Genevieve Barbota

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I was born in London, England in 1184 during the reign of King Henry and Queen Ailinor of Aquitaine, the only issue of my father,a factor for a trading house in the Hansiatic League and my mother, a captured slave girl.

My uncles own two ships that trade through out northern europe and bring their goods to me to sell. As my parents are both deceased, I am now their acting factor in London. Twenty years ago, in 1179, my uncles were both blown off course during a north sea storm into that strange warm sea south of Spain. They were attacked by pirates, and, being fine norse fighters instead of the poor helpless fat merchant ships that the pirates thought they were, succeeded in capturing several of the attacking ships. On board was many fine and unusual fabrics and trims, scarves and jewelry a well as a collection of helpless veiled dancing girls.

My uncles naturally kept the acquired cargo including slaves, and turned them all into their brother the factor. They had little good opinion of their brother the factor, as he was afraid of deep water, indeed, getting sea sick in a row boat on the Thames. They thought a fine dancing slave girl would make a man of him. The slave girl in question (my mother) realized there was no hope of returning to her homeland and made the best of where she was. Within a year, she and my father were wed in the church, she had converted to catholicism, and my fathers shop had increased three fold in sales and size.

My father was carried off by the black death five years ago, followed shortly by my beloved mother. I have never been wed although I have 3 daughters. They are Yolande, Antenella and Elizabeth. As I have not had a son, I have not proven my fertility and have never been forced to wed as of yet. I continue to work on that idea.

My uncles have many times been "blown off course" into that strange warm sea South of Spain and have traded for goods in the cities of Constantinople, Ankara and Cypress as well as into that strange hot country Egypt. They bring me silks from China, and Saris from India as well as the exotic and rare jewelry and scarves of the ladies there.

I joined the SCA in 1994 and have been playing actively ever since. I began merchanting in 1995 and have also been an active practicing merchant ever since. My special interests are costumes, bartering, haggling, visiting, liquor making and having fun.

I have held the offices of Dragonward, Chatelaine and Secretary in the Barony of Lions Gate and have been given the following awards: AoA, Lions Claw, Princess Talon, GdS, Forget-me-not and the Mortar and Pestle as well as two Magistras of Ithra. I teach classes on Liquor making in the SCA, Merchanting in the SCA and Dry needle felting.