np?

"-'

^ /-r^

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^
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^
I

u^

Anecdotes
O F

ARCHERY;
FROM THE
OBarlic!! O:ae0 to
Inclu.iing

'6:^z

gear 1791.
of

an

ACCOUNT

The

most FAMOUS ARCHERS

OF ANCIENT
with fome

AND MODERN TIMES}

LIFE of

curious Particulars in the

ROBERT FITZ-OOTH Earl

Vulgarly calleJ

of Huntington,

ROBIN HOOD.
TKE PRESENT STATE OF WITH

ARCHERY,

THE DIFFERENT SOCIETIES IN GREAT BRITAIN,

Particularly thofc of

Yorkfhire, Lancafliire, and

Durham.

By

E.

HARGROVE.
rORK:

Printed for E.

Hargrove,

Bookfeller, Knare/bro';

And

fold

by

all

the Bookfellers cf York, Leeds, and Ripon.

M,DCC,XCII.

QV
"
Cj

Tor

GEORGE ALLAN,
IN

Es<^

F.

A. S*

GRATITUDE

FOR MANY FAVOURS RECEIVED,

THESE

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY
ARE MOST HUMBLY

INSCRIBED
BY

THE

AUTHOR.

JNECDOTES

OF

JRCHERT,

THE Bow
bably was ufed
before
it

is

the

rr.oft

ancient, and hatli

all

been
long
find
as

the mofl univerfa!, of

weapons; and proof the

forefts,

againfl; the beafts

men made war upon each

other:

We

ufed by the moft powerful and civilized,

well as the mofl: barbarous

tions.

and uncultivated, natold

In

Holy Writ* we are

faid,

Isaac

called

his fon
*'

Esau, and

" Now

therefore take, I

"
*'
**

pray thee, thy weapons, thy q&iver and thy bow, and. go out to the field, and take me fome venifon
;

love, and bring

foul

and make me favory meat, fuch as I it to me, that I may eat, that

" my

may

blefs thee before I die."

Jonathan,
Arclier; but
it

the fon of

feems

this

Saul, was a fkilful weapon had been nebetwixt

glefted amongft the armies of Ifrael, for in the

fatal

battle

near mount Gilboa,

Saul

and the Philiftines, we arc told \-, " The battle " went fore againft Saul and the Archers hit him;, " and he was fore wounded of the Archers."
;

* Gen. xxvii.

3.

Samuel, xxxl.

3.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHEny.
In the next chapter we are told,
tliat

David
to

gare orders

for

the children of Judah,

be

taught the ufe of the bow.

In

the Iliad,
ic

we

find the

bow fometimes menthat

tioned, though

does not fcem to have been of

general ufc in either

army daring

memorable

war.

The

poet fpeaking of Paris, and defcrib-

ing the drefs and arms of that delicate warrior*,

The
Flow'd o'er
his

anther's fpeckled hide

armour with an eafy pride.

His bended bov/ acrofs his (houlders Rung, His fword befide him negligently hung ;

Two

pointed

I'psars

he inook, with gallant grace,

A.nd dai'd

tlia

braveft of the Grecian race-j-.

Pandarus
the action
is

aiming an arrow
:

at

Menelaus^

thus delcribed J
full force

Now

with
to

th? jielding horn he bends.

j

Drawn

an arch, and joins the doubling ends

Clofe to the breaft he ftrains the nerve below,

Till the barb'd point approach the circling

boW

Th' impatient weapon

wS'.izzes

on the wing.
tlis

Sounds the tough horn, and twangs

*

quiv'ring firing.

And

yet this was th3

man who
tl-e

afterwards

ifijicufly

flew the great

Achil!23,

by wounding

liim in

heel with an arrov;,

when he was going

to

marry Ptlyxsna, in the

teitiple if Apollo.

t Iliad, t
I!ia<l,

Book

III.

line iy.
lir.e

Book

IV.

ica.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

The Locrians were a body of troops in the Grecian army, who occafionally uled both the bow and the fling *.
The LocRiAN fquadrons nor the jav'IIn wield. Nor bear the iielm, nor lift the moo ly fliield j
But
fkill'd

from

far the flving fiiaft to

wing,

Or

whirl the founding pebble from the fling.

l>cxtrous with thefe they aim a certain

wound.

Or

fell

the diftant warrior to the ground.

Thus
For

in the van, the

in bright

Telamonian

train

Throng'd

arms,

a prefTing

fight maintain J
lie,
;

in the rear the

Locrian

Archers

Whofc ftones znA arrows intercept the Iky The mingled tempeft on the foes they pour Troy's fcatt'ring orders open to the fliow'r.

The
tempted

fuitors to

of

Penelope, having

in vain at-

bend the bow of

Uly --ses,

(that liera

being prefcnt, difguifed like a

beggar)

he with

much

dithculty obtains leave to try his fkillf

'

One hand aloft difplay'd The bending horns, and one the ftring eflay'd. From his eflaying hand the ftring let fly,
Twang'd
fliort

and (harp, like the

all

flirill

fwallow's cry,

general horror ran thro'

the race.

Sunk was each heart, and pale was every face: Then fierce the hero o'er the threfhold ftrode j
Stript of his rjgs, he blaz'd out like a god.

Iliad,

Book

XIII. line 89T.

t OdyiTcy, Book XXI. line 4^6.

^
And

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERT^
Fuji in their face the lifted

bow he

bore.
;

quiver'd deaths, a formidable ftore

Before his feet the rattling fhow'r he threw.

And thus terrific to the fuitor crew " One vent'rous game this haad has won
Another, princes
!

to-day^

yet remains to playj

attain,

Another mark, our arrow muft

Phcebus

be the labour vain." Swift as the word the parting arrow fings.
!

aflift

nor

And

bears thy fate,

Antinous,

on

its

wings

Wretch that he was, of unprophetic foul High in his hands he rear'd the golden bowH Even then to drain it, lengthen'd out his breath,
Chang'd to the deep, the bitter draught of death For fate, who fear'd, amidft a feafl-ful band ? And fate to numbers, by a fingle hand ?
Full thro' his throat
t

Ulysses' weapon

paft,
lafl.

Andpierc'd the neck:

He

falls

and breaths his

Eneas
cifes,

in

celebrating the anniverfary of his

father's funeral,

amongft other fports and exer-

introduces Archery.

Forthwith
All

Eneas

to the fpcrts invites

who with

fedther'd fhafts

wou'd

try their fKill,

And namrs th'* prizes. With his ample hand He from Serestcs' (hip a mart eredts And on it by a rope fufpended ties
j

A fwifc-vving'd
Their arrows
:

dove, at which they

all

fliould

aim

They

aflemble; and the lots

Shuffled into a brazer: caique are thrown.

With
So

fav'ring ihouts

Offspring of

HippocooN firft appears, Hy'stacus Then Mnjestheus

:

next.

lately vitor in tiie navai

ftrif'e.
;

And

crown'd with olive-greens

Eurytion

third.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY,
Brother to thee,

O Pandarus
Co

renown'd,
the league,
j

Who
Diiift

once,
firft

commanasJ

itifl'.ilve

amo:ij5 the

Grecians hurl a dart

AcESTES
The The
Bend
f-Int
laft;

to the helmet's

bottom finkS'
with manly ftrength

himfelf prcfuming to attempt

fports

of youth.

Then
;

all

their tough yeugh

esch with his utmoft force

firfb

All from their quivers draw their fluftss and

frcm

t'le

twandng nerve Hipi'OCOON's

beats the thin li^aiJ air.
a.i-.erfe

flies

Along the /ky,

And

en the body of the mail

;

Stands fix'd

The

rr.Rft an.i

frighted bird at once

Tren;ib!e, and

ail the:

cirque v/ith (houts refounds.

Next

ea^jer

Mnesthius
and
;

with his bended 'wiw

Star.ds rcadyj

!iis

ryes and arrow

aioTd

Dirtfts to hcav'n

yet cou'J not reach the

biit

dove

HeiTclf unfortunate,

cut the knots

And hempen lig.iments in wbich iTie hung Ty'd by the- feet upon thfe lofty maft; She flies into the winds and duiky clouds.

