Nest verch Gwilim
Introduction
Nest first discovered the SCA through a mentor in high school and took another decade or so (and a few failed attempts) to finally join, which she did in late spring of 2012.
She currently resides in the Barony of Bright Hills. In her former life, she was known as Beatrice Shirwod.
Nest's pronouns are she/her and her preferred title is Arglwyddes.
She is protégée to Dame Lillia de Vaux (of the East Kingdom)
Persona
Nest verch Gwilim is an early 12th-century Welsh woman living in the March of Gower, in southern Wales, where she lives with her Norman husband and their daughter, and dabbles in any number of things.
Heraldry
Being from what was largely a pre-heraldic culture (there are plenty of Normans and English folk in early-12th-century Wales, but not much armory), it's unlikely that Nest would have had arms of her own during her lifetime. However, her later-period descendants would almost certainly have fixed this error retroactively, and so in the Modern Middle Ages she bears Quarterly Or and azure, an orle ermine. More often, she prefers to use her badge, (Fieldless) A martlet azure maintaining in its beak an ermine spot sable.
French motto: Courez et découvrez
Welsh motto: Melyster a mellt
Offices & Positions
- Northern March Pursuivant (Bright Hills Baronial herald): 2013-2014
- Opal Pursuivant (Kingdom notifications deputy, College of Heralds): 2014-2017
- Golden Dolphin Herald (Kingdom Submissions Herald): 2017-2020
- Crane Herald (new-herald liason): 2021-present
- Thrown Weapons Marshal: 2014-present
Classes Taught
- Herald 101
- Beyond Banners and Shields: an Introduction to Heraldic Display
- Care and Feeding of Your Thrown Weapons (co-taught with Master Kryss Kostarev)
- Up and Coming Names Research in the College of Arms (roundtable discussion, co-facilitated with Anéžka Liška z Kolína)
Publications
- "Beyond Banners and Shields," published in Known World Heralds and Scribes Symposium (KWHSS) Proceedings, 2020 (as Beatrice Shirwod)
- "Some Feminine Personal Names Found in A Dictionary of Period Russian Names", submitted for KWHSS 2021 Proceedings
- “Critique and Commentary: Tips from Art School,” submitted to Known World Heralds and Scribes Symposium (KWHSS) Proceedings, 2022
- Ongoing blog-type writings can be found at A Nest Proper
Current Projects
- Researching 12th-century names in Wales, as recorded in Latin church documents
- Occasionally identifying birds for other heralds
- Various sewing and embroidery projects
Awards and Achievements
- Bachelors Degree, University of Atlantia, Session 105, September 2020
- Fellow, University of Atlantia, Session 108, September 2021
| Date | Award | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 2/9/2013 | Companion of Tessa | Bright Hills |
| 9/14/2013 | Award of Arms | Atlantia |
| 2/13/2016 | Companion of Job | Bright Hills |
| 4/29/2017 | Companion of the Opal | Atlantia |
| 2/8/2020 | Companion of the Golden Dolphin | Atlantia |
In Case of Court
Contact David FitzMartin regarding preferences, etc.