Michael FitzGeoffrey
Name: Lord Michael FitzGeoffrey, GdS, OLM, Midhaven Pursuivant
Arms: Vert, a Latin cross and on a chief potenty argent, three mullets of eight points pierced gules.
Branch: Resides and plays in the Barony of Aquaterra, and also plays in the Shire of Midhaven
Household: unnamed (as yet) household consisting of his family and that of Lady Elewys Cuylter of Finchingefeld, GdS, JdL
Persona
Michael FitzGeoffrey is actually two different personae, but with the same name:
(1) Seigneur Michael FitzGeoffrey was born near Dover, England in anno domini 1170. He was a natural (illegitimate) son of an Anglo-Saxon barwench, by whom he was raised, and (purportedly) a Norman royal traveling from London to Normandy. Lord Michael’s mother raised him telling him that his father was none other than The Prince Geoffrey, Duc de Bretagne, son of King Henry II by Queen Eleanor d’Aquitaine. Of course, neither Geoffrey nor any of the other Normans were even aware of Michael’s birth, much less acknowledged any kinship to him. Michael joined the Third Crusade with the army of King Richard Cœur de Lion, not as a soldier, but as a herald, and became armigerous in that service.
(2) Lord Michael FitzGeoffrey was born on Michaelmas (29 September) in anno domini 1350. He came from a line of minor nobility that dated back to a 12th/13th Century ancestor of the same name, who had served as a herald in the Third Crusade. This 14th Century Michael, was extremely fortunate to marry so well, for his lady wife is a part of the de Mowbray family, prominent because of their having the hereditary Earl Marshall of England, and Duke of Norfolk.
Interests
Lord Michael’s interests cover a variety of areas, including:
- the making of chain mail armor (He is a “dedicated apprentice” member of An Tir Guild of Armourers, Weaponsmiths, and Metalsmiths.)
- calligraphy, particularly Early Gothic
- heraldry of all sorts (especially protocol/etiquette and court heraldry and the creation/customization of ceremonies.
Lord Michael has had the opportunity to herald royal courts on a few occasions for the Crowns of both the West and An Tir.) - dance
- singing (especially choral)
- drumming
- thrown weapons (especially spear/javelin)
- embroidery (He is a junior student in the An Tir Embroiderers and Embellishers Guild)
- youth armored combat (as a parent/spectator/herald/lists page)
Family
Lord Michael FitzGeoffrey is happily married to Lady Avelyn de Mowbray. They have three young children: Kayla, Therik, and Edwin FitzGeoffrey.
SCA Beginnings
When Michael first became involved with the Society for Creative Anachronism, his mundane alter ego was serving in the United States Navy, and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. In the Society, this was a part of the Palatine Barony of the Far West (West Kingdom) called Canton of the Isle of Blue Mists. (Incidentally, this name was never registered, and since that time the canton has been renamed Canton of Battle Rock.)
While living and participating there, He developed an interest in heraldry, and was graciously instructed by the Barony’s heraldic officer (known as the Golden Peach Pursuivant), Lady Serra da Estrella. Lady Serra’s husband, Lord Robert de Fecamp, organized a household called Oyasumi Nasai, and because of Michael’s student relationship to Lady Serra, Lord Robert invited Michael to affiliate himself with it, which he did until he moved from the Far West. (Incidentally, oyasumi nasai is a Japanese phrase meaning, “good night”, which Lord Robert chose because of its being a homonym for “good knight”.)
Oddly enough, the place to which Michael moved was still in the Marches of the West Kingdom. It was the Shire of Ravenshore, which corresponds to the Counties of Lake and Mendocino in northern California. While there, Michael was rostered as a Pursuivant Extraordinary at Large by the West Kingdom College of Heralds, before becoming the Pursuivant Extraordinary for Ravenshore.
