Tomas de Courcy
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 Becoming Lions Gate's A&S Defender | ||||||
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The Honorable Tomas de Courcy (JdL, GdS), Student to Mistress Safiye al-Konstantiniyye.
Tomas de Courcy is a graduate from Oxford who is now employed as a tutor for Charles Blount’s children in This Year of our Lord 1535 in Apethorpe Northamptonshire, England.
Tomas first heard about the SCA at the Tretheway House Demo in Abbotsford. It was several years before he had both the money, time, and transportation to join the SCA, but he always kept an eye on it.
His first SCA event was the annual war between the Barony of Lions Gate and the Barony of Seagirt in AS XXXVI (2002). He is currently Webminister for the Shire of Lionsdale
His Lady, Kayleigh de Leis, is an Irish woman who often accompanies him on his journeys to An Tir.
His SCA website may be found here: www.sca.noaharney.com [1]
Demographics
Interests:
Baking & Cooking, Rapier, Thrown Weapons, Games, Story Telling, Heraldry, Marshaling, Pike.
Awards
Jambe de Lion February 4, 2012 AS XLVI by King Ieuan and Queen Gwyneth
Silver Pillar February 4, 2012 AS XLVI by Princess Lenora
Lion's Fang February 26, 2011 AS XLV by Baron James and Baroness Margaret
Scapula Leonis February 5, 2011 AS XLV
Goutte de Sang April 10, 2010, AS XLIV by Queen Adwen Wrenn
Award of Arms April 2, 2005, AS XXXIX by Princess Bernadette and Prince Ulf
Championships
Lionsdale Champion of Arts and Sciences February 2, 2013, AS XLVII - February 1, 2014 AS XLVIII
Baroness of Lions Gate's Champion of Combat June 6, 2010, AS XLIV - November 6, 2010, AS XLIV
Lions Gate Defender of Arts and Sciences February 6, 2010, AS XLIV - February 26, 2011 AS XLV
Politics
Officer
Lionsdale Seneschal August 2010-August 2012
Lionsdale Deputy Seneschal January 2010-August 2010
Lionsdale Webminister September 2009-present
Lionsdale Deputy Minister of Rapier 2004-2005
Event Steward
Lionsdale Winter's Tourney February of AS XLVI
Tir Righ Heraldic Symposium April of AS XLIV with Hleafdige Thora Golvik and Lady Kayleigh de Leis
Lionsdale Champion's Tourney June of AS XLII with Her Ladyship Johanna Morgenstochter
Lionsdale Champion's Tourney June of AS XLI with his co-autocrat Lord John Shewan
Persona
The de Courcy Estate
The de Courcy Estate is in South Eastern Norfolk between Norwich and Yarmouth, a short ride from the River Yare.
Tomas' Grandfather towards the end of his days saw the demand for serfs as the population fell due to plague. In an attempt to keep his serfs, and perhaps increase the number of workers, he began signing copyhold agreements with his serfs. It gave the serfs a section of land and the right to run their sheep on the de Courcy land in exchange for a day of service every week and the first portion of their wool, or the equivalent in money. It also allowed the serfs to pass the land they rented down to their family for the next three generations. This allowed the de Courcy family to thrive in a time where other lords were loosing their serfs rapidly and having to sell land in an attempt to continue in the same lifestyle as before. The de Courcys allowed their serfs to sell their wool with them through the same merchants, thus allowing them all to receive the same prices as the de Courcys. This allowed the de Courcys to expand their holdings and by signing exclusive agreements with a single family of merchants led to their becoming very wealthy. This was not well taken by the neighbouring lords, and by the time Tomas was born his family was considered to be no better than merchants by most other noble families. The family doesn't seem to mind much, as the bad feelings are held mostly by the envious whose families squandered their land.
Family
Tomas has three older brothers, and both his parents still live. His father manages the estate with a wise hand, and his mother manages the household. His brothers all took different paths. The eldest is inheriting the manor and works with Tomas' father, learning how to run the land. The second is a lawyer in London, having studied at Oxford. And the third married into a wealthy merchant's family (the same family with which Tomas' Grandfather made the agreement) and is learning the tricks of the wool trade.
Early Life
Tomas' early life was taken up mostly with lessons and learning about the local trades: sheep and wool. He discovered a passion for his lessons young, and could often be found with his nose in a book of some form or another. Having little interest in trade, and no interest in sheep he decided to follow his brother in education.
Oxford & Apethorpe
After beginning his education and being accepted into Corpus Christi College (there thankfully having been only one candidate from the County of Lincon) in Oxford Tomas decided that he would make his living by the scholarly arts. After having his degree conferred in 1532, Tomas was hired on by Charles Blount, Baron Mountjoy as a tutor for his children. He now resides in Apethorpe Northamptonshire, and frequently travels to London with Charles as a secretary.