The written history of the Wilym Munro Clan

Wilym was born in England, the son of William and Patricia Munroe.

William “the father” had been captured in France by the Knights of King Henry V on St Crispins Day, 1415, at the Battle of Agincourt. He had been mistaken for a Scottish Lord in league with the French. When it was found out that he was not the Laird of Foulis (the Munro holdings) and could not be ransomed, he was sold as a bondsman to a Forester, and made to work off his bond to attain his freedom. While working off his bond, he met and married an innkeepers daughter, Patricia, and they had two children, Wilym and Dianna.

Soon after his bond had been paid off, he arranged an apprenticeship for his son with a merchantman from the next shire. After his refusal to go with the man Wilym was dubbed “The Blacksheep” by his father and soon found himself in trouble.

In the year 1439, a call went out in the name of King Henry VI for sailors to man the ships of the Cinque Ports, they needed sailors to ferry men and materials for the fight agains the French. In order to gain favor, the local Baron impressed a large number of ne’er do wells for this service, and among them was young Wilym.

After Wilym was posted to a supply ship, their first assignment was to take supplies and men to Lord Talbot at Avranches in December of that year. The young man did well in his seamanship and fighting skills, but could never seem to get his “sea legs” (or “sea stomach”), and soon promised himself that he would find a way to earn his own freedom.

After some time aboard, his ship pulled in to port for provisioning. While searching out fresh meats with the Mess officer, they stopped at an inn for a pint. There he met the daughter of the innkeeper, and was enchanted by her stories (there are those who would say he just couldn’t quiet her) until the wee hours of the morning. The innkeeper was none too pleased about the seaman keeping his daughter out so late, and a wedding was quickly arranged and carried out.

In July 1440 during the seige of Harfleur his ship engaged a French War Galley. The two ships grappled and the fighting became hand-to-hand. In the heat of a battle Wilym tripped and fell headlong from the Fo’c’stle onto the main deck, and in the process impaled a foe who was about to run the Captain through with his sword. The Captain was so impressed with the courage and skill of the young man in attacking the man without regard to his own safety that he gave him his freedom or a commission as an Ensign.

By this time, Christiana was with child and Wilym decided it was time to settle down.. He decided he’d had enough of the seafaring life and declined the commission, which the Captain took as a personal slight. True to his word, though, he let Wilym walk away from the ship unencumbered.

Wilym took what he had, gathered his wife and child, and tried to find his family. His father had perished and his mother could not afford to help out the young couple, so they attempted to find his fathers’ family. After months of searching, they finally found the family’s village, and his grandmother, who was on her deathbed. She was very glad to meet her grandson before she died, and she had one request… That he would name his first male-child after his grandfather, and that he would never forget his Scottish heritage. (His son, Scott, was named in honor of his grandmothers wishes)

Wilym and Christiana then decided to return to her family, and the inn, to begin their lives together. When they returned to her village, they found that the Captain had come to take Wilym back, and when he found that Wilym had left with his wife and child, they burned down the inn and the family was scattered.

Wilym and Christiana then took to wandering the country, from village to shire, where Wilym would work as a tinkerer, woodworker, or other semi skilled labor. With a wife and now three children, Wilym was unable to save enough to begin his own enterprise and certainly too old to apprentice to a trade.

The Treaty of Tours, beginning in 1444, brought back many of the armies from overseas, and Wilym took a contract to join the garrison at Calais. It was a wonderful time for them on the Continent and Wilym enjoyed the comraderie of the post and the nearness of family.

Wilym especially enjoyed spending time in the countryside with his son, Scott, and sharing with him the experience he'd learned following his own father in the woods when he was a child.

In 1449, Wilym was growing increasingly restless following five years in one place. The battles were going on in the South, and Wilym was only able to practice archery at the butts. He wanted some action. A leftenant from a free company came to the garrison asking if anyone wished to join him and his group in the defence of Normandie against King Charles VII, and Wilym immediately packed up and was ready to go, however, Christiana would not let it be so. She would NOT have him leaving for war without her and the family, she would not be left behind.

So it became that Wilym joined the Archers of Ravenwood with his wife and children at his side.