About The Company

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Goode’s Company of Foot is a group of men and women who research, teach, and practice historical martial techniques in an attempt to recreate an Elizabethan pike and shot company of the 1580’s. Founded in 2006 as a drunken lark by members of Seattle’s Academia della Spada, we somehow continue to amuse ourselves while educating ourselves and others. To this end we hold regular classes and private events as well as performing demonstrations at select public events like the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire. While we do practice Elizabethan swordplay and use functional black powder firearms, actual antagonistic mass combat with pikes is an advanced skill that we are studying toward.

For demos, all of the “soldiers” in Goode’s Company are men, though many of them have suspiciously feminine features. We don’t ask too closely as long as they dress the part; after all, we have a muster to meet if we want to stay on the Queen’s payroll. Most of the men hail from the little-known (and even less visited) county of Shepshetshire in the north of England and will regale you with tales from their homeland. These are almost certainly lies, but are often entertaining.

An Elizabethan Company of Foot

As a company of infantry in the time of Elizabeth I, Goode’s Company should contain 100-200 men. In theory. In practice almost every company was understrength, either because of casualties (if the unit was in active combat) or more frequently because the captain was keeping the pay of the missing men for himself. Pikemen and musketeers/harquebuseers would have comprised the majority of the company, with a small force of halberdiers or billmen to protect the ensign. Goode’s Company is chronically understrength, and her captain is consistently well-dressed. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Read more here about the company’s weapons and armor.

And these are a few words about how the company is organized.