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Table of Contents
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Manor Overview
Coat of Arms
Argent, a bull's head caboshed sable.
The bull on the coat of arms is in homage to the original town and roman family who first settled this bend in the river Wylie. The argent silver of the crest represents the purity of the people while the sable is for their piety and dedication to the Church.
Crest
The crest on the helmet in the arms is the roman golden eagle, signifying the heart of their religion and the heart of their warrior spirit.
Motto
Iustus Esto Neque Timueris
Translated from the latin: Be just, and Fear Not. It is well in the hearts of both lord and vassal of Newton. Their ways are fairly rigid, but they are known to be just in their judgement and fair in their treatment of others.
Religion
"Do not err, my brethren. Those that corrupt families shall not inherit the kingdom of God. " -St. Ignatius of Antioch 105 A.D.
The faith of the people of Newton is deep-seeded and complex. Rarely does anyone raised in the area stray too far from their parent's beliefs, as they have been passed down lovingly over hundreds of generations. The church (and the Church) is important to the village, and the chapel at Newton Manor is well-appointed and run by a local bishop. They support the local abbey and many local young men and women see the clergy as a viable vocation.
Background
History of Newton
Prior to 443, Newton was an old Roman settlement called Oxbow Hill. It had existed in the same bend in the river Wylie since being established by the Ulipius family nearly four hundred years earlier. Over the years, as the power of the Ulipius family grew in Legio IX Hispana, the small family home grew into a thriving village of tradesmen, servants, and citizens. When the Ninth Legion eventually vanished from the annals of history, the Ulipius family was replaced by a new Centurion and his family. During this time, the village was strangely active, as if it had never lost the soldiers whose family called the village home.Oxbow Hill became a full-fledged village around the year 300, and stayed fairly stable and isolated as the world around it moved on. Eventually, babies born in the town were as much Cyrmric as Roman. When the time came for the legions to leave Britain, the lord of the manor and ruler of Oxbow Hill was in the hands of the same family that has it today.
In 443, Saxon raiders marched through Salisbury and raided Oxbow Hill. The lord of Oxbow manor, Edwyn, was killed in the raid. His brother, Gwion de Oxbow rallied the defenses, freed the captured women and children, and beat back the Saxons. Gwion oversaw the lands for a while since Edwyn’s heir was still a baby; his pregnant mother was one of the women freed from the Saxons. During his leadership, Oxbow was moved to a more suitable location along the Wylie, and Newton was created as the area’s first grid-planned village.
Today, the Lord of Newton Manor is Gwydyn and his wife is Lady Alaw. They are well liked by the village, though there is quite a bit of suspicion about them and their people from the outside. The ruling family are strict Roman Christians, and seem to have a healthy distrust of the Pagans. Their support for the church and the people of their village means that knights supported by the family tend to have less fine clothing than others, though their armor, horses, and weapons are lovingly tended by the kindly-treated squires, and devoted townspeople.
Location
The Land
The lands controlled by the Newton Lord lie between a bend in the River Wylie in the east, just north from the Grovely Wood, and the far side of Newton Hill on the west. The northern boundaries is traditionally the chalk downs to the north. The valley is extremely fertile, and the hillside is prime grazing land for sheep and horses. Crops of all kinds are grown in the farms there, and there is a thriving wool industry that helps support the Lord and his vassal Knights. What they do not have, are the raw materials that they depend on for building and for warfare. Therefore, stone, iron, and wood are the chief imports.
Exports
The main export from Newton is wool and wool cloth manufactured at it's mill on the River Wylye. The cloth made in Newton is thick and durable, heavily woven and does not easily pull apart. Thanks to a recent agreement with Shrewton, there is a new cloth in development that uses beeswax with the wool to make it slightly water resistant, though this is still under heavy development and the house is secretive about it.
Imports
Stone, Iron, and Wood are all things needed in Newton. While most of the homes in the area are made of river stone, the waters in Newton are rather muddy, and there's not much in the way of quarried rock. Iron is needed for weapons, armor, and tools, and wood is needed in building and repairs.
Important Locations
Newton Manor
The manor house itself sits at the edge of Newton hill, overlooking the valley of the River Wylie. The building was constructed well over a century ago by the Roman family who ruled these same lands. The villa has not been changed much from its original layout. The house is the typical roman style, with two narrow floors built around a central courtyard. The bottom floor serves as stables, storage, and servant quarters, while the top floor is reserved for the family and noble vassals of the manor.
