82. HAC: The Company of Pikemen and Musketeers
Armoury House in Moorgate has been the home of the Honourable Artillery Company for at least three hundred years. The Company was created by Henry VIII in 1537. The HAC’s Territorial Regiment currently provides a surveillance and target acquisition patrols for NATO’s Rapid Reaction Corps. The Company of Pikemen and Musketeers was formed in 1925 and received a Royal Warrant in 1955 to parade and to provide a ceremonial bodyguard for the Lord Mayor, most often seen at the start of the Lord Mayor’s Show. The Company relies on support from its members and commercial activities. The Company gets a lot of support from the City generally but needs more as, faced with fewer skilled craftsmen, it has decided to replace its uniforms, etc.
Certainly if you want your event to go with a bang, this is the place to start. Our Open Evening included a briefing on the history and present day operations, access to the uniforms and armoury, and a little carrying things about and trying on armour - whose style was prescribed in the reign of King Charles I. The musket weighs 17 lb. The armour another 20-30. Pikes used to be about 20ft long but, for practical reasons, are now about 12ft. Fortunately the ‘kit’ comes complete with a strong person inside knowledgeable about marching, firing and stabbing. If you want an unusual something for your function, contact the Company in City Road.
Armoury House in Moorgate has been the home of the Honourable Artillery Company for at least three hundred years. The Company was created by Henry VIII in 1537. The HAC’s Territorial Regiment currently provides a surveillance and target acquisition patrols for NATO’s Rapid Reaction Corps. The Company of Pikemen and Musketeers was formed in 1925 and received a Royal Warrant in 1955 to parade and to provide a ceremonial bodyguard for the Lord Mayor, most often seen at the start of the Lord Mayor’s Show. The Company relies on support from its members and commercial activities. The Company gets a lot of support from the City generally but needs more as, faced with fewer skilled craftsmen, it has decided to replace its uniforms, etc.
Certainly if you want your event to go with a bang, this is the place to start. Our Open Evening included a briefing on the history and present day operations, access to the uniforms and armoury, and a little carrying things about and trying on armour - whose style was prescribed in the reign of King Charles I. The musket weighs 17 lb. The armour another 20-30. Pikes used to be about 20ft long but, for practical reasons, are now about 12ft. Fortunately the ‘kit’ comes complete with a strong person inside knowledgeable about marching, firing and stabbing. If you want an unusual something for your function, contact the Company in City Road.
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