House Arkeep

House Arkeep

Formed by Richard Fitzalan and Gwendolyn Fitzalan in 1979 in Olympia, Washington.

Having returned to Olympia in 1978 from obtaining his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in History from Washington State University, Richard wanted to participate in medieval historical reenactment. So he and friends created their own group, the Olympia Medieval Studies Society.

There was no SCA branch in Olympia, but he connected with Lord Sigurd of Encboergaard, who had been involved with the early SCA. Sigurd has a forge and armor and began teaching medieval recreation skills.

Sigurd no longer participated in the SCA and preferred we remain outside of their organization. But he did inform us about households and so we created House Arkeep in 1979.

After breaking with Sigurd about 1980, the group started holding small events at their homes and local parks. They even did public demos and interviews at the local radio station and mall.

In 1981, Angharad Banadaspus Drakenhefd, then a student at The Evergreen State College, where Richard worked in the library, held a week of medieval activities on the college’s main square. One of these activities was a fighting demonstration by SCA folks.

Richard talked with Angharad and later that year when she formed the Shire of Evercleare (which became the Barony of Glymm Mere), Richard and House Arkeep ended their Olympia Medieval Studies Society and joined Evercleare.

Early members included:

• Fergus Fitzalan (later Richard Fergus Fitzalan)
• Gwendolyn Fitzalan
• Vaclav Bily
• Nicolas de Basle
• Seamus na Coille Aosda

As the Shire of Evercleare grew into the Barony of Glymm Mere, House Arkeep continued to grow as well. Most members became officers and autocrats. As a team, House Arkeep helped serve and grow the shire.

By 1993, when the shire became a Barony and Richard and Gwendolyn became the Founding Baron and Baroness of Glymm Mere, their household included many more people, including:

• Guillaume Fitzalan
• Caitlin a’tuath
• Adara Alastair le Dun
• Valerian the Innocent
• Timothy Patrick of the Fretted Mind
• Stergar the Smiling
• Connor McGuire of Roscommon
• Gorandookht Mamigonian
• Mark
• Triatan Fitzmaurice
• Felicia Fitzmaurice
• Salia Claire
• Sylvan Dagonets

When Richard and Gwendolyn divorced and stepped down as Baron and Baroness in 1995, the household fragmented.

Sir Richard kept the household name and badge and continues to use it to define him and his squires as a group.