Battle at Newtown.

Group Member Photos NECLHG.

18th Century New World Settlers.

"I noticed particularly, one family of about 12 in number. The man carried an axe and a gun on his shoulders. The Wife, the rim of a spinning wheel in one hand, and a loaf of bread in the other. Several little boys and girls, each with a bundle, according to their size Two poor horses, each heavily loaded with some poor necessities. On the top of the baggage of one, was an infant rocked to sleep in a kind of wicker cage, lashed securely to the horse. A cow formed one of the company ,and she was destined to bear her proportion of service - a bed cord was wound around her horns and a bag of meal on her back. They were not only patient, but cheerful and pleased with themselves with the expectation of seeing happy days beyond the mountains". Diary of Presbyterian Rev. David McClure. 18th century.

Getting Started in our Living History Group.

Membership Cost: FREE. There are no membership fees, only an insurance fee of just $15.00 per year per person.

The following list will show you the very basic clothing and equipment needs to get started in the New England Colonial Living History Group.

You can use modern clothing to start if you can't afford the period clothing or don't know how to make it yourself. Second hand materials and clothing are fine to use. There are oversized modern work shirts which do not button all the way down the front that will pass for a shirt or a man's 18th century work frock. Trousers are okay to start with as are modern black or brown shoes. These can usually be found in the op-shops at little expence. The same applies to the hat.

We are here to help you get started, so if you need help making your clothing and equipment just ask, it is not a problem.

Getting Started In 18th Century Living History. ©Keith H Burgess, Armidale 2350.
The following information is supplied for members of the New England Colonial Living History Group (1680-1760, Armidale NSW, Australia).
Basic Clothing & Equipment needs for beginners.
Woodsmen & Woodswomen.
· Hat (Wool felt broad brimmed).
· Men’s work frock (shirt style or round frock).
· Trousers, breechclout or breeches (These would normally be with a French fly, but as the frock covers all modern trousers can be used to start with).
· Centre seam woodland Indian moccasins or black/brown lace-up leather shoes.
· Neckerchief (suggest plain dark colour in black, brown or green).
· Leather waist belt or woven sash.

Stage 2.
· Leggings & garters (Woodland Indian style in leather or wool. Garters can be woven or leather thongs).
· Woodland Indian moccasins.
· Shirt (Linen or cotton).
· Waistcoat/weskit (Linen, cotton or wool).
· Breeches or breechclout (Breeches can be linen, cotton or leather).

Other.
· Blanket (Pure wool).
· Oil cloth or light canvas.
· Knapsack, snapsack or haversack (Canvas or leather).
· Water bottle (Leather covered glass bottle or leather costrel. A modern alternative may be used to start).
· Food bags (Cotton, linen or leather).
· Flint & Steel with tinderbox & greased leather fire-bag (A piece of metal file may be used to make a steel).
· Cup.
· Belt bag.

Tools.
· Flint, steel, tinderbox, greased fire-bag.
· Belt knife (Butcher knife with pinned handle).
· Tomahawk or hatchet (Lightweight).
· Muzzleloading fusil, musket or rifle or a primitive bow (Plus shot pouch & contents & powder horn).

Other.
· Brass or copper trade kettle.
· Period spectacle frames (Prescription lenses or safety glass).
· Winter clothing: wool shirt, wool weskit, Monmouth cap, wool mittens.

Women.
· Cap or straw hat.
· Shift.
· Petticoats.
· Neckerchief.
· Jacket.
· Apron.
· Pockets.
· Mantle or cloak.
· Stays or jumps.

Woodland Indian (Native or white/black adopted).
Men.
· Breechclout.
· Leggings & garters.
· Moccasins.
· Blanket.

Women.
· Shirt.
· Wrap around skirt.
· Leggings and garters.
· Moccasins.

Our Club House In The Woods!

These are photos of the 18th century style open fireplace in our club house which is in Wychwood Forest. We use this fireplace for cooking and if you look closely you will see the chains and hooks for the kettles hanging in the fireplace. We also do small Blacksmithing work in this fireplace. On the fireboard you will see two rush holders as well as a candle holder.

This is where we hold our regular meetings when there are no outside activities planned.

Mrs Pentry. Woodswoman.

In the year 1672 a small party of hunters arrived at the mouth of the Kennebec in two canoes. The larger one of the canoes was paddled up stream by three men, the other was propelled swiftly forward by a man and a woman. Both were dressed in hunters' costume; the woman in a close-fitting tunic of deerskin reaching to the knees, with leggins to match, and the man in hunting-shirt and trowsers of the same material. Edward Pentry, for this was the name of the man, was a stalwart Cornishman who had spent ten years in hunting and exploring the American wilderness. Mrs. Pentry, his wife, was of French extraction, and had passed most of her life in the settlements in Canada, where she had met her adventurous husband on one of his hunting expeditions. She was of manly stature and strength, and like her husband, was a splendid shot and skillful fisher. Both were passionately fond of forest life, and perfectly fearless of its dangers, whether from savage man or beast.


At length she descried the object of their hostility behind the trunk of a fallen tree. It was clearly a white man who crouched there, and he seemed to be wounded. She immediately took aim at the nearest Indian and sent two bullets through his lungs. The other Indian at the same instant had fired at the white man and then sprang forward to finish him with his tomahawk. Mrs. Pentry flew to the rescue and just as the savage lifted his arm to brain his foe, she drove her hunting knife to the haft into his spine.


How long she slept she never exactly knew, but she was awakened by a splash; lifting her head above the edge of the boat, she saw nothing but a muddy spot on the water some thirty feet away, near the shore. This was a suspicious sign. Looking more closely, she saw a slight motion beneath the lily-pads, which covered closely, like a broad green carpet, the surface of the lake. Her hand was on her gun, and as she leveled the barrel towards the turbid spot, she saw a head suddenly lifted, and at the same moment a huge Indian sprang from the water and struggled up through the dense undergrowth that lined the edge of the lake.
It was a sudden impulse rather than a thought, which made Mrs. Pentry. level the gun at his broad back and pull the trigger. The Indian leaped into the air, and fell back in the water dead, with half a dozen buck-shot through his heart. At the same moment she felt a strong grasp on her shoulder, and heard a deep guttural "ugh!" Turning her head she saw the malignant face of another Indian standing waist-deep in the water, with one hand on the boat which he was dragging towards the shore.
A swift side-blow from the gun-barrel, and he tumbled into the water; before he could recover, the brave woman had snatched the paddle, and sent the canoe spinning out into the lake. Then dropping the paddle and seizing her gun she dashed in a heavy charge of powder, dropped a dozen buck-shot down the muzzle, rammed in some dry grass, primed the pan, and leveled it again at the savage, who having recovered from the blow, was floundering towards the shore, turning and shaking his tomahawk at her, meanwhile, with a ferocious grin. Again the report of her gun awakened the forest echoes, and before the echoes had died away, the savage's corpse was floating on the water.

Wine Use In The Colonies.

Nothing like a nice wine to finish off the day around the camp fire after trekking in and constructing your primitive shelter.

However by the mid 18th century, longer, flat-sided bottles were designed which would lie down, their corks kept wet by contact with the wine. As a consequence wine making now took on a new dimension. As a consequence today’s great names of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhine first started to be spotted. In Italy eighty percent of people were earning their living from wine and in France there were massive plantings rolling southwards from Paris. Also the vine had moved abroad thanks to explorers, colonists and missionaries. It went to South America with the Spaniards, S. A. with French Huguenots, and to Australia with the Brit . Could anything stop this tide of wine expansion?
http://www.hugepedia.com/wine-spirits/the-history-of-wine.html