What is the Company of Saint Margaret
The Company of Saint Margaret is a volunteer run living-history group. Simply put living history involves thoroughly researching an historical activity and then trying to recreate it as accurately as possible to gain a personal and "hands on" understanding.
We do this for our own satisfaction and with the aim of sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm with all those who have a fascination with the practicalities of how things were done in the past. It is a fulfilling hobby that has much to recommend it: we travel all over the country, meet many varied people while sharing and learning from other open minded knowledgeable people.
The Company is comprised of like minded people who have drifted together under the influence of beer, participation in re-enactment events and mutual interest in living history activities. The Company is by nature a loose confederation of strong willed individuals who pool resources out of mutual interest and to get things done more easily.
We meet quite regularly to work together on existing projects, to be updated on the progress of individual research or to gossip shamelessly. Importantly the Company likes to think that will it takes it's history seriously we take ourselves with a generous pinch of salt and we try to foster an easy going, good natured atmosphere whenever we get together.
The Company is open to application from anyone who wishes to take part and these enquiries can be directed through the secretary (secretary email address)
Currently for the sake of keeping the projects manageable the Company is focused on two relatively popular periods of Scottish and British history, firstly during the initial period of the "Wars of Independence" (1297-1329) and secondly the "The Wars of the Roses" (1450-1490).
Where does our name come from ?
"Company" which, according to the Middle English Dictionary, means "A group of persons having a common interest, purpose, faith, status, occupation, function, etc…. a professional group, such as a trade guild or an ecclesiastical body." As can be seen in Historical organisations such as the "Worshipful Company of Masons" established in London in 1356.
Saint Margaret (1045-1093) Saint Margaret was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon king of England. She sought refuge in Scotland and married Scottish King Malcolm III becoming his Queen consort. Widely regarded as an especially holy person who was also influential in terms of reforming and cultivating the Scottish Church, she was canonised in 1251 by Pope Innocent IV.
It was common for craft fraternities to take a suitable religious figure as a benefactor and as a popular Scottish medieval saint with close connections to Edinburgh she was an immediate choice as the patron Saint of our "Company."
The Company of Saint Margaret is also a welcoming group of friends. We take our history seriously but take ourselves with a pinch of salt. The important thing we have in common is enjoying ourselves through sharing our research, experimentation and to bringing it all to a wider audience through demonstrations and Living History.
Members of the company of Saint Margaret
