Sir Thomas Glemham's Musket Company

The musketeer is the mobile fire power of our 17th century army. We are equipped with a matchlock musket, a coat or suit of clothes, which often included a Montero (a soft hat similar to a balaclava), a bandolier, bullet bag and powder flask, and a sword for close combat.

The musket is a muzzle-loading weapon that relied on a charge of gunpowder ignited by a length of cord, or 'match', soaked in saltpetre. Numerous commands were required to prepare and fire it, so the rate of fire was fairly slow and largely ineffective, so they fought in blocks of up to 400 men as fighting en-mass enabled the accuracy question to be overcome, whilst also making the block easier to defend from cavalry.The musket is a muzzle-loading weapon that relied on a charge of gunpowder ignited by a length of cord, or 'match', soaked in saltpetre. Numerous commands were required to prepare and fire it, so the rate of fire was fairly slow and largely ineffective, so they fought in blocks of up to 400 men as fighting en-mass enabled the accuracy question to be overcome, whilst also making the block easier to defend from cavalry.

As a musketeer in the Sealed Knot you will be firing in blocks from 10 to 200 (army volleys), as well as engaging pike, cavalry and other musket blocks with clubbed muskets and sword - providing you have passed your Sealed Knot sword test, which is essential for safety.

Below, B'Stard's Battalia, including Sir Thomas Glemham's, show how safe firing can be achieved in a musket block in the midst of a battlefield:

Other necessary equipment for a musketeer, other than regimental dress, a sense of style and a certain degree of subtle wit and charm, are a powder horn, leather gloves and authentic leather shoes: either latchets or startups. We encourage members to buy their own muskets and swords, so there can be more of a financial investment when joining Sir Thomas Glemham’s Musket Company. However, we do of course have limited amounts of dress, swords and dummy muskets that we can lend to new members until they are able to buy their own.

Everyone who joins the Musket Company needs obtain appropriate licences, which we can help you fill in. To draw black powder and ‘live fire’ a musket on the battlefield you will need a shotgun certificate and a form F licence (the form F licence enables you to use but not to store black powder).

We offer full training in both musket and sword, as you will not be able to use either on the field without passing a Sealed Knot test. New members can, however, take a 'dummy' musket on the field so they can familiarise themselves with the drill and firing procedure. Safety is paramount and we take pride in our level of training and skill at arms that we achieve. We use proper 17th century drill in order to have the highest standards of authenticity.

So if you feel you’d like to have the flamboyance and status of being one of the King’s Musketeers come along and join in!

Alan Flower
Musketeer