Family Fun Day at the Old St. Thomas Church

Yesterday was a rather refreshing summer day after a hot, busy week. Beth and I and a number of the King's Company of Historical Reenactors added our presence and noise to the Family Fun Day at the Old St. Thomas Church. (Kevin, Tina, Tyler and his son, Andy, and Jared and his daughter were there and Taylor joined us for the day.)
St. Thomas Church was built in 1824 as the first Anglican Church in the area. It is the oldest church to be found between Windsor and Niagara Falls. When our friend, Nick, retired from the active ministry as an Anglican priest, he was made the chaplain and administrator of the church. He took this family fun day and helped make it bigger. The festivities include tours of the church, hotdogs and pop, ice cream, face painting, and similar thing. Our reenactor bring out a display of the uniform, equipment, embroidery, weaving, and toys of the 1812 period. We do a musket firing display and a mini-militia every so often.

(Photos by Beth, myself, and our friend, Taylor.)

Nick laid aside his Canon persona and became a surgeon for the day.
The tools are authentic, quite scary, and an education all by themselves.

Your humble blogger, Kevin, and Tyler talk to the public about the uniforms and weapons of the War of 1812.

Beth shows the loom and some embroidery to the visitors.

Beth and Jared and Jared's daughter take a break under the fly we'd set  up.

The St. Thomas Select Embodied Militia present arms with Tyler as their drill example. A fine group!
Steve wanders armed behind them.

Kevin and Tyler in a quite moment.
For a display day like this, we often wear different uniforms. Tyler is in the regulation infantry uniform with a forage cap. Kevin is in a hunting frock, which the 17th wore as an emergency stop-gap in early 1813, with a straw hat quite appropriate for the summer sun.

Your humble blogger in his First Sergeant persona hands out muskets to the Militia.

Tyler... on duty...

and off.
("Never stand when you can sit; never sit when you can lie down; never stay awake when you can sleep, and leave no beer undrunk!" Bolla's First Law of Reenacting)

Our friend, Taylor, in her Regency finery. She wanted to try this reenacting out and Beth and I felt that the Family Fun Day would be the ideal time to see what it was like. She told us she enjoyed it very much.

Jared's daughter enjoying part of a hot dog on the hopscotch board.
Taylor discovered that hopscotch was very popular in the Regency era.

Tina and Jared's daughter ring the church bell.
That was a favourite activity for most of the young folks there.

Croghan's Company, 17th US Infantry moves to demonstrate a musket volley.
From the left - your humble blogger as First Sergeant, Jared as corporal of the battalion pioneers, Andy, Kevin, and Tyler.
Steve joined us with his musket a few times and Beth joined us with her rifle as well!

The St. Thomas Militia continues their drill... with some help from Mom and Dad.

Don't mess with this young lady!
Jared's daughter picked up a toy pistol we happened to have and would not put it down!

Tyler's son and another militiaman watch for zombie coyotes in the cemetery.
Don't ask. Please don't.

Taylor, who followed Jared's daughter around a good bit, strolls with her parasol.

This is a good little event and a lot of fun. It also helps a historic place. St. Thomas Church has no congregation at this time, but it remains a consecrated Anglican church. This event helps in the upkeep of this historic house of worship.