The Tadcaster Militia is a school within the East Kingdom's League of Rapier Academies, also known as the "cording" system. The various schools are groups that practice together, look out for each other's advancement, and perform service as a group. The Militia is one, and there are many others: Two OGR Academy of Defence, Fitzalan's Fencibles, Woolfe's Dragoons, and the School of the Rose & Rapier, to name a few.

The unit is captained by Don Ian of Tadcaster, Lord Raven, and comprises many fearsome and talented fencers from throughout England, Germany, the Low Countries and France. And Scotland. Members can be recognised by the device at the above left, worn upon a strip of white cloth at the belt. The Militia functions as an armed company in service to the Crown of the East, standing ready to defend her borders and her honor from all attackers. While our base of operations is in the Barony of Bhakail in the East Kingdom, we are headquartered on the ancestral lands of the Raven family of Tadcaster, in the North of England, near York.

A Short History: Formed as an official entity in September of Anno Societatis XXXVI, corresponding to 2001 on the mundane calendar. The core group were all members of the cording system, and were regular attendees of the Bhakail practice. The first order of business was choosing a name. Several choices were offered and rejected - most for good reason, such as unfortunate initials. Examples included the Bhakail Academy of Defense (BAD) and the Academy of the Sable Salamander (ASS). Eventually, it was decided that as Ian of Tadcaster was the marshal in charge of the home practice, he should be the captain of the group. This led directly to the choice of Tadcaster as a name element...but the Tadcaster What? What sort of term should be used for the kind of group? The discussion on this subject was as fierce as the original name discussions - while most terms were either too formal or inaccurate, militia was settled on as being the best descriptive word for the gathering of fencers from groups as far away as Iron Bog in the South and Buckland Cross and Hartshorn-Dale in the North, in addition to Bhakail. Thus was the Tadcaster Militia born and named.

The first 'official' group function was a five-man team for the Atlantian Five-Man Melee tourney at Pennsic XXXI - we were soundly trounced. The second outing fared much better: the presentation of swords to Her Majesty Isabella at King & Queens Rapier Champions in January, AS XXXVIII. Since then, we have had several successful showings as a unit at Landskenecht Veridigung, Something Fishy This Way Comes, Northern Region War Camp*, Southern Region War Camp, Pennsic Rapier Champions (many Tadcasters have been selected as champions or alternates), Pennsic Woods, Field and Fort battles, Bhakail Baronial Investiture (of Lorcan & Sheherazade), and the memorable invasion of the Bensalem Hooters.

What does the future hold? There is a list of events the Militia may or may not attend on the front page of this site, including King & Queens Rapier Champions 2006 and others.

*As of AS XXXVIII, and after an ill-fated three-hour tour, the Militia ardently avoids Vermont.

We meet weekly to practice, discuss topics of interest, plan for camping as a group, and provide service to the Kingdom as a unit. Additionaly, we cleave together at events under the Tadcaster banner. Rest assured, wherever two or three Tadcastrians are gathered together, hilarious hijinks will ensue - some of them we've even written down. And maybe some fencing. At more and more events, the fencing population has been known to be made up primarily of Militia fencers...giving rise to the event schedule on the fromt page. Events are now known to us as"travelling practice sites", although our notoriety has spawned some competition from neighboring groups to field a larger number of academy members! Some examples of this phenomenon:

In January 2003, at the King and Queen's Rapier Champions tourney, we presented a symbolic sheaf of swords and roses to her Majesty Isabella, Queen Regnant. Our demonstration of the devotion of our hearts and blades brought tears to Her eyes as each member present stepped past the bundle to offer a rose.

At Landskenecht Veridigung, we were the entire fencing population. Except for the marshal in charge, Jonathan Carver.

At Northern Region War Camp, a small band of 7 travelled all the way past Albany to exert our influence...three of our number made the semi-finals and Ian won the tourney there! Of course, due to an error in navigation, we ended up in Vermont on the way home. Schtupp Vermont. gallery 1 | gallery 2 | gallery 3

At Wolfhunt, we were again the dominant force on the fencing list, with five of the gathered fighters.

Pennsic XXXII's East Kingdom Rapier Champions team featured three Tadcastrians: Lord Alain Longship, Don Duncan Kieran, and Lord Ian - all three were victorious in their bouts, although the Middle Kingdom Champions won the tournament overall.

Also at Pennsic XXXII, the Challenge of the Iron Ring was brought to our kingdom. Our own Geoffrey Gryffon was instrumental in bringing us this wonderful tradition, and had the Iron Ring of the East bestowed upon him as First Holder.

At East Kingdom University in the Shire of Montvale, months of planning on the parts of the Militia, the Order of the Golden Rapier, and friends and family came to fruition as Ian was surprised by his elevation to the Order of The Golden Rapier (OGR), the highest order of merit for fencers in the East Kingdom. The conspiritors labored from February of 2003 until September, carefully and cheerfully keeping Ian in the dark about this award...and boy, was he stunned.

Additionally, the unit as taken part in guarding the East Kingdom gates at the Pennsic War in August, providing a rapier guard for Woolf's Dragoons, and generally putting a good face on rapier activities in the East Kingdom.