In recent years, the upkeep has been demanding, so there are many places where the old glory of the place has taken on a certain shabbiness.
Newton Abbey
The Roman Christian Abbey of Newton, services are generally held here from marriages to funerals. Most services are filled to capacity as many in the village and surroundings practice the faith. It is better upkept than the manor house, as the noble family believes in serving the church and it's needs faithfully.
Newton Village
The village sits in the valley to the west of Newton Hill, and has been completely rebuilt in the last sixty years. The houses are of mostly modern stone and thatch construction, though more of a few are made from the cheaper mud-brick materials. The buildings are built in a grid pattern, with one central avenue running from the river towards the villa up on the hill. Side-streets are straight, and a hard-packed track outlines the village, making it easy to get any building in just a few turns.
Oxbow Hill
Site of the original manor House, Oxbow Hill was captured and held by Saxons for several weeks during their raid on the area. After retaking the hill in a hellish battle, Sir Gwion decided to relocate the Manor Home to closer to the riverside. The hill is still Newton territory, used by shepherds to tend to their sheep among the ruins, and occasionally finding an artifact of Newton's former life in the form of pottery, rusted weapons and armor, or other such trinkets.
Pandy Wylie (a.k.a. Newton Mill)
On the river at the south-side of the village sits a rather large complex of small buildings and yards. It is where the fullers and dyers prepare the freshly made cotton materials into cloth that can be turned into their finished products. The place is run by Fuller Rhys and his wife Mildryn, and they are both protective of their product, and their workers. Lady Gwynfaer can often be found here helping out, especially if something needs to be made for the manor or one of the house knights.
Struminster/Newton Bridge
Located at the western outskirts of Newton, the Struminster/Newton bridge is one of the major crossing points from the River Wylie. Patrols check the bridge daily, and a small toll is paid by travellers to pay for upkeep of the bridge.
Political Relationships
Dinton |
With cousins in the manor and strong religious ties, the Dintons are allies. |
Falt |
Horton |
Allied to Newton by the marriage of Joachim de Newton and Lady Lydia de Horton. |
Idmiston |
Stapleford |
Commonality of religion and its presence down river have lead Newton to seek closer relations with Stapleford. Member of the Roman Christian Triangle. |
Willcott |
Those of the faith can perhaps be allies as well. It may be a chance to find a common bond with their family. |
Woodford |
The upcoming marriage of Dalan to Lauwryn only strengthens our ties with the House Woodford. |
Residents
Noble Family Members
Sir Gwydyn de Newton, current Knight Lord of Newton. He has served as Lord of the manor for over 30 years, and is thought to soon retire. He fell ill during the winter of 514/515 and has turned over day to day duties to Joachim. | |
Lady of Newton Manor and head of the local trade guild. Having just given birth to what one hopes to be her last child, she is currently very busy with recuperating and seeing to the wellbeing of the baby. She has a nanny, but being the hands-on type, the nanny doesn't have to do much. | |
Lady Gwynfaer de Newton is wife to Sir Gwion and mother to Hafren (2) and Iona (<1). She is now training Lydia in the ways of the house and stewardship to prepare her for her turn as the heir's wife. |
Commoners
Now Recruiting Seamstresses, Shepherds, and Mill Workers!
If you are interested in joining Newton, please contact Joachim in-game.
Family Tree
Family Tree (image recommended; ask Arian if you would like a Family Tree image created)
Timeline
Year | Event |
---|---|
439 | Battle of Carlion |
443 | Edwyn Killed by Saxon Raiders |
460-461 | Iago Knighted |
464 | Iago Married |
465 | Gwydyn Born |
466-467 | Iago Died, Siege of Carlion |
485 | Gwydyn Knighted |
485 | Battle of Mercred Creak |
489 | Gwion born |
490 | Battle of Lindsey |
490 | Joachim born |
491 | Battle of Terrabil |
503 | Siege of London |
505 | Battle of Levcomagus |
507 | Liberation of London |
508 | Battle of Netley Marsh |
510 | First Tournament, witnessed sword drawn from stone |
510 | Battle of Carlion |
512 | Battle of Bassus River |
513 | Morning Battle - Terrabil |
512 | Gwion Knighted |
513 | Joachim Knighted |
514 | August - Gwion is captured and executed by Dorset forces. Joachim, Gwion's young brother, becomes Heir. |
514 | Fall - Joachim marries Lady Lydia de Horton. |