The Britannic Imperium is an oligarchy, ruled by the Queen (God Bless Her) and the eight Convocation Houses. House politics is an exercise in jockeying for position and power. House Gallowglass is arguably the most powerful: having gained control of the Treasury and the nation’s purse strings, it can hold the other Houses to ransom. Each Convocation House has a major government department and fills the official posts with its own relatives, and those of the Minor Houses in alliance with it.
THE EIGHT CONVOCATION HOUSES |
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| House GALLOWGLASS | ||
| Family name: Winter | A gallowglass is a mercenary, a warrior | Government Department: The Treasury |
| House CARTOMANCER | ||
| Family name: Lee | A cartomancer is a fortune teller, one who uses cards to tell the future | Government Department: The Foreign and Empire Office |
| House HUISSHER | ||
| Family name: Abercrombie | A huissher is an usher or door attendant | Government Department: The War Office |
| House JUSTICIAR | ||
| Family name: Jeffries | A justiciar is head of the royal judiciary | Government Department: Home Affairs |
| House PANNIFEX | ||
| Family name: Branson | A pannifex is a cloth worker. | Government Department: Trade and Industry |
| House ARCHIATOR | ||
| Family name: Tomlinson | An archiator is a physician. | Government Department: Public Health |
| House QUISTER | ||
| Family name: Mason | A quister bleaches cloth | Government Department: Science and Technology |
| House VENATOR | ||
| Family name: Palliser | A venator is a huntsman | Government Department: Agriculture and Fisheries |
INDEPENDENT HOUSE |
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| House SCRIVENER | ||
| Family name: Stafford | A professional copyist or writer, a public notary | The only neutral and independent House. The Scrivener provides the secretariat to the Convocation House meetings at Parliament. |
THE MINOR HOUSES |
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| Allied to House GALLOWGLASS | ||
| Advocate | a lawyer | (S) |
| Castellan | the governor of a castle | |
| Elimozinar | an almoner | (S) |
| Javelar | a jewellery maker | |
| Jongleur | a travelling minstrel | Family name: Pearse |
| Malender | a farmer | |
| Plumassier | maker of ornamental feather plumes | Family name: Farrell |
| Verrier | a glazier | |
| Allied to House CARTOMANCER | ||
| Agister | an official of the Royal forests | |
| Bailer | a court official | (S) |
| Fermouer | a farmer | (S) |
| Mercator | a merchant | |
| Stravaigor | a vagrant, a wanderer | Family name: Lancaster |
| Tabinarius | a tavern keeper | |
| Verderer | an official of the Royal forests | |
| Allied to House HUISSHER | ||
| Albastere | a crossbowman | |
| Beadle | a church official | |
| Corvinor | a shoemaker | |
| Cunzeour | a coiner | (S) |
| Lederer | a leathermaker | |
| Quarriour | a quarryman | (S) |
| Reever | a Sheriff, reeve | |
| Tasseler | a tassel maker, for furnishings | |
| Allied to House JUSTICIAR | ||
| Brasiler | a dyer | |
| Dunner | a debt collector | |
| Estafette | a mounted courier | Family name: Meredith |
| Flegeoure | a fletcher, arrowmaker | (S) |
| Libraire | a bookseller | |
| Meilmane | a seller of oatmeal | (S) |
| Nimgimmer | a doctor | |
| Ulnager | an examiner of woollen goods prior to sale | |
| Allied to House PANNIFEX | ||
| Bedwevere | a maker of webbing for bedframes | |
| Brabanar | a weaver | (S) |
| Fawkner | falconer | |
| Marinell | a sailor | (S) |
| Menstraler | a musician | |
| Nedeller | needle maker | |
| Pargeter | an ornamental plasterer | |
| Waulkmiller | a cloth worker | |
| Allied to House ARCHIATOR | ||
| Blemmere | a plumber | |
| Cartair | a cart maker | (S) |
| Colporteur | a pedlar of religious books | |
| Glassinwright | a glassworker | (S) |
| Gossoon | a servant boy | |
| Loriner | a maker of horse gear | |
| Palfournier | a groom | |
| Shepster | a sheep shearer | |
| Allied to House QUISTER | ||
| Balister | an archer | |
| Chirurgeon | a surgeon | (S) |
| Feroner | an ironmonger | |
| Ingraver | an engraver on glass | (S) |
| Manciple | a steward | |
| Osler | a bird catcher | |
| Pothison | a pastry chef | |
| Wainwright | a maker or repairer of wagons | |
| Allied to House VENATOR | ||
| Avenator | a hay and forage merchant | |
| Botillier | a maker of wineflasks or bottles | |
| Damasker | a worker with Damask cloth | |
| Ealdorman | a Shire court official | |
| Ischear | an usher, a court official | (S) |
| Kneller | a door-to-door chimney sweep | |
| Peutherer | a worker in pewter | (S) |
| Vacher | a herdsman | |
| (S) formal name for the head of a Scottish Clan. In Scotland itself, the Clan members will think of themselves as members of Clan (Surname) first, and only secondarily as members of a House. The House system is London centric. The Scots go their own way, with a nod to Westminster out of politeness. | ||
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Resources:
Old Occupation Names
Old Scottish Occupation Names
Archaic Words
Luciferous Logolepsy
Anna Butler 
[…] son of one of the minor Houses (in this universe, Britain is ruled, under the monarch, by the eight Convocation Houses) Rafe doesn’t have too much trouble doing that; he’s always been something of the black sheep […]
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[…] of one of the minor Houses (in this universe, Britain is ruled, under the monarch, by the eight Convocation Houses) Rafe doesn’t have too much trouble doing that; he’s always been something of the black sheep […]
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