EuRYTioN
Holding h
s

then impatient, and

ready

lonj; fiiice

bow and

fitted (h-itt,
air,

Invokes his bMthir; and, in open

Seeing the dovfe

now

ftiake her

fcundlng v.'ngs.
;

Transfixes her

arriinft

the clouds

The

bird

Falls dead, and leaves h^r lifu

among

the ftars.

Cyaxares,
grandfather to

Cyrus, engaged fome

fon

king of the Medes, and great Scythian

the
ufe

Archers to teach his

learn three things
five to that

of the bow.

This nation had a law, that

of twenty, viz.

their children fliould

particularly,

frcm the age of

ride a hcrfe well.

To

lO

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
and never
to
tell

to flioot well,

lie.

Zenochild-

PHON

obferves, that

Cyrus was

from a

brought up to Archery.

Herodotus

informs us, thatvvhen

Cambyses-

had conquered Egypt, and had thoughts of invading Ethiopia, he fent fome fpies before him ; who, under pretence of carrying prefents to the king, might privately inquire into the When ftrength and condition of the kingdom. they were arrived at court, and had made their prefents, the king of ^Et miopia faid to them,

"
"
**
*'

It

was not from any confiderauon of my friendthat the king of Persia fent you to me with thefe prefents ; neither have you fpoken
fliip,

the truth,
fpies.

If

but are come into my kingdom as Cambyses was an honeft man he

" would
*'

"
'

"
*'

defire no more than his own ; and not endeavour to reduce a people under fervitude, who have never done him any injury. However, give him this bow from me, and let him know, that the king of Ethiopia advifes

the king of

Persia,

" ^Ethiopians, when

**

able thus eafily to

in the

make war againil the Persians (hall be draw fo ftrong a bow and
to

the

"
*'
*<

meanwhile to thank the gods, that

t.iey

never infpired the

^Ethiopians

with a defire

of extending their dominions beyond their own Saying this, he unbent the bow>, country."
it

and delivered

to the ambaffadori'.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
The
ing
prophets
this

II

Isaiah and Jeremiah, both

for

fpeak of

nation, as being famous

bend-

and handling the bow*.

beft part of the

The
die

armies of

Alexander

Great

were Archers.

The bowmen
in

of Athens performed wonders

many battles; but particularly under Demost he.>;es, their renowned general, when they
the

defeated
Pylos.

Lacedemonians
mentions,

near
that

the city of

Plato

one thoufand

Archers were appointed for the (landing guard of This celebrated philofopher the city of Athens.

was an advocate
to
the

for

Archery, and recommended

Athenians that proper mafters might be employed by the (late, to teach their youth the
fe of

the

bow

and that a large

field

fhould be

fet apart,

near every town and city, for that pur-

pofe.

Cretans began to teach their youth the bow at feven years of age ; and fo expert were this people in the ufe of the weapon,
ufe of the
all the neighbouring monarchs were defirous of having a band of Cretan Archers in their

The

that

armies.

" The arrows

Ifaiah
Ixvi,

of

Gortynia,"
xlvi. 9.

fays

19.Jeremiah

12

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
from a
trufty

Claudia N, *' aijned " fure to wound, nor " mark."

bow, are
deflined

ever mifs

the

The
the

vidlories obtained

by the Parthians, over

Romans, was

chiefly afcribed to their fupe-

riority in the ufe of their bows.

With

thefe they
hills

purfued
Pi/Iedia

Marcus Antoninus

lerian,

and

and Armenia,

conquered

over the

of

the noble

Va-

flew the Apoftate Julian.

find very little

Though we
in the

mention of the

bow

Roman

armies, yet they often employed

in

auxiliary

Archers
fhooters.

their wars.

Domitian,

CoMMoDus, and Theodoti us

excellent
it
is

were accounted evident alfo they had

mailers at

was

Rome to teach the art, among whom Flavius Expeditus; whofe image
bafs
relief,
is

Spon

has given from a fepulchral

called

where he

Doctor. Sagittaru m.

ordained that all the youth of Rome be compelled to ufe fliooting, more ot lefs; and always bear their bow and quiver about with them, till tl^iey were eleven years old. He alfo
fliould

Leo

adds,
*'

"

We

ftriftly
all

clamatioD to

command you to make promen under our dominion, which

"
"

be either in war or peace ; to all cities and towns ; and, finally, to all manner of men, that every free man have bow and arrows of

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
*

I3

"

own, and every houfe have a bow and forty and that they exer; *' cife themfelves in holts, hills, dales, wcods, " and plains, to inure them to all the chances of " war."
his

arrows for every occaficn

The

Artillery

Company ofLondon*,

the' they

have long difufed the weapon, are the remains of the Ancient Fraternity of Bowmen, or Archers.
Artillery {artillerie)
:

is a French term, fignifying Archery As the King's Bo^vyer is, in that language, ftyled Jrtillier du Roy.

William the Conqueror had a confiderable number of

llings
:

bowmen in his army at the battle of HaThe names of the officers of this part of
is

his

army

contained in the

roll

of Battle- Abbey f

they are in number feventy- three, and came from the Vale of Rueil Bretviel, and many other places.

Amongfl: thefe we find the names of

Duglosse,

Mowbray, Mortimer, Harecourt, DevRiux, Allan Count de Britaigne, &c.

As this vidlory was certainly obtained by the help of the long-bow and broad-arrow J fo it
;

was by the fame weapons that the Englifh

wards conquered France.
* Archaeologiae,
vol. vii.

after-

Church Hiftory. } Harold himfelf was flain by an arrow,

Fuller's

14
It

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
may
not be improper to infert in this place

an excellent and curious comparifon between this weapon and our fire arms, mentioned in the life of

Wi L L
*'

the

Nor m a n

by Joh n

Ha ywa r d

" One " means

**

circumilance more I hold

victory
;

ferved, that this

of the arrow
this land

fit to be obwas gotten only by the ufe v/hereof was

The Englifh " being trained to the fight, did thereby chiefly " maintain themfelves with honourable advantap-e " againft all nations with whom ihey did contend " in arms, being generally reputed the beft /hot in " the world. But of late years it hath been alto" gether laid afide; and inftead thereof, the " harqucbufs and calliver are brought into ufe, yet " not without contradidion of many expert men " of arms who, albeit they do not rtjedt the ufe " of the fmall pieces, yet do they prefer the bow
brought into
afterwards.
;

before them
diftance,
it

Firft,

for that,

in a reafonable

'

is

of greater certainty and force:

it

"
*'

Secondly, for that

for that m.ore

difcharges fafter: Thirdly,

men may

difcharge

therewith at

"
*' *' *'

rank difchargeth the piece, neither hurt they any but thofe that are
once
;

for only the

firft

in front

but with the

bow

ten or twelve ranks

may

difcharge together, and will annoy fo

many

"
*' ** *

ranks of the enemy: Laftly, for that the arrow

doth ftrike more parts of the body ; for in that it turneth by defcent, and not only point-blank,
like the bullet, there
is

no part of the body but

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
" "
*
it

15

may

rtrikc,

from

tlte

crown of

tlie

hcaJ, to

the nailing of the foot to the ground.

Here-

upon
fearful

it

followeth,

that the arrows

falling Co

" " "

'

the bo^Hes of men, as lefs of their flcllr, fo much flenderly armed than in former time,?, mull neceiTarily work

thick as hail upon

" more
" "
**

dangerous

cflliSls-

Bclides thcfo general

refpedls, in

many
ilie

particular fervices
is

and times

the ufc of

bo>v
lie

of.

great advantage; if

fome defence

before

riic

" may ftrike where " ther may much

*'

the ballet cannot; foul

enemv, the arrow wcat.h6

hinder the difcharge of

piece, but

is

of no great impediment to the dif:

" charge of
' let, '

the

if the

bow A horfe ftruck with a bulwound be not mortal, may perform

in

good

fervice; but if an arrow be faflcned

" " " " "

"
*'

his flefh,

the

continual

flirring thereof,

occa-

fioncd by the motion of himfelf, will force

to

cad of

all

command, and

either beat

him down,

or diforder thofe that are near.

