Combatants Keep Living History Groups

Combatants keep sponsors the following living history clubs in an effort to improve the reenactment community at large while simultaneously providing a pool of experienced reenactors to fill the roles required of Combatants Keep shows.

Order of the Rose

Order of the Rose was created as an offshoot of Combatants Keep, to explore the living history of campaign life during the Wars of the Roses and to offer the members of Order of the Rose the opportunity to create Fifteenth Century personas and learn more about the material culture of the time.  This is accomplished through research, education in craft skills and immersion experiences in experimental archeology and living history events.

1745

In an effort to provide a format for new and upcoming members to hone their living history skills and create Eighteenth Century personas, Combatants Keep has sponsored 1745. Supporting the members with research, skills in the material culture of the era, Combatants Keep gives these members an opportunity to participate in a variety of period-accurate eighteenth century living history events.

The name “1745″ was chosen to represent this offshoot of Combatants Keep as it represents the earliest period of Eighteenth Century interest presented in our shows and allows our performers to work forward through the American Revolution.

Roger’s Rangers

The French and Indian War (1751-1763) was the culmination of 75 years of fighting between France and England over the right to colonize the New World.  In Europe, wars were fought by armies facing each other on the open ground.  In North America, the French adopted the Native American syle of fighting from cover.  The English did not readily adapt to forest warfare.

Because of this, Ranger companies were formed.

In 1755, Captain Robert Rogers of Blanchard’s New Hampshire regiment was called to organize a ranger company.  Roger’s men were mainly from New England, especially Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  Roger’s company was placed on an “independent establishment” meaning that they were technically Regulars financed by the crown and not considered a part of any other regiment.  They  were so successful that in the spring of the 1756 Rogers was called upon to organize a second company, this one headed by his younger brother, Richard.

Roger’s Rangers were capable woodsmen able to meet the French and Indians on their own terms.