With Dan Jones
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The True History Of The Knights Templar With Dan Jones They might…
30 October 1363 The Great Statute of Clothing (1363)This is the most famous sumptuary law of the Middle Ages. It was a massive piece of social engineering passed by the Parliament held at Westminster.It divided English society into seven distinct ranks (from laborers to lords) and dictated exactly what fabrics and furs each could wear.Laborers, Servants, farmhands, domestic servants They could only wear cloth of the lowest quality, specifically "blanket" or "russet" cloth. The fabric could not cost more than 2 marks (roughly £1.33) for the whole piece. They were strictly forbidden from wearing anything made of silk, gold, silver, or lace.Handicraftsmen, Yeomen, skilled tradesmen like blacksmiths or carpenters (and that of their wives/children) could not cost more than 40 shillings (£2) for the entire cloth. They were forbidden from wearing precious stones, silk, silver, or any clothing embroidered with gold or silk. No fur was allowed except for the cheapest types (lamb, rabbit, cat, or fox).Gentry (below £100/yr) Their cloth could not cost more than 4.5 marks (£3). No cloth of gold, no silk, and no "miniver" (the prized white belly-fur of the Baltic squirrel). Their wives were forbidden from wearing veils made of silk, only of "dull" thread.Merchants (over £500) Because of their wealth, they were allowed to dress like the class above them (knights), but with one major exception, they were still forbidden from using ermine (the white fur with black tails) or any clothing heavily decorated with precious stones.Knights (Income below £200/year) They could spend up to 6 marks (£4) on their cloth and were permitted to wear some silk and silver, but were forbidden from wearing any gold cloth or "miniver" fur.Knights (over £400/yr) The highest tier of the knightly class, just below the nobility. They could wear almost anything they wished and were only restricted from wearing the most extravagant ermine-lined sleeves or "cloth of gold" that was reserved for the highest peers of the realm.The Clergy, he law divided the church into two tiers. Higher clergy (like Bishops) could dress as the upper nobility. Lower clergy were strictly forbidden from wearing "fur, silk, or precious stones" and were commanded to wear clothes that reflected their "humble" station.www.youtube.com/shorts/AnTFQ-RDMesthemcs.org/
29 October 1326 As the invasion of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer collapses the realm, King Edward II and his favorite, Hugh Despenser the Younger, flee into Caerphilly Castle for safety. They deposit a colossal crown fortune—amounting to roughly £14,000 in cash, alongside royal jewels and massive arms supplies—into the keep.Mostly castles explore Caerphilly castle www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtBd65nu8NUwww.themcs.org
29 October-6 November 1349 Otford Tournament Edward III used these smaller, private royal manors to maintain chivalric activity while the Black Death made larger public gatherings in London or Windsor impossible.The Evidence:Wardrobe Account: E 101/391/10 (John de Buckingham). “pro hastiludiis regis apud Otteford” (for the King’s jousts at Otford). The account records the purchase of green cloth and silk for the manufacture of tunics and shields decorated with “oak leaves” (foliis quercus). This was a direct thematic evolution of the “Acorn” livery used at Windsor in April.He mentions “In cariagio hernesii domini Principis pro hastiludiis de Wyndesor usque Otteford mense Octobris… per preceptum Regis.” the translation “For the carriage of the harness of the Lord Prince for the jousts from Windsor to Otford in the month of October… by the King’s command.”Chancery Rolls (Teste Rege):26 October 1349: Westminster (CPR, 1348–1350, p. 416).29 October 1349: Otford (CPR, 1348–1350, p. 418).2 November 1349: Otford (CPR, 1348–1350, p. 419).6 November 1349: Otford (CPR, 1348–1350, p. 423).8 November 1349: Westminster (CPR, 1348–1350, p. 423).Robert of Avesbury: Notes that in the winter of 1349, the King did not hold a general parliament or large public councils due to the “sudden and terrible pestilence,” but instead kept his court at “diverse small manors”, although does not specifically mention Otford.themcs.org/
14th Century Tournaments of Edward III – The Medieval Combat Society
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Licensed Melee sitesTournaments were illegal "private wars" until King Richard I (the Lionheart) officially licensed five specific locations in 1194. This was done to regulate the violence and, more i…
28 October 1359: King Edward III set sail from Sandwich to invade France, launching the Rheims Campaign, his goal was to be crowned King of France in the traditional coronation city. According to contemporary logs, he officially ordered 30 royal falconers and dozens of hunting hounds to accompany his army across the English Channel so the knights could fly their falcons between military sieges.themcs.org/