BARONY OF SOUTH DOWNS, MERIDIES – In a bold move, Baroness Maud of Gloucester, Beacon Principal Herald, has created a new position in the College of Heralds to handle sumptuary law violations: the Sumptuary Marshal. Maud Beacon has selected the title Caliper Herald for the position.
Maud Beacon told The SCAllion, “There are so many sumptuary violations happening. I know for a fact that at least one person wearing an AoA is wearing a circlet over the prescribed ¼ inch limit, and you would not believe the number of people with court baronies wearing coronets that exceed two inches. It is utterly ridiculous, and entirely against the rules. And I, for one, have had enough of Meridies subjects thinking that they can flout sumptuary law with impunity. To this end, I intend to establish the position of Caliper Herald, the Sumptuary Marshal, who will be tasked with ensuring compliance with Meridian sumptuary law among the populace.”
The Sumptuary Marshal and their deputies will be issued with size gauges, similar to rattan marshal gauges, to ensure that regalia falls within appropriate standards. They will be stationed at the entrance to every Court to check the regalia of anyone coming into Court. Maud Beacon explained, “Well, we have to start somewhere. It’s bad enough that people think that they can flout sumptuary law during the day at an event, but standards have to be upheld for court, really. It’s the least they can do.”
When asked whether gentles who moved into Meridies from out of Kingdom would be allowed to continue wearing their out of Kingdom regalia that does not comply with Meridian sumptuary law, Beacon responded with, “Well, of course they can. I’m not an unreasonable woman, you know. But they better be able to point to the out of kingdom OP [Order of Precedence] entry that entitles them to that regalia!”
the SCAllion 