Faunus de Arden

Name/Blazonry

His Excellency Faunus de Arden, Baron of Dragons Mist

Baronial Chirurgeon, Member of Her Majesties Royal Guard

Student to Her Excellency Dragons Mist, Svava In Litla, OL

The Barony of Dragons Mist Kingdom of An Tir

Persona History

In the year 1220 under the reign of Henry III, the lord of then manor Peter De Montfort, procured a grant from his Majesty to hold a weekly market and an annual fair to last two days. Which increased great wealth to the local manor, the Lord, and the King.

This initial prosperity came to a crushing end during the Second Barons War, when in 1265, Lord Montfort died fighting at the Battle of Evesham.

The royalist forces won, and the town and castle were burnt in reprisal (2). A few long years past, and the town and castle were rebuilt and recovered.

In 1296, on a visit from His Majesty King Edward I – granted Henley-In-Arden by Royal Charter and Seal the right of self-governing. This allowed the removal of the crowns government and removal the Montfort reign. Henley held elections of a town council, hired a Sheriff, and a small municipal force to run the village of then roughly 300 people.

In 1315 during the royal census reported that all the recorded townsfolk of Henley-In-Arden were freemen (3), and as freemen unlike villains at the time. The people of Henley were able to move and go where they wished without permission from the lords above or the King Himself.

Persona Development: Grandfather – Served as a Yeoman to his Majesty, and after the Barons war and for his service was given 150acre lot outside the Borough. It is there, that my grandfather married and settled down. My grandfather served as the local elected Bailiff, and Forrester to his majesty.

My father was born, and was brought up with knowledge of the past. He entered into the ranks of Yeoman, like his father and married a local women. She was a brewer and was trained as a midwife.

This is where I gathered my love for herbal uses, and love of Ale. Our house was larger then the others in the area due to my grandfather’s station. When he passed his lands were given to my father after a sizeable fee was paid to the crown.

Our house sat on the edge of the borough, the toft on which our wooden framed house sat had a small cobblestoned courtyard which led to the outlying smaller buildings that housed our domestic animals. One of the buildings housed our two milk cows, then a smaller building to the right was the coop of hens for our eggs, and 2 set of sheep for wool and meat all while another building to the side of that was where my mother and I dried the fruits, nuts, and herbs from the croft.

My parents were well respected, and lived a comfortable life with an annual income of 15-18 pounds. My parents took on an active community involvement in our “free city” and we attended church regularly, where my Uncle served as the local appointed prior. It is there that I learned to read and write midland English, along with Latin. When I turned 14 years old, my life changed dramatically. Through my connections of my uncle.

Education

Apothecary Apprenticeship 1323 – 1330 (14 years old – 21 years old)

History of Apothecary

In saxon England and in the early Norman period there was no difference between the Physician, Apothecary, or Surgeon. The practitioners knows as “leeches” performed the functions of all three. During the Norman times the trade in drugs and spices was eventually handled by the mercers (a term simply meant Merchant).

From France a few spicers and peppers may have carried their trades across to the British Isles as early as the 11th century. Their number multiplied, and within a century or so they had taken over much of the drug trade – the pepperers as wholesalers, the spicers as retailers. The main stock in trade of both was “spicery”, substances “mainly of vegetable or animal origin; almost invariably derived from the East or the Mediterranean; of high value in relation to their weight.” This variety of substances of course included spices. (4)

Some of the more knowledgeable and skillful spicers specialized increasingly in dispensing and compounding medicines. By the late 13th century some were being called “spicer” or “apothecary” interchangeably. This was a transitional period, a period of maturing for a very ambitious group and would become distinct fully “apothecaries” Meanwhile, the peppers (wholesalers, shippers, of the spicery) changed the name of their guild to the “Grocers Company” in it, at least from the 14th century on, the apothecaries obtained guild benefits as a special section until they finally seceded in 1617. In 14th century England, Chaucer could write of his Physician, “Ful redy hadde he hise apothecaries to send him drogges.”

Apothecaries were pretty much free to do as they wished within reasons, as common law was now pretty much the law of the land. If complaints rose to the Sheriff or the King’s Court, investigations would take place and Physicians, Knights, and other interested individuals would investigate and dispense justice.

With the freedom that Apothecaries had, they acquired other skills and learned more surgical and starting diagnosing patients.. This cause great contentions with the Physicians over the divisions of function of medical care. Which led King Henry VIII to enact the first regulations in 1511.

