Rachel de Montfort

Edward, my father, grew up in a small family of lower nobility in a place called Montfort in the Low Countries of Flanders (now Dutch Limburg). He was a second son and so while his brother inherited the title and lands, my father was given a little bit of money so as to make his own future. My father used his connections amongst the nobility to become a textile merchant, sourcing the finests silks and linens for lords and ladies of distinction to use in decorating their luxurious homes.

During the reign of Henry the 8th, England and the Low Countries partook in a number of cultural exchanges. My father emmigrated to Norwich to ply his trade there. He wasn’t terribly successful in England until after he moved to the village of Arundel where he found plenty of lower nobility who wanted to project an air of more wealth than they had.

I was born in Arundel, shortly after my parents had arrived. My mother, bless her soul, was taken by the sweating sickness before she could even leave the bed where I was born. My elder brother, Edward, doted upon me, as did my father.

I spent most of my childhood helping my father run his shop as well as learning everything I could about fabrics and textiles from their creation through their eventual usage. My father would often ask me to come with him on sales trips as I was a fairly charming child and could often talk clients into an extra bolt or two of fabric on top of what he had already sold them.

My father, in his wisdom, forbade me to marry my British sweetheart. He was, in truth, a rather listless fellow and my father and brother were determined that I would not take as husband anybody who had never worked a day in their lives.

My father had a favorite cousin in the low countries who was concerned about his second son. There had been little enough inheritance for the first and the second had only received an ancient tavern. He had surprised the entire family by proving so industrious that he soon passed his brother for wealth. His wife had recently passed away, however and this distant cousin was struggling to care for the inn and look after his two children. My father soon sent me back to what is now Belgium for an arranged marriage to this distant Picard relative to help him run the tavern.

I look after the clients and earn a bit of extra coin for my husband by selling from the bolts of fabric which my father frequently sends our way.

My lord husband is a very busy innkeeper in Wallonie and thus, neither he nor his eldest son are often seen at Drachenwald events. As we have a special fondness in my family for second sons, I have been given the responsibility of instructing the younger son in the arts of courtesy and chivalry so as to find an advantageous arranged marriage for him.

Here in Wallonie I continue my studies whenever possible. I am learning to weave, knit, embellish and sew fabric into a variety of clothing and accessories. I am learning to create bobbin lace, tatted lace, woven tapes and homespun wool. I also enjoy woodworking, ceramics, baking, papercrafting, training my dog (a shepherd mutt… completely authentic!) and finding ways to get my two stepsons involved in various activities that will get them out of the house.

Go here and here for more information about the Belgian / Norwich connection.