Bat the crack

of the piece, fome

in the

men

fay, do:h llrikc a terror

if they
;

enemy

True,

be fjch as never
little

heard the like noife before

extinguilh
thefe
terrors.

but a

ufc will

**

To
:

men,

yea

to

"
*'

beafts, acquainted with thefe cracks, they

work

a weak impreflion of fear And if it be true, " which all men of aclion do hold, that the eye in " all battles is firfl overcome, then againil men

"

equally

accuRomed

to both, the fight

of the ar-

" row is more available to vidory than the crack of " the piece. AfTuredly the duke, before the bat 3

l6

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
encouraged
his

" "
*'

tie,

men,

for that they (hould

fhot.

deal with enemies

who had no

Bu:

I will

leave this point to be determined

by more

dif-

"

cerning judgment *."

William

himfelf was an admirable Archer,

and was fo ftrong, that few but himfelf could bend the bow he ufed.

William
refl,

II.

being hunting in the

Sir

in

company with

New-FoWalter. Tyrrell,

and others; this knight unfortunately let fly an arrow at a flag, which glancing againfl a tree, took a different diredion, and pierced the king's breafl, who immediately expired. To perpetuate the memory of fo remarkable an event, John Lord Delwar, who had feen the tree growing, erecied a pillar in the very place where it
flood, with the following infcription
:

" Here stood the oak tree on which " AN ARROWj shot EY S WaLTER TyR*' rell at a stag, glanced, and struck *' King William the Second, surnamed RUFUS, in THE EREAST, OF WHICH HE IN" stantly died, on the second day of " August, a. d. iioo."
I R.

" King William the Second, surna" MED RuFUS, being SLAIN AS BEFORE RE* See Harl. Mifiell. vol.
ii.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
" LATED, WAS LAID IN
*'

I7

A CART BELONGING TO ONE PURKESS, AND DRAWN FROM "THENCH TO Winchester, and buried

" IN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THAT

" CITV."

Richard Strongbow,
broke,

Earl of Clare,

Pem-

and Buckingham, was famous for his Ibength and flcill in Archery ; after reducing Ireland for king Henry II. he died 1177.

Richard

I.

King of England,: when beby an arrow from a

1
1

lieging the caftleof Chaluze, approached too near

the walls, and was killed

crofs-

bow, on the 8th of March

99.
find

During the reign of

mention made of
fo
lon-p-

this

monarch we
*,

firfl:

y'
>

Robin Hood

who

hath beeti NT

celebrated as the chief of Enplifh Archers.

The

inteftine troubles

of England were very

the country every where

great at that time, and

infelled with outlaws

and banditti; amongil

as this
his

whom
ftyles

none were
followers,

fo

famous

Sylvan hero and his

Annals,
perfonal courage of
in

whom Stow, in renowned thieves. The

his

this celebrated outlaw,

(kill

Archery, his

humanity, and efpecially

his levelling principle,

of

* Vide Rapin.

|8

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

taking from the rich and giving to the poor, have

ever fince rendered him the favourite of the

com-

mon

people.

Sir
that

Edward Coke,
his lawlefs
:

page 197, fpeaks of Robin

men of

Third Inflitute, Hood, and fays, profefTion were from him

in

his

called Roberdfinen

He

fays,

that

this

notable

thief gave not only a

name

to thefe

kind of men,

but mentions a Bay on the Yorkfhire coaft, called Robin Hood's Bay. He farther adds, that the
Statute

of Winchefter, 13th of Edward

I.

and

another Statute of the 5th of

Edward HI. were

and

made

for the punifljment

of Roberdfmen,

other felons.

Who

was the author of the

colleftion, called

Robin Hood^s Garlarid, no one has yet pretended As fome of the fongs have more of the to guefs.
fpirit

work of
times
is

of poetry than others, it is probably the That it has from time to various hands varied and adapted to the phrafe of the time been
:

certain.

In the vifion of

Pierce Plowman,

written

by Robert Longland,
the reign of
1

a fecular Prieft, and

Fellow of Oriel College, and who flourifhed in

Edward HI.
perfitly

is this

paflage

cannot

my

Pater

Nofter as

the

prift

it

fingetlv;

1 can rimes of

Robinhod and Randal of Cheftcr.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

I9

Drayton
cliaraiflerifes

in his
:

Poly-Olbion, Song xxvi. thus

him

From

wealthy abbots' chefts, and churches' abundant ftore.

:

What often times he took he (hared amongft the poor No Lordly biihop came in lufty Robin's way, To him before he went but for his pafs muft payj The widow in diftrefs he gracioufly relieved, And remedied the wrongs of many a virgin grieved.

Hearne,
note out of

in his Gloflary, inferts a

manufcript

from

Wood, containing a paffage cited John Major, the Scottifli Hillorian. to this
;

purpofe
fays he

that

Robin Hood was indeed an arch:

robber, but the gentleft thief that ever was

might have added, from the Harlcin

And MSS.
great

of

John For dun's

Scottifh Chronicle, that he

was, though a notorious robber, a

charity.

man of

The true name of Rr'BiN Hood, was Robert FiTZ-ooTH, the addition of Fitz, common to many Norman names, was afterwards oftenfomictcd The two lafl letters th being turnor dropped
:

ed into D, he was called by the common people Ood or Hood. It is evident he was a man of quality, as by the annexed Pedigree, copied from

Dr. Stuke ley's Palceographia Britannia;

John
anno

Scot,

loth Earl of

Huntington,

dying

1237, without iffue R Fitz-ooth, was by the female line next heir to that title, as defcended

from

Gilbert de Gaunt

Earl of

Kyme

and

20
Lindfey.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
The
title

lying dormant * during the

laft

ten years of his

life,

there could be nothing unhis

reafonable or extraordinary in
that
gules,

pretenfions to

honour.

The arms of Robin H.wd were

In the old garland

two

bench etigrailed or.

have been born at Loxley in Staffordftiire; and in a fliooting match f, made by the King and Queek, being chofe by the latter for her archer, (he calls him Loxley a cnftom very common in thofc days to call perfons of eminence he
is

faid to

by the name of the town where they were born.

It

ellate

does not appear that our hero poffcfied ar perhaps he or his father might be depr. ;

ved of that on fome political account ; attainders and confifcaticns being very frequent in thofe days of Norman tyranny and feudal oppreflion. In the 19th of Henry II when the fon of that
king rebelled againft
his

father,

Robert de

Ferrers manned
DufSeld
in behalf

his

ciiftles

of Tutbury and

of the Prikce.

William
(fuppofe

FiTZ-ooTH,

father cf our hero,

him

connedled with the

*

Fe r r e rs,

to

which

his dwelling

The

title lay

dormant 90 years

after

namely, till the year 1337, when William ton was created Earl of Huntington.

Robert's death Lord Clin;

S-j/

On

this occafion

we

are told, that

in green
5

Robin Hood was

all

diefl in karlet, and his

men

and that they

wore

black hats and

v.iiite feathers.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
at

21

Ln.xley * feems to point) might fiiiFcr with them in the confequer.ces of that rebellion, which would not only deprive the family of their eflates,

but alfo of their claim to the EarlJoin of

ington.

Hunt-

From fome

fuch caufe our hero might

be induced to take refuge

refls,

in thofc woods and fowhere the bold adventurer, whether flying from the demands of his injured country, or to avoid the ruthlefs hand of tyrannic power, had often found a (ife and fecure retreat.

Tutbury, and other places

juvenile frolics.

in the vicinity

of his
at the

native town, feems to have been the fcene of his

We

afterwards fnd

him

head of two hundred iirong refolute men, and

expert archers, ranging the woods and forefls of

Nottinghamfhirc, Ycrkfhire, and other parts of

<he north of

England f

Charton, in his hidory of Whitby Abbey, page 14.6, recites, *' That in the days of Abbot *' Richard this freebooter, when dofely purfued. " by the civil or military power, found it necef" fary to leave his ufual haunts, and retreating ** crofs the moors that frrounded Whitby, " came to the fea coaft, wliere he always had in
*'

readinefs
*
f

fome fmall

fiflung

vefiels

and

ia

The Ferret.s
many

v;eie

Lords nf Lf^xley.
are particu-

Befides

ether places, the following

larly

mentioned, v'z. BarnfJale, vVaiccfield, Plompton Fark^

and Fountains- Abbey,

22
^' *'

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
looked upon himand held the whole power

thefe putting ofF to Tea, he

felf as quite fecure,

'

' "
^'

of the Enjrlilh nation at defiance. The chief place of his refort at thefe times, and where his boats were generally laid up, was about fix miles
is ftill