After a while, his mundane employment necessitated yet another though much nearer move, where he spent a very brief time in the Barony of Vinhold (Principality of the Mists, Kingdom of the West - mundanely, Napa County and southern Solano County, still in northern California) before becoming completely inactive in the SCA for some thirteen years.
During that interval, Lord Michael’s mundane alter ego got married and subsequently moved to Snohomish County, Washington, which corresponds to the Barony of Aquaterra. Eventually, in the summer of A.S. XLIII, he brought his lady wife, Avelyn de Mowbray, and his sister, Alienor du Lac Claire, to their first event, Hot Summer Lights (held by the Shire of Druim Doineann).
Awards
In about June of 1992 (A.S. XXVII), Michael was awarded the Order of the Empty Shell by the Coronet of the Palatine Barony of the Far West. This award is given to recognize the service and contributions of those who have been active participants in the Barony, and is normally awarded to them on the occasion of their moving away from it.
At the final court of King Rolf & Queen Mari, held at the Twelth Night coronation on January 9, 1993 (A.S. XXVII), the Crown of the West inducted Michael into the Order of the Leaf of Merit, thus bestowing upon him his Award of Arms. On Saturday, July 2, 2011 (A.S. XLVI), he received his official scroll for it in the court of Marc and Patricia, King & Queen of the West at An Tir/West War. (The very same Rolf, who as King originally bestowed the award, was seated in court as Crown Prince of the West at the time the scroll was presented.)
Lord Michael won the intermediate-level arts and sciences competition at Ursulmas XXIX, January 30, 2010 (A.S. XLIV) for a coif of maille. At Aquaterra’s Good Yule on December 4, 2010 (A.S. XLV), Lord Michael was inducted into the Order of the Silver Dolphin. On Saturday, June 25, 2011 (A.S. XLVI), he won the Shire of Midhaven’s bardic championship with a performance of his original song, “Oh Come, Noble Warriors of Noble An Tir”, a war anthem exhorting the mighty armies of An Tir to follow their king into battle against the Kingdom of the West at the annual An Tir-West War.
On Saturday, November 19, 2011 (A.S. XLVI), Lord Michael was given a Grant of Arms and was inducted into the Order of the Goutte de Sang by King Thorin and Queen Dagmaer at the Shire of Midhaven's annual Harvest Feast.
Positions Held
- Chronicler, Canton of Battle Rock (Kingdom of the West), 1991-1992 (ish)
- Pursuivant Extraordinary for the Shire of Ravenshore (Kingdom of the West), 1994-1995 (ish)
- Member, An Tir Guild of Armorers, Weaponsmiths, and Metalsmiths, 2010-(lifetime membership)
- Member, An Tir Guild of Embroiderers and Embellishers, May 2011-(lifetime membership)
- Junior Student level achieved in beginning embroidery, 16 July 2011
- Bardic Champion, Shire of Midhaven, 25 June 2011-23 June 2012
- Voice Deputy to the Midhaven Pursuivant, August 2011-11 January 2012
- Reservations Deputy to the Shire of Midhaven's Exchequer, November 2011-(current)
- Student, to Duchess Angharad Banadaspus Drakenhefd in Her Grace's capacity as a Companion of the Pelican, 19 November 2011-(current)
- Midhaven Pursuivant (branch herald), Shire of Midhaven, 11 January 2012-(current)
Classes Taught
- Survey of Heraldry in the SCA (co-taught with Lady Mericke de Ross, GdS, JdL, Midhaven Pursuivant; taught at the Shire of Midhaven's A&S night, 24 Aug 2011)
- Basic Chainmail Making (taught at Midhaven's Harvest Feast, 19 Nov 2011)
Heraldry
Lord Michael’s name and device were registered in July 1992 (A.S. XXVII). His arms are blazoned Vert, a Latin cross and on a chief potenty argent, three mullets of eight points pierced gules. He also has a badge, blazoned [Fieldless.] On a cross potent vert, another argent. This badge was registered in December 1993 (A.S. XXVIII).