18th century Winter Solstice Masquerade Party.

New England Colonial Living History Group 1680-1760.

Our 18th Century Winter Solstice Masquerade Party will now be held on the 6th of July.  This is an annual social & is traditionally held outside in the gardens of Linstock House in Wychwood Forest not far from Guyra & Armidale NSW.  Dress warm for outside, but if it gets too cold we will be moving inside.

This event is hosted by our family for club members & friends only. Membership is FREE. Food & drinks will be provided, but please feel free to bring your own if you wish. This event will start about 5 pm.

Dress to be 18th century or earlier, or the best you can manage. A blanket can hide modern clothing if you are really stuck. 

Making A Leather Drawstring Pouch.

I needed to make a new larger pouch for my medical kit so that I could add some extra items, so I decided to make this video. I realise that this is a simple process, but that is probably because we have done this before. I have noticed quite a few people have made shot pouches with the stitching on the outside. For a repair this does not look too bad in some cases, but in a new pouch it can look strange. Some of my gunpowder bags have the stitching on the outside, but this is hardly noticed as the leather is thin and soft, and the stitches close and small. It is a personal choice I guess, but in shot pouches I have yet to see an original that has not been turned with the stitching on the outside.


Several people have contacted me and said that leather is very costly, and where do I get my leather from. Most of the leather items I make come from second hand leather, purchsed from an op-shop such as St Vincent De Paul, or the Salvation Army op-shop. It usually only costs a few dollars for a decent sized piece. The pouch in this video was made from a leather mini skirt!

Dance.

The Scottish Dirk. By Request.

A chap who follows this blog emailed me with several questions, one of which was: Q If a Scot was a trapper/hunter/woodsman in the New World, would he still carry a dirk?
My answere to this is that I cannot be sure, because I have no written documentation, but if I were a Scot and I was used to carrying a dirk all the time, I would continue to carry it wherever I went.
Many of you may remember my mentioning a good friend of mine, Dr Rob Gilbert of Stirlingshire Scotland. Sadly Robert died last year, but I remember him telling me that many a local in his community were up in arms at the law that banned the wearing of the dirk. This is much the same as the law here in NSW that bans the carrying of clasp knives in public. I have carried such a tool since I was about 8 years of age, and now at 63 they tell me I can no longer carry one in my pocket! Anyway Tom, here are a couple of images of original dirks to wet your appetite. These are both late 17th century to early 18th century style.
Copies of these are made for the Living Historian and the Historical Reenactor, but they are often left blunt for the reenactors.



http://www.scottishsword.com/jacobitedirk1.html

http://www.museumofleathercraft.org/scottish-dirk/

Just a quick comment: You do not have to be a Scot to carry a dirk, you just have to think of a good reason as to how you came by it.

Southern Cross Free Trappers Newsletter.

http://freetrappers.org.au/2011/12/10/vol-35-december-2011/?utm_source=Around+the+Traps+Newsletter&utm_campaign=22452c3129-Vol_35_Dec_2011_12_10&utm_medium=email

Info For Living History Groups. Same Stuff, Different Year. Re Living History Link.

http://www.celticclans.org/re-livinghistory/?p=498#comment-211

18th Century Wilderness Survival, Then And Now. The Flintlock Gun.

The Flintlock Gun.



In my opinion if you are going to choose any kind of firearm for long term wilderness survival, then it should be the flintlock. Even after the percussion lock was invented in the 19th century, those who lived and worked in wilderness areas preferred to keep their flintlock.


You can always find a piece of rock that will work in a flint lock. The whole gun is just lock, stock and barrel. If you carry spare parts they are easy to replace if something should break, and if you have no spare lock parts you can still use the gun as a matchlock.


A .32 cal rifle will easily take any game that a .22 will, and it will do it with only 14 grains of black powder.


A fusil will digest bird shot, swan shot (buckshot) and round ball and will take any game from birds to buffalo. You can also use a combination of any two shot options, such as swan shot and round ball, or bird shot and round ball.


You can adjust the amount of gunpowder you use for each individual shot, and you can retrieve your lead from the game and easily remould it for further use. The lock can also be used for making fire which is a good back-up.

A fusil lock with the hammer forward and the pan open. The cock is on half-cock safety.

A .62 cal fusil. Note the hammer stall/cap tied to the trigger guard. This is an extra safety precaution.

A .32 cal flint mountain rifle.

THE SOUTHERN CROSS FREE TRAPPERS of Victoria.

The Southern Cross Free Trappers are a pre 1840ad Living History group based in Victoria. They hold regular meetings and muzzle-loading shoots and attend RENDEZVOUS. You can choose any period lifestyle you wish to re-enact, and any charracter/persona from that period that you may wish to emulate. Pre 1840 living history is a lot of fun, and the Souther Cross Free Trappers are very family oriented. If you Live in Victoria or close by, and think you may be interested, contact the Southern Cross Free Trappers and arrange a visit to see for yourself who they are, and what it is they do. These chaps are a really friendly bunch and will be glad to show you around and help get you started in this great activity.
You will find the Southern Cross Free Trappers contact icon on this Blog. Just click on it to go to their main page.