" from Whitbv, and

called R.obin

Hood's

Bay." IVadition further itiforn^s us, that in one of thefe peregrinations he, attended by his Lieutenant, John Little, went to dine* with Abbot Richard, who having heard them often famed for their great dexterity in fhooting with the long-bow, begged them after dinner to fhcvv him a fpecimen thereof j when to oblige the Abbot, they went up to the top of the Abbey, whence each of them fhot an arrow, which fell rot far from Whitby Laths, but on the contrary fide c?
In memory of this tranfaftion, a pillar was fet up by the" Abbot in the place where each of the arrows fell, which were Handing in 1779; each pillar flill retaining the name of the owner of each arrow. Their dillance from Whitby Abbey is more than a meafured mile, which fcems very far for the flight of an arrow; but when we confider the advantap^e a Ihooter muft have from an elevation, fo great as the top of the abbey, fituated on a high cliiF, the fat vvill not appear fo very Thefe very pillars are mentioned; extraordinary. and the fields called by the aforefaid names in the
the lane.
* PofiTibiy without invitation.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
pkl deeds for that ground*,
fioa

23
pofTef-

now

in the

It appears of Mr. Thomas Watson'. by his Epitaph, that Robert Fitz-ooth lived
t;

for a life

tliis time (11S8); a very long period abounding with fo many dangerous encrprizes, and rendered obnoxious both to church and Ibte, Perhaps no part of Englifh hillory

9 )'cars after

lilorded fo fair an opportunity for fuch pradiccs,

s

the turbulent

reigns of
Jll.

Richard

I.

King

John, and

Henry

Hubert,

Archbifhop

of

Canterbury

and

:hief Julliciary

of England,
fet a

we

are told, i/Tued

^;veral proclamations for

the fuppre/Iing of out-

aws; and even

lero.

on the head of this Several llratagems were ufed to appreprice

in

lend
'orcc;

him, but

vain.
lefs

Force he repelled by
artful than- his enemies.

nor was he

At length being clofely purfued,

ovvers flain,

many of his

fol-

and the

reft

difperfed, he

iige in
Tiiles

the

Priory of

KIrklees,

took reabout twelve

from Leeds, in Yorkfliire, the Priorefs It that time being his near relation. Old age, lifappointment, and fatigue, brought on difeafej monk was called in to open a vein, who, either hrough ignorance or defign, performed his part
I

"0

ill,

that the bleeding could

not be flopped.
fell,

* Th?t each of the arrows of thefc renowned ihootcrs

s

above defcribed,

is

probable

but that they were

fliot

from

ome other

place than the top of the

Abbey is

equally probable.

24

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
ta>

Believing he fhould not recover, and wlfliing

depofited,

point out the place where his remains might be

he called for his bow and difcharging two arrows, the firfl; fell in the river Calder, the fecond falling in the park,

marked the
died on the

place of
24.th

his future

fepulture.

He

by
ble

the

of December, in the year 1247 *, as appears following epitaph, which was once legion his tomb, in Kirklees park ; where,

though the tomb remains, yet the infcription hath been long obliterated. It was, however, prcferved by Dr. Gale, Dean of York, and inferted from his papers by Mr. Thoresby, in his Ducat. Leod. and is as follows
:

Hear, undernead
L.Aiz

dis

latil stean,
;

Robert Earl

Nea Arcir ver An pipl kauld im Robin Heud

of Hunti.\gton az hie sa geud.

:

utlawz az hi an iz men, ViL England nivr si agen.

Sick
Obit
24.

Kal. Dekembris, 1247.

In

a fmail grove part of the

to this
is

cemetery for
is

merly belonging

grave ftonc, on which

a large flat carved the figure of a Crofs de Calvary, extending the whole length oi
* Suppofing him twenty-one years of age, when on hi Abbot Richard at Whitby, he muft at this tlmi
leaft in his eightieth year.

Priory,

vifit to

have been at

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
fione,

2$

and round
charaders
:

the

margin

is

infcribed ih

Mo-

raftic

-f

Mercy
The

Donne Fhu de Nazareh Stanton de Elizabeh Priores DE Cette Maison*.

DovcE
:
:

lady whofe

memory

is

here recorded,

is

faid to have

been related to Robin Hood, and under whofe protefllon he took refuge fomedme before his death. Thefe being the only monuments, remaining at the place make it probable, at leaft, that they have been preferved on account
of the fuppofed affinity of the perfons over whofe remains they were ereded.

R. Hood's mother had two

than herfelf.

fillers

f , each older
family

The
As

firft

married

Roger Lord
could be prio-

Mowbray
of

the other married into the

Wake.

neither of thefe

refs of Kirklees, Elizabeth be one of their defcendants.

Stanton might

In the churchyard of Katherfage, a village in

Derby fliire, were depofited,

* This

as

tradition informs

Norman

infcription (Kews

its

antiquity.

the

Robin Hood's
Lordfhip of

anceftois were
in

Kyme,

Normans, and Lincoln/hire. There

pofTeff.-d
is

market-

town

in that

county called Stanton.

\

Dr.

Stukelet.

AtTECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
US, the remains of John Little, the ferviint and companion of Roe in Hood. The grave is diftinguiflied by a large ftone, placed at the head, and another at the feet on each of which are" yet fome remains of the letters I. L.
;

"N
(

The

rev<3lution

which

deliA^ered

the

Swifs

Germanic yoke, happened about the year 1307. In which William Te:,l, a renowned Archer and inliabitant of Underwald, was the principal inllrument.
Cantons from
the

Grisier, the Governor under Albert, the Emperor, exercifed the mofl glaring ads of tyAmong ft the reft of his ranny and oppreffion.
is faid

experiments to try the patience of the people, it that he placed his hat on the top of a pole,
to

and commanded everyone

his perfon

pay the fame lethey

did to

fpeft to this infignia in his abfence,

when

prefent, on pain

of fuch puniih-

ment

as he fhould think proper to inflift.

William Tell

refufing this bafe fubmiflion,

was brought before Gms er, who knowing him to be a ,^ood marfkman, wantonly ordered him to ihoot an arrow at an apple placed on the head of his own fon ; at the fame time informing him, that if he miffed the mark, he (hould be hanged on the
fpot.

His fon, then but a

cliild,

was placed at

>\-NCDOTS OF

ARCHERY.
and
the

I"]

Ae

diftance of one hundred

his father
;

twenty paces

from

who drawing

trembling hand

let fly

the arrow,

bow, with a which carried

thoufands

away

the apple without touching the boy, amidft

the fhouts and

acclamations of

many

The tyrant perceiving he had of fpedators. another arrow concealed under his cloak, aiked For what purpofe ? as he was only to liave him, one fhot ? To which, he boldly replied, " To " have Hiot thee to the heart if I had had tho

"

misfortune to

kill

my

fon."
proniifed to give

Grisler, who had

life

him

his

on his confelTing the truth,

now ordered

hini

to

lake of Lucern; but

be bound and carried prifoner to a place on the Tell happily efcaping our
in croffing

of the boat,
mountains.
fortitude

the lake, retired to the

his

His fellow-citizens, animated by

and patriotifm, flew to arms, attacked r s l e r , who fell by an arrow and vanquifhed from the hand of Tell. The confequence was

that the

aflbciation

for

independency took place

en the inftant*.

Amongst the numerous levies made by Edward II. for the purpofe of invading Scotland,
in

the year
the

13 14,

we

find

particular mention
in

made of
life

Northumbrian Archers

Ha Rvt y's

of King

Robert Bruce,

an Heroic Poem,

printed in the year 1768.

* See Stumpf}'& Sceiweizer Chronica,
fol.

1548.

28

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
From Humber's dreams, whofe tumbling waves And deafen all the adjoining coafts around, To wherr. the Tweed in fofter windings flows,
Full fifty thoufand quiver'd warriors rofe * :
refouiMfj

hardy race,
fit

who

well experienced,

To

the Ciaft, and twang the

knew bended yew ;

Bred up to dsnger, and inured to daie In difta-t fight, and aim the feather'd war;

Thefe bands

their country's higheft triuoiphs boaft

led the boft.

And Glocester and Hertford

The

country from
the

the

Humber

to the

Tweed*

was ftill covered with woods and forefts, abounding with vail quantities of game; a circum fiance which would certainly encourage the ufe of the bow.
formerly
ancient

Deira,

In the year 1311,

the 15th of

Edward
being

III.