I entered into my Apprenticeship at 14 years old, and packed my bags and brought with me a sealed letter from the Prior and payment from my parents to the sum of 5 pounds. I was to enter my apprenticeship with a Master of Grocers Company in the large city of Coventry. The journey to my new home took almost 7 days on horse and cart. I travelled to Coventry with a group of Merchants as they were acquiring new wares to bring back to Henley.

Once arrived, I followed the strict instructions given to me and found my way to the Guild Hall in the center of the cities shopping district. Coventry was a large city, and as I discovered later on in my studies that it housed 89 people per acre, with their houses, shops, and etc. It was drastically different from what I was used to.

History of Coventry

Coventry held little importance had it not been for the benefaction of Lord Leofric and Lady Godiva in founding the monastery. The growth only grew more as the River Sherbourne runs through the middle of it and provided a source of water and power for the mills. This along with the plentiful supplies of timber nearby for fuel and building purposes. Also, the old Roman Watling Street and Fosse Way which made it ideally situated for trade throughout the inlands of England.

The early inhabitant of Coventry themselves influenced the development of the town when between 1150 and 1200 they obtained three charters granted by the Earls of Chester and by Henry II. One of the privileges guaranteed “that any merchant coming to the town would be free to trade in peace, and if they wished to settle they would be free of rent and dues for a period of two years from when they began to build.”

The abundant grazing land near the town suited well for sheep farming and wool production. This enabled it to become a center of many textiles trades by the 13th century, especially related to wool. Coventry’s prosperity relied heavy on the dyers who produced “Coventry Blue” which was sought after across Europe. This trade was assisted first by a 1273 Crown Charter enabling export to “any places beyond the seas” and then by another in 1334 that granted traders “From toll and other dues for their merchandise throughout the realm!” and in 1340, permission was given to found a merchant guild to protect and enforce these privileges. Throughout the medieval period, Coventry was the fourth largest city in England, with a population of around 10,000 people.

While I waited at the Guild Hall, I saw numerous people and heard many talks of the locals. I was stopped by many people, asking if I was okay – or if I was looking for someone. I relayed my instructions, and a good part of the afternoon I waited. Until my future Master arrived to come and get me.

He was a man of distinct features, and dressed in clothes I have not seen. They were described to me before by my Uncle, and I knew that my Master was formally educated as he wore robes of a scholar.

I handed him the sealed letter, and the money that my parents told me to give to him. He shook the bag, and we were off. As we left the Guild Hall, the city was still very busy – I can smell fresh bread, and pies and hear music playing and bardic performances on the streets. As we walked through the town my Master was explaining the different areas and what he has done.

We arrived outside of his house, it was a home much like the others along the streets. It was wooden made and 3 stories tall, had a large earthen cellar below it. The shop had a huge sign out front painted in Blue and Yellow stating “Apothecary” and below that showed a beautifully painted sign for what I later learned was the “Cure All, Fix All” a tincture called Teriac. As we entered into the first floor, it was roughly 12x20 feet and served as the shop. The 2nd floor of the house was equal to the first, except that is where my new lodgings were going to be. It was divided into 2 rooms with no doors or privacy and among the sleeping arrangements the 2nd floor served as storage. The top floor, that is my masters and he shares it with his wife a local dressmaker, and his daughter, who will be leaving shortly for the Nunnery of St. Francis. She believed she has been called to serve our lord, and Pope John XXII.

Over the course of the next 7 years, I learn all that I can from my Master. Within my 7th year, I was approached my the Master of our Guild to perform 3 tasks, and if successful I would be granted my journeyman and able to practice and open my own shop, with the blessing of the Guild.

I did this successfully, and a year later my Master passed away and in his will he left me his Shop. I stayed in Coventry for 5 years, taking care of the my Master’s widow and building my reputation.

I crafted the best Teriac in the region, and nobles and monks from around England heard of my wordfame and sought me out. I took on an apprentice, and he is currently running the Coventry Shoppe as for me - I returned to Henley and opened another shop and mimicked that of my old Masters and named it “Apothecary De Arden”.

Awards

I can be found on the An Tir Roll of Arms

• Baroness's Favor (Dragon's Mist) By: Svava in litla, Jun 21, 2014 (AS XLIX)
• Award of Arms (An Tir) By: Eirik Daegarsson, Drifinna Ulfgarsdottir, Jul 5, 2014 (AS XLIX)
• Forget-me-not (An Tir) By: Drifinna Ulfgarsdottir, Jul 5, 2014 (AS XLIX)
• Courage of An Tir (An Tir), Jul 5, 2014 (AS XLIX)
• Forget-me-not (An Tir) By: Drifinna Ulfgarsdottir, Jul 18, 2014 (AS XLIX)

Interests

Historical medicine