RAMSAY HOUSE

Dame Nasturtium-Petal Ramsay

Nasturtium-Petal Ramsay was commonly called "Petal" in Ireland where she began her life.  Her father was a huntsman named Castor who was known as a great wolf-bane.  Her mother, who was an inventor, was named Suzenne.   

Petal had a happy life with her parents.  She was encouraged to pursue her interests and like to help her mother in laboratory work mixing formulas.  Sometimes, these attempts even exploded!  After this sort of unhappy event had taken place on 3 or 4 occasions, her mother asked her daughter to find something else to engage her interest.

At seventeen, Petal decided to learn her father's profession.  He couldn't be happier to have her come with him, as it was not unusual for huntsmen to feel isolated in the great green-wood, and the presence of someone to talk to gladdened his heart.  Petal and her father hunted together for a few years and both were content and happy.  

One day, when the pair were in the deepest neck of what was called the "mystical woods," they stumbled upon a view few had ever seen.  In a clearing ahead, they saw a hart, which is something like a deer.  It was twice the size of any ever before seen!  The animal had golden antlers!  Just as her father walked into the clearing, group of bandits with nothing like hunting for food on their minds, rode in on horses. The surrounded and captured the frightened and unhappy hart. Once restrained, the poor animal was shoved into a caged wagon, which was locked it as quick as one can say "Jack Robinson." 

Turning to Petal and her father, the bandit-leader said "We must kill the witnesses!" and shot an arrow at the huntsman .  Petal nearly screamed from the protection of the forest undergrowth she'd dived into.   Immediately dodging the arrow,  her father ran off into the woods.  Not knowing what else to do, Petal ran home, all the while weeping as to the fate of her father.  In breathless sobs, she told her mother the terrible news.  Her mother, saddened at the apparent loss of her husband, fell into despair. She spent many years in silence mourning her loss. 

Witnessing this double tragedy, Petal decided she would seek revenge on the bandits.  She decided to train as a swordsman.  This she worked at long and hard, knowing that if she met the bandits again she'd be prepared.  Over time, her training master pronounced her one of the best handlers of sword technique in the region.  This told Petal she was ready to go back into the woods for her revenge. 

After a week of fruitless searching, the young woman came upon a clearing and saw what she had long-sought...the bandit group and the golden hart, still caged.  Two hours later, the group's leader had paid for his crime in year's past and the rest of his gang was sent yelping into the forest in a half-dozen directions.  

Petal approached the cage-wagon.  To her horror, she found the hart barely alive, its wonderful golden horns shorn off and hanging in a corner of the cage.  The animal looked sadly up at the woman.  Within minutes the lock on the door was smashed, and the hart, half-alive from years of captivity and poor feeding was only too happy to follow Petal back to her village as the young woman walked with the golden antlers in her arms.

With these, the village blacksmith forged a fine sword of gold.  The other half she brought to her mother thinking that they would be some comfort in her sorrow.  Her mother sat up excitedly upon seeing them and exclaimed, "Those are the golden antlers I've been seeking all my life!  If a tiny piece of antler is placed beside one's writing area, the eloquence of language will flow perfectly from one's fingertips, creating works of art full of wonder, laughter, tears, and torture. One would become "the Bard!"

Years later, living in Vermont, the pair of women built a successful company writing company called "Golden Thoughts."  Each quill manufactured and sold contained the slightest portion of hart's antler in its tip. Petal's mother worked in the research department seeking new ways to subdivide the antler's gold even further.  Needless to say, the family was extremely wealthy by this turn of events, and the hart, which had given its most precious antlers to the cause, was kept as a well-cared-for family pet.  Its image also appeared on quill box manufactured by Golden Thoughts.  

One day, Petal heard of a new school in the region called Westford Hogwarts School.  She sought out and was appointed a job where she was for many years the fencing instructor.  She also taught students the craft of living in the woods in harmony with the trees and animals of the forest.  During her time at Hogwarts, Petal founded Ramsay House.  She lived out her life in happy days at her beloved school, and often visited her mother and the golden hart.  In fact, a tradition was formed where annually each house member would have a symbolic "hart hunt" which really involved finding gold hidden in the forest (and then donating it to charities). Now many years past, this golden search has been replaced with golden chocolate coins which some children know from other holidays.

The alacrity with which this event was carried out Ramsay House members are known even today as "Swifts" or "Swift-Ones" in honour of Nasturtium-Petal Ramsay's incredible journey and her speedy escape from bandits long ago. 

Ramsay House colours typically includes midnight black, white with sky-blue accents. 

Ramsay house is known for its serious warrior-gamers, ability to strategise in gaming situations, persistent when challenged for the lead in competition, artistic, able to use humour to let "steam" out of tough situations.

Address 146 Brookside Rd, Westford, VT 05494

Phone 802-878-5932