3iR John
Sheriff of
tlien

Em. and
the

of

E'lhnd,

High

county of York
:

engaged
lived

in foreign wars

and the king ; Three gentlemen

of
Eliand,

who

in

the

neighbourhood

Stu Robert Beaumont Quarmby of Quarmhy, and Lockwood of Lockwood, liaving by fome means difpleafed the High Sheriff, Arming he rcfoived on their utter def.rudion. his tenants, he repaired by night to each of their houfes, and cruelly murdered them all.
namely,
*
at

Thefe troops with many others,

in confeijuence

fuffered a total defeat

B^nnockhurn,

of a difpute amonsft

the

officers before the battle began.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

29

Lady Beaumont,

with her two fons, fled for

proteftion to lircarton-Hall in Lancafhire, the feat of Sir Thomas Bkearton, her near relation.

She was prefcntly followed by the two fons of Loc:k\vood and Quarmby, accompanied by their relation young Lacy of Crumble-bcttom.

Thefe youths were entertained

hofpitable manfions

alternately, at the

of Townley and Breartonthe

ail

Hall;

where, befides

ordinary education,
the

manly exercifes of and particularly Here they continued fhooting in the long bow. till the youngell of the party had attained to his
they were inllrufted in
the
times,

riding,

fencing,

fifteenth year ; when it was unanimouily agreed, they fhould with a few trufly aflcciates return into Yorkfhire, and retaliate on the Houfe of EUand,

the cruel treatment their families had experienced.

ture, thcv fet

Havinc^ prepared every thing for their deparout and travelled through unfre-

auented paths till they came to Crumble-bottom wood; it. being pre-concerted to lay in ambufn
there, and furprife

Sir John El land, coming from the Sheriffturn at Brigg-houfe. This plan was carried into execution, by openly charging him with his former crimes, and attacking him, A fliarp furrounded by his fervants and retainers conflid enlued, in which Sik John being ieperated from his friends, was furrounded and fl:ua>.

JO

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
From hence
thefe daring adventurers fled to

the vvildernefs of Fournefs- Fells in

in this place fo

Lancaftiire;

remote from fociety and deftitute

of every accomodation they fpent the winter, planning ichemes for their future attempts on the remains of a family, they wifhed to extirpate,

from the face of the earth.

The
fon

males of which,

now

only confided of a

and grandfon of the decteafed knight. On the eve of Palm-Sunday, they arrived near the place, took poiTeiTion of EUand mill, under cover of the Here they meant to wait the coming of night. Sir John Elland, his fon, and family, and
attack them
as

they

paiTed

over the

flopping

fiones of the river in their

way

to the church.

Sir John having the day before heard, that a band of armed llrangers had been feen in the neighbourhood ; was fo much alarmed, that when entreated by his Lady to attend her to church, he concealed his fufpicions, by putting on armour unThe confpirators had a full view der his cloaths.
houfe to the river.
mill opened,

of the family as they defcended the hi'.l from the Already had the Knight begun to crofs the water, when the door of the

and

Beaumont
to the

holding his

bow
refo-

came forward, and with a determined and

lute air

drew the arrow

head, which flying

ftruck the Knight on the breaft, and glanced to a

ditlsnce.

Lockwood

at

that inftant

Hepped

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
forth

31

difchargcd hia arrow,

and crying out " Coufin, you flioot wide," which meeting with the
refiftance
;

fame

faid, the

was equally inefFeflual here it is Knight was ieen to fmile juft before a fecond arrow from the bow of Lockwoou, entering his head laid hi:ii dead on the fpot ; at the fame time an arrow from feme other of the party
mortally
after;

wounded

his

only fon,

who expired

foon

and with him the male-line of of Elland*.

Ell and

Having

thus accomplifhed their

mod

fanguine

began their retreat with all poUible expedition, meanwhile the inhabitants of Elland hearing of the death of their Lord, haftily coUefted fuch arms as they could, and came up The loud with the fugitives in Aneley wood. fliouts of the people gave notice of their approach ; Beaumont, Lockwood, and Quarmby, had
intentions, the troop
juft

when

time to face about and form their little corps, So long as the enemy appeared in fight.

any arrows remained amongft them this refolute band did great execution, and flew many of the Ellandcrs ; but thofe being expended they were foon overpowered by numbers, and totally defeated.
* Sir

Quarmby,
John Elland

left

wounded

in the

wood,

left

one only fiiler,wbo carried the

eftate of Elland Hall

and the

Manor of EUand

into

the

ncble fimily of
late

Savile, by

aiarrying an anceftor of the

Lord Martjuis of Halifax.

32
was
killed

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
by the purfuers.

Bkaumont

efcaped

to the Continent, ferved under the knights of

St.

Hungary, and afterwards of Rhodes, with great reputation*.

in

John

in the Ifland

Lockwood
Ca-

after efcaping

from

his purfuers,

arrived at

mel-Hall nigh Cawthorn in the county of York. This houfe was then the property of Boswell, the under-fheriff, and tenanted by a perfonof the

name of Lacy.

Lockwcod's
longed by an

flay

affair

herefeems to have been proof gallantry, which took place

betwixt him and the daughter of his hoft.

Bosto de-

well

hearing of this prevailed with

Lacy

liver the uiuufpediing

Lockwood

into his

for this purpoie he

befet the houfe,

hands; and called

aloud to the youth to furrender himfelf who, far from fubmitting, appeared with his bow in his hand, with which he defended himfelf fo well that the fheriif would probably have drawn off his men,

had

it

not been for the perfidy of the daughter of

Lacy, who

rufhing faddenly upon him cut his

fled in

bow- firing afunder, and

Ilill

an inftant.

appointed but not conquered,

refufed to furrender;

this intrepid

Difyouth
re-

Bosv/ell had then

after to

* This gentleman wrote fome years

abroad.

one of his
proceedings

friends in Yorkfliire, giving an account of his

The

"
*'

dwelling at

was direifled " To Jenkin Dixok, Hale-Koufe, within the parifli Aldmonbury
letter

in the county of

York."

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
courfs to feigned fpeeches,

33

and hypocritical pro-

mifes, which fucceeded to his vvift, and the brave

and gallant

the hands of villains,

Lockwood, furrendcred hinifelf into who firrt bound him, and

Sucii
this

then put him to death.

quences of
times*.

fatal quarrel,

were the confewhich exhibits a

mournful pitlure of the ferocious manners of the

Edward
lifh

III. in the

15th year of his

reign

iiiued an order to the fnerifFs of

mod

of the

Eng-

counties

for providing

five

hundred white
for the

bows and

five

then intended

hundred bundles of arrows war againft France in 34.1.

i

Similar orders were repeated in the following

years;

with this difference only, that the

is

flieriflf

of Gloucefterfhire
white.

dircfled to furnifh five hun-

dred painted bows, as well as the fame number of

The famous

battle
in

four years afterwards,

faid
to

of CrefTcy was fought which the Englifn are

were oppofed

have had four thoufand Archers, who to 15C00 Genoefe crofs-bow men. Thefe having their bow firings moiflened with rain, their arrows fell fhort for want of the ufual
elafticity
;

the Englifii having guarded agalnfl this

inconvenience, gained a complete vidory in 1346.

* Vide Hlft. of Halifax.

34

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
battle of Poifliers

The
after,

was fought ten yeara

the fuperiority

(A.

D. 1356) and gained by

of the Englifh Archers.

to ilioot with

A. D. 1392, an aft pafl'ed to oblige fervants bows and arrows on Holydays and

Sundays.

without the

Sometimes the archers gained great lead: afliftancc from the men
in 1402.

victories
at

arms

particularly the decifive vidlory over the Scots at

Hamildon
at

In that bloody battle the

a firoke
;

mea

arms did not

ftrike

but were mere

fpeftators of the valour

and viclory of the Archers.

The Earl of Douglas who commanded theScots army in that a<5lion, enraged to fee his men
him by fhowers ofarrows, and of his armour (which had been three years in making;) accompanied by about eighty lords, knights, and gentlemen in complete armour, rufhcd forward and attacked
falling thick around

trufting to the goodnefs

the Englifh Archers fword in hand.

