Note on File Length

(from Militarie Disciplines for the Royalist Army of the Sealed Knot, page 4, version printed 2003)
"The size of files to be used within the Royalist Army is currently 4 men.  It is recognized that this is not period with 6, 8, and even 10 being mentioned in the drill manuals... However, it remains that this was a decision consciously taken and is a compromise to enable the numbers on the field to represent larger formations..."

One reference followed in the preparation of this set of Web pages is "Bright's Drill," which makes use of the four-soldier file.  Other examples shown of Sealed Knot-related sites have too this file length.  Some examples on this Web site may show a longer file for us Americans who may be able to muster only, say, six re-enactors at an event, all of whom wish to participate in drill.  In such an instance, it simply will not do to stick with the four-man file.  We don't want to say "Like, let's have one and a half files." Nor "Two of you are outta luck, so go warm the bench instead."