Want to really step into the past? Then our ‘living history’ displays are for you!
Whether with a tented encampment or taking over a historical building, every year we organise events that focus on recreating ordinary life during the English Civil Wars to give both us and the public a unique insight into the period.
Become a part of the regiment and you’ll join fascinating characters such as our regimental apothecary, our preacher, woodworkers, cooks, and many more! Our living history displays are also the ideal complement to displays of military history, so you can be civilian or soldier, or both!
‘Living history’ is perfect for all ages and abilities, and is a great way to get involved if you have an interest in a particular aspect of 17th Century life, want to learn traditional skills, or if you prefer a civilian role over a military one. But don’t worry, you won’t be expected to speak ‘olde worlde’ in front of the public and you don’t have to be a historian or expert to take part – it’s all about the experience!
The kit you’ll need to get started
If you’re interested in taking part in Living History, some members may have appropriate civilian clothes spare that they can lend you for your first season but clothes can be bought from specialist suppliers who attend large musters and reenactment traders’ fairs.
The best thing with portraying civilian life is to start basic and build your kit up over time as you find what suits you best.
One of the most surprising aspects of our hobby is uncovering new ideas and facts that open up whole areas of interest and discovery.
FAQ
Do I have to buy anything to portray a civilian?
Not straight away; you should be able to borrow some basic kit to get your started.
Do I have to fight?
No, the great thing about being a civilian is that you can choose to be a non-combatant or combine the role with a battlefield one, switching between the two.
Life during The English Civil Wars
Stuart England was a country of around five million people with the vast majority – around 98% – living in agricultural villages. The rest lived in towns and London was by far the biggest urban area while also being the cultural, political, and financial heart of the country. In towns, people found work as shoemakers, blacksmiths, tailors, porters, saddlers, glovers and chimney sweeps, among a galaxy of other trades and jobs. On the street you would see people selling a huge variety of objects – from mops to oysters – alongside hustlers and sex workers, politicians and aristocrats.
The period saw big gains by what we would now consider the ‘middle-class’ or, as they were called at the time, ‘the middling sort’. These tradesman and businessmen had become an important part of the nation’s economy and increasingly demanded greater political power alongside the landed gentry and aristocracy.
Religion was still central to people’s lives and religious strife was one of sparking factors of the civil wars, with many Puritan Christians emigrating to the burgeoning colonies in the New World to escape what they saw as persecution by the established Church of England.
The English Civil Wars were a major disruption to the life of the nation – historians have estimated that perhaps as many as seven per cent of the population died as a result of the fighting and from diseases spread by moving armies. People from all parts of society were impacted by these wars, and this included women. Many women were the wives and mothers of soldiers, some of whom never returned from war, as well as carrying out other wartime activities such as nursing. During the Civil War hungry soldiers were poorly paid and would often plunder ordinary people’s stocks of food and livestock, leading to undernourishment or even starvation. Families were forced to house soldiers at their own expense and ‘forced billeting’ was a major source of friction.
However, despite the depredations of war, the cultures of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland remained vibrant and – broadly ignoring Puritan attempts to suppress dancing, theatre, and field sports – communities would still enjoy traditional and secular celebrations in the face of uncertainty and civil strife.