Eut he foon

had rcafon

to repent his ralhnefs.

fo (harp

The

EngliHi

and ftrong, and difcharged with fo much force, that no armour could repel them. Earl Douglas, after having received five wounds was made prifoner and all his brave companions were either killed or taken *.
arrows were
;

Henry's

Hift. vol. y. page 463.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Philip de Comines acknowledges what
y.vn writers aflert, that the
celled thofe of every other nation
:

35
our

Englifh Archers ex-

^ain,

And Sir John Fortescue fays again and " that the might of the realme of Eng-

land {l?_ndyth upon Archers."

was the battle of Shrewfbury, the beft and the moil defperate that England had ever feen The Archers on both fides did terrible
iij.03

In

.-light,

execution.

And

here the

Prince

.of

Wales,

afterwards

Henry

V. was wounded

in the face

by an arrow.

The French depended

at

chiefly

on their
;

men

arms, and the Scots on their pikemen

but the

ranks of both were often thinned and thrown into

diforder,

by

flights

of arrows, before they could

lefs inftances,

Of tins there are numberand none where it is more evident than in the battle of Agincourt Some of the particulars of which, though well known, may not be unacceptable to fome of our readers.
reach their enemies.
:

On the morning of Friday, the memorable 25th of Oiflober, A. D- 1415. the Englifli and French armies were ranged in order of battle, each in
three lines, with bodies of cavalry on each wing.
I

36

ANECDOTES OF AKCHERY.
into the fnare that

The Constable D'Albert, who commanclea

the French army,
for
fell

was

laid

him, by drawing up his army in the plain between two woods. This deprived him in a great meafure of the advantage he fhould have derived from the prodigious fuperiority of his numbers * j
obliged him to

about thirty
particularly

make men in

his lines unneceiTarily deep,

file
;

to

crowd

his

troops,
that

his cavalry,

fo

clofe together,

they could hardly move or ufe their arms ; and, in a word, was the chief caufe of all the difalters that
followed.

The
filled

firfl: line of the French armv, which conof eighty thoufand men-at-arms on foot,

mixed with four

thoufand Archers,

and

five

hundred men at-arms, mounted on each wing, was commanded by the Constable D'Albert, the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, and

many

other nobles; the Dukes of ALEN90N, Brabant, Bar, &c. conduced the fecondline;. and the Earls of Marle, Damartine,' Fauconberg, &c. were at the head of the third line. The King of England employed
various arts to fupply his defeft of numbers.

He
amof

placed two hundred of his be ft Archers in

* The
Englifti

army

confifted of about ten thoufand,

whom
to

not a few v/ere fick.

j

one hundred thoufand

That of the Frendi amounted fome contemporary writers fay

one hundred and forty thoufand.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
bufh, in a low
line

37
firfl:

meadow, on

the flank of the

of the French. His own firil line confilled wholly of Archers, four in file ; each of whom,
befides his

bow and

arrows,

had a hattle-ax, a
in

fword, and a llake pointed with iron at both ends,

which he fixed before him

point
inclining
;

the

ground, the

outwards,

to

proteft

cavalry

which was a new

inventici,

him from and had a

happy

efFeft.

That he might
all his prifoners

not be encumbered, he difmifTed

their

on

word of honour

to fur-

render themfelves at Calais, if he obtained the and lodged all his baggage in the village viftory,

of Agincourt,

in his rear,

The command
requeft,
affiled

of the

firll

under a flender guard. line was, at his earned

committed to Eoward Duke of York, by the Lords Beaumont, WilloughBY, and Fanhope; the fecond was condufted by the King, with his youngeft brother Hum-

phry Duke of Gloucester, the Earls of Oxford, Marshal, and Suffolk and the
;

third

was led by the

Duke

of Exeter, the

King's uncle.

The lines being formed, the king, in fliining armour, with a crown of gold, adorned with precious ftcmes, on his helmet, mounted on a fine white horfe, rode along them, and add'-effed each corps with a cheerful countenance and ani-

^fi

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

mating fpeeches.
againft
their

To

enemies,

inflame their refentment he told them, that the

three fingers French had determined to cut oft and, to roufe of the right-hand of every prifoner ; declared, that every their love of honour, he well, ftiould that army who behaved foldier in gentleman, and enfrom thencefortli be deemed a
titled to

bear coat-armour.

one another' the dandreading that the French would difcover comfituation and decline a battle, ger of their ten manded the charge to be founded about
the

in this the two armies were drawn up at flood a confiderable time gazing manner, thev But the King in folemn filence.

When

At that inftant o'clock in the forenoon. kneeled down and kifTed the line of the EngliHi a flight ground ; and then flatting up, difcharged among the arrows, which did great execution of afcrowded ranks of the French. Immediately
ter,

firfl

upon.a fi.gnal being given, the Archers m arrows on ambuih -arofe, and difcharged their line, and threw it into the flank of the French The battle now became general, fome diforder The Englifn and raged with uncommon fury. expended all the=r arrows, threw Archers havbg forward, made away their bows, and rufliing fwords and battle-axes. dreadful havoc with their of the enemy was, by thefe means,

The

firft

line

defeated

its

leaders being either killed or taken

prifoners.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

39'

The fecond line commanded by the Duke d'Alek90n-, (who had made avow to kill or take the King of" England, or to perilli in the attempt) now advanced to ths charge, and was encountered by the fccond line of the EngUfli, condui!ted by the King. This conflicl was more
clofe

and furious than the former The

till

Duke

of

Gloucester, wounded and

unhorfed, was

protefted by his royal brother

off the field
his

he was carried
forced

The
the

Duke d'Alen^cn
aflaiilted

way

to
;

King, and

great fury

but that

him with prince brought him to the

ground, where he was inflanily defpatched. Difcourged by this difafter, the fecond line made no

more

refinance, and the third fled without Ilriking

a blow; yielding a complete and glorious vidory

to the Englifh, after a viohnt flruggle of three

hours duration.

The King, after returning to England, fenfible of the very great ufe and importance of his
flieriffs of counties to colledt wing- feathers from every goofe, for the purpofe of improving arrows; which were to be paid for by the King. It appears that thefe fix: fea-

Archers, direls the

fix

thers

ftiould confift

of the fecond, third,

and

fourth of each wing.

4Q

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

James I. of Scotland, who had feen and admired the dexterity of the Enghfh Archers, and who was himfelf an excellent Archer, endeavoured to revive the exerclfe of Archery amongft
his

own

had been too much neWith this view he ridiculed their glected. aukward manner of handling their bows, in his humourous Poem of Cbrijiis Kirk cf the Grene *, and procured the following law to be made in his
fubjeds, by
it firfl

whom

parliament.

(A.

D. 1424.)

*' That all men might bufk them to be " Arc h ares fra tha be z yeres of age, and that " at ilk teime punds worth of land there be made ' bow markes, and fpeciallie near paroche kirks, " quhair upon halie dayis men may cum and at " the leift fchute thryfe about, and have ufage
i

" "
" " "

of

Archarie;

and whafa
fall

ufis

not

Archarie,

the Laird of the land.

rais

of him a wed-

der; and giff the

Laird raifis not the faid pane, the King's Shiref or his Miniiters fhall
rais
it

to the King.'*
* With that a freyni of his cry'd, " Fy l"

And up an arrow drew Us fortit it fae furiouily The bow in flenderis flt:w "It was as weel, for if, trow
; :

I,"

For had the

tre

been trew,

Men

faid, that

kend

his

Archery,

That he had

flain

enow.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

4I

But the untimely death of that exxellent Prince, which happened in the year 1437, prevented the execution of this law.

weapon

have been the decifive of lowton, between the Yorkiits and Lancaflrians, where thirty fix thoufa-.d feven hundred and twenty-fix Englilliarrow feems
at the great

The

to

battle

men

fell

a facrifice to the ambition of contend-

ing Princes.

The battle begun about nine o'clock in the morning of the 29ch of March 1461, at which time a thick fnow falling was driven by a brifk wind full in the faces of the LancaHrians, who were thereby prevented from cbferving the exaft
dillance of the euciny.

The Lord Fauconberg,

perienced
accident
;

an

old and ex-

officer,

for

made an admirable ufe of this he ordered his men to advance as

near as they conveniently could, and to difcharge a flight of arrows, and then retire with all fpeed
out of the reach of thofe of the enemy.

This ftratagem had a wonderful

Lancaitrians
their enemies

efFeft

The

feeling

the

arrows,

and thinking

tied

their quivers

were not many yards diftant, empby repeated difcharges, Ed-

D3

42

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERT^,

ferve.

ward's men all the while keeping theirs in reThe Lord Fauconberg perceiving
Lancaflrians' {hot

the

was near

fpent,

and that

they were advancing, as was cuftomary, fword

in hand, to begin a clofe fight,

plied

them with

another furious difcharge, which obliged them to

fall

that this condu<5l

back on the main body. Moft authors agree, of Faucon&erg's was a great

help to the vidtory *.

Stow
five

obferves that the

in

flain

great pits
;

the

field

were buried in by North- Saxton

caufed
in

church

and adds, that a Mr.

Hun gate

them
the

to be

removed from thence, and buried

of Saxton; but they were certainly buried in many parts of the field, as their remains are often difcovered there by the ploughchurchyard
ihare.

Mr. Drake informs

us,

that

in

the year

1734, himfelf and two other gentlemen were prefent at this place, to fee one of thefe graves open-

ed in the

field

where, amongll: vaft quantities of

groat-pieces

bones, they found fome arrow piles, pieces of bro-

ken

fwor-ds,

Henry
*

and five very IV. V. and Vl's.

frefh

oP

coin.

Thefe laying,

Thomas Lord Clifford,

noted for his cruelty at

killed atf

the battle of Wakefield, was, three mouths after,

this battle,

by a headkfs arrow, which piercing his throat,;

he died inamediately, aged 26.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
nearly altogether, clofe to a thigh bone,

'y

made
ftrip

it

probable that they had not had time to

the

dead before

their interment.

In the 5th year of

Edward

ed, that every Englifhman,

ing with Englifhmen, fliould of his

IV. an aft pafTand Irilhman dwellhave an Englifh bow

own height ; which is direfted to be made of yew, vvych, hazel, afh, or awborne, or any other reafonable tree, according to their power.
This
aft alfo direfts, that butts
fliall

be

made

in

every townlhip, which the inhabitants are obliged to flioot up and down every feaft day, under the
penalty of a halfpenny,
exercife.

when they

Ihall

omit this

In the 4th year of the fame King it appears, by Rymer's Foedera, that one thoufand Archers were to be fent to the Duict of Bu rg a ndy, whofe pay is fettled at fixpence a- day ; which is
1

prefent times,

more than a common fuldier receives clear in the when provifions are much dearer,
fo

and the value of money

much

decreafed.

This circumftance feems

held
a

to prove very clearly,

the great eftimation in which

In the fame year

Edward,

Archers were ftill preparing for

war with France, direfts the (herifFs to procure bows and arrows, as moll fpecially requifite and
neccfiary.

44-

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
III.
to fend

was able

by his attention to Archery, one thoufand bow-men to the Duke ofBRETACNE; and he availed himfelfof At the fame troops at the battle of Bofworth

Richard

this

battle

the

Archers, on the fide of

King

Richard, Norfolk

were commanded by the Duke of and the Earl of Oxford was

Captain of thofe of the

Earl

of

Richmon d.

body of Archers and that they Ihall be reIn the jgth year of viewed before they embark. his reign, the fame king forbids the ufe of the crofs-bow; *' becaufe the long-bow had been *' much ufed in this realm, whereby honour and
VII.
direfts a large

Henry

to be fent to Brittany,

"
*'

viftory had been

gotten againfl: outward ene-

mies, and the realm greatly defended."

This King inflituted a band of Archers to guard his perfon, under the title of Teamen of This band is at prefent eftablifhed the Guard. but they are now armed with fwords and halberts, inftead of bows. Still, however, to keep up the

mtmory

of tlieir.predecefTors

fkill,

they annually

pradtice fhooting with

bows and arrows

Henry
direfts,
I

VIII.

in

the 3d

year of his

reign,

that every father

fnould provide a

bow

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
and two arrows
years eld.
for his fon,

45
be Cevsn
king's

when he

fhall

Alfo in

the 6th of the fame

reign, every one, except clergy

and judges, are

obliged to (hoot at butts.

Anno
foHciiing
the

1510,
in

FERniNAND. King
from

of Arragon,
VIIl.
againft

fuccours

Henky

MooKs
and

Africa, his defires were complied

with,

fifteen

hundred Archers fent him un-

der the

command of Thomas Lord Darcy.

Anno 1 5 13, James IV. King of Scotland, invaded the Englifh borders wliile King Henry was in France. The Earl of Surrey, being
Lord Lieutenant,
counties,
raifed the Militia of the nortiieru

amounting to twenty-fix thoufand men, and advanced to meet him. The battle (which happened at Flowden Field) was bloody and terminated in the total defeat of the Scots ; whofe King, with the Archbifhop of St. Andrews, two' Abbots, twelve Earls, and feventeen Lords, were
flain in battle.

The
his

viftory, in a great meafure,

feems

to

have been

owing
Archers.

to

Sir

Edward
who

Stanley

and

The names
were prefent,
battle, are

of the nobility and gentry

their tenants, at this

v.^ith

recorded in

memorable a curious old Poem,faid to

have been written by a fchoolmafler at Ingleton, in the Weil Riding ot the county of York,

which

is

particularly interelling, as

it

prefents

4.6'

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
manner of
raifing our an-

ftriUing pi^ure of the

cient Militia,

the true conllitutional force of this

country:

Men, who were one day at the plough, and the next ranged under the banners of their rewhich fpeftivc leaders with arms in tlieir hands,
;

they ufed only againft the holule invader whom having repelled, the furvivors returned to their refpefdve employments, amidfi: the congratulations

and

their

of their deareH connedions, thsir friends, countrymen.

Then might you fee on every fide* The ways all fill'd with men of war.;
Here fi'.ken ftreamers waving wide, Thers poIifnM helms gliirdng afar.

From Lancaflilre and Cheftire fait They to the Killy Stanley drew; From Hornby where as he in hail
Set forward with a comely crew.

What banners brave before him blaz'd. The people mus'd where he did pifs ; Poor hulbandmen were much amaz'd, And women wond'ring, cried, alas

Young

"Wives did

weep

in

woeful cheer.
:

To

fee their friends in harnefs dreft

Some Some

rent their clothes,

fome

tore their haJr,^

held thuir babes unto their breait.

* Hcmy Jenkins believed he might be about twelve years of age at the time of the battle ot Flowden Field, when he was lent to Northallerton with an h(!rle-load of arrows, which a bigger boy had the charge of ftoii. thence to the army under the Earl of Sarrey,

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
There wfce'ful mothers mourning flood, Viewing their fons liarnefs'd on hoife; And niouting (hiich'd when they forth

4/

rode,

And

of their

lives

took

little force.

From Penigent to Pendle-hill, From Linton to Long Addingham,

And

all

that Craven coafts did

till.

They with

the lufty

Clifford came*.

All Stti'ncliffe hundred went with him.

With

ihiplings rtrong from Whoriedale,

all

And

:hat Ilantoi hills did climb,

ek.e

With Longdroch

and Litlon Dale.

Next whom Lord LuMLEv-f- and Latimer J, Were equal match'd with all their pow'r; With whom was next their neighbour near. Lord Con vers (tout andftift'in ftoure .
Sir-

Walter Aufith,
with Sir
under

fage and grave,

Was
And The

Henry Shereurn

bent;

Bulmer's banner brave Ci/liopric of Durham went||.

Henry-, the thirteenth Lor.l Clifford, on account of the hatred the Houfe of York bore to his tamily, was concealed in the difguife of a Oicpwhen, herd, from fevcn years old till he arrived at his thiity-fecond year in the firft parliament of Henry VII, he wa; reftored in blood and honour,
;

>

to

all his

baronies, lands, and caftles.

He
lifter

died in 1523.
to

t John Lord Lumlcy married Joan,

Lord Scroop of Bolton.

i John Nerille Lord Latimer, married Catherine Par, and leaving her a

widow, fhe became the

laft

wife of Henry

\11L

^ William Lord Conyers of Hornby Caftle, near Richmond in York(hire, married Maud, daughter of Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland,
North of England at this But it mull be remembered, that the King, with a great part of his nobility, and a numerous army, was then in France.
II

There were many ancient families

in the

time, whofe names are not mentioned in this Poem.

jj.8

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Whom
enfued Sir

Christopher WarDj

With him Sir Edward ErxiNCH am; Next went 6ir Nicholas Ajpi-eyard, Sir Metham, Sidney, Everingham.
Next went biR Bold and

Butler

brave,

Two

Knights of Lancalhlre ; Then BuRKERToN bold and Bvgot grave, With Warcu? wild, a worthy fquire.
lufty

Next

Richard Cholmley
of

and

Christon

ftout.

With men

of Hatfield and of Hull

Lawrence
The

Dun

with alibis rout.

people frefh with

them

did pull.

John CiARTici

then was 'nexed near

fare.

With Stapylton of ftomach ftern; Next whom Fitz-V/illiam forth did

Who
The
Sir

martial faites was not to learn.

next the left-hand wing did wield.

Marmaduke Constable

old

*;

With him

a troop well tried in field.

And

eke his fons and kinsfolk bold.

in place

Next him

was 'nexed near

ftout.

Lord

On No

Scroop-J- of Balton ftern and horfeback who had not his peer,

Englifhman Scots more did doubt.

With him did wend all Wenfadale, From Morton unto Moifdale Moor}
All they that dwelt on th' Banks of Swale,

With nim were

bent in harnefs ftour.

Sir Marmaduke Conflable was High Sheriff of the county of York, A. D. 1509 t John I ord Scroop married Catherine, daughter of Henry Clifford Earl f Cumberland.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
From From Bifhop's Dale went bow-men From Coverdale to Cotter-end,
Werefdalc warlike wights did

49

wend.
bold,-*

And

all

to

Kid (Ion cauley

cold

From And all from Mafic and Middleconby, And all that climb the mountain Cam, Whofe crown from fnow is ftldom free 5
With liifty lads and large of length Which dwelt at Seimer water-fide,
All RichmonJlhire
its

Molierftang and Middleham,

total ftrength

The

lufty

Scroop

did lead and guide.

Next went Sir Philip Tilnet tall. With him Sir Thomas Barkley brave>

And

Sir John Radcliffe in arms royal. eke Sir William Gascoin grave.

Next whom
Sir

did pafs with all his rout,

Christopher PICKERI^G

proud.

With Sir Bryan Stapylton

flout,j

Two

valiant knights of noble blood.

Next with Sir Jchn Stanley there yede The Bishop of Ely's fervants bold,
Sir
Soaie hundred

Lionel Percy eke did men well tried

lead

and

told.

Next went Sir

Minham Markinfil

In armour-coat of cunning workj The next went Sir John Maundevill>

With him

the citizens of

Y.ik.
Ripon,
a knightly family,
M'hofc

Markenlield of Markenfield
only
aige,

nigh

remaining
t

cottage in

brarch is James Markcr.field; now inliabiting a fmall tammerj;atc, Ripon, retiucej in circumaances, opprefied with

bul mil refpeaed.

50
Sir

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
George Darcy
in

banner bright

Did bear a bloody broken fpear, Next went Sir Magnus with

his

might.

And Chostance
Sir

bold of lufty cheer.

Guy Dawnie
then

with his glorious rout.

fervants bold.
his rout,

And

M'Dawbie's

Then Richard Tempest with

In rere-vvird thus their 'ray did hold.

The The

right-hand wing with

lufty

all

his rout
.

Lord Dacres

did lead *,

Vv'ith

him

the bov/s of Kendal ftout

coats and croffcs red.

With milk-white

All Ksfvvick eke and Cockermouth,

And

all

from Copeland's craggy

hills.

All Weilmoreland both north and fouth,

Whofe weapons were huge malfy

bills.

All Carlifle eke and Cumberland,

They with Lord Dacres proud did pafs. From Branton and from Broughly fands From Grayftone and from Raven-Glafs.

With

ftriplings ftrong

And Auftin-moor men marched

With horfemen
light

from Stanemore kenej

fide.

All thofe that Gilfland grave did hide.

from Hefti am -Leaven.

in

All thefe did march

Dacres'

band.
j
/

All thefe enfued his banner broad

No

Juftier

Lord was

in the land.

Nor more might

bcaft of birth and blood.

* Thomas Dacrc Lord Dacrc of

Gilfland.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Moft
lively laJs in

5-t

Lonfdaie bred,

With weapons of unwellJy weight, All fuch as Tatham Fells had fed, Went under Stanley's ftreamer bright.
Fiom Bowland
"With fuch
as

bill-men bold were boun,

From

Botton banks did hide ; Wharemore up to Whittington,

to

And

all

Wenning

water-fiJe.

From Sllverdale to K-^nt Sand-fide, Whofe fo'l is fown with cockle fliells. From Cartmel eke and Conney fide, With fellows fierce from Furnace Fells. From Warton unto Warrington,
Froni Wii'an unto Wirefdale,

Fiom Wcdicar to Waddington, From old Ribchefter to Ratchdale.

From Pou'ton and PreiTon, with pikes, They with the Stanley ftout forth went, From Pemberton and Pilling-Dikes For battle bill. men bold were bent.
Thus Stanley
ftout the
laft

of

all
;

Of

tHe rcre-ward the rule did wield

Which done, to Bolton in Glendale, The total army took the field.
Thus marched
forth thefe

men of

war.

And And And

every band th-ir banner iliew'd.

trumpets hoarfe were heard afar

glittering harnefs fiiining view'd.

5?
The

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY*
founding bows were foon up bent,
fliarp

Ij>me did their arrows

.SonriC

up takej

did ia

hand

their halberts hcnt.

Some

ruiiy bills did riifflng Ihake.

With

the rere-ward the river pafV,

a;id battle array,

All ready in ranks

They had no
Tor
vliSiuala

need more time to wafte.

:

they had none that day

Yet they fuch ftsJfaft faith did bear, Unto their King and native land, Each one the other did up cheer
Cainft foes
to figljt whiiil they could (land.

And
Sut

never

flee vvhilfc life

did laft,

rather die by dint of fword.

Thus

over plains anJ

hills

they pafs'd

Until they came to Sandiford,

A
*'

brook of breadth
th'

a tailor's

yard.

Where

Earl
it

of

Surrey

thus did fdy

Good
Bat

fellow foldiers, be notfcar'd,

"

fi^ht

out like

men this

day."

Strike but three ftrokes with ftomach ftout^

And And The

fhoot each

man

fharp arrows three.

all

you

(hall fee

without

doubt

beaten Scots begin to

flee.

The Admiral did plain afpe(5l, The Scots airay'd in battles fouiThe man was fage and circumfpeft,. And foon perceived that bis power

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
So great a ftrength cou'd not withftand Wherefore he to his father fent, Defiring him ftraight out of hand
}

$3

With

rere-ward ready to be bent.

And join

with him on equal ground Whereto the Earl agreed anon ; Then drum ftruck up with dreadful found,
;

And

trumpets blew with doleful tone.

their feather'd flights,

The Englishmen

Sent out anon from founding bow,

Which wounded many warlike wights. And many a groom to ground did throw.

On

either fiJe

were

foldiers flain *,

And
The

ftricken

down by

ftrength of

hand;
plain.

That who cou'd win, none weet might

viftory in doubt did {land.

Till at the

laft

great

Stanley

ftout.

Came marching
His But
*'

up the mountain fteep.

folks cou'd hardly faft their feet.

forc'd

on hands and

feet to creep.

My

Lancafhire

mod

lively wights,

" And
**

chofen mates of Chcfliire ftrong;

feather'd flights^

From founding bow your

Let
fiercely fly

**

your foes among."

The noife then made the mountains ring. And Stanley fl:out, they all did cry. Out went anon the grey goofe wing. And 'mongft the Scots did flicKering fly.

I "Sir
_

in this

tattle.

lus eff gy at

Bryan Tunftal of Thurland Cattle, a vaUaiic Captain, was flaJn He was interred in the chancel c/ Tunftal church, whero full kngtb, cut in itone, is piacd recumbent upon his tomb,

E3

54
An
The
Yet
arrow

ANECDOTES OF ARGHERY.
himfelf was wounded fore.
fierce in's forehead light.

The King
That

hardly he cou'd fee his foes

blood fo blemilhed his
fij^ht.

like a warrior ftcut he fald.

fiercely did exhoit that tide}

And

His men to be nothing difmay'd, But battle boldly there to bide.

But what avaiPd

his valour great.

Or

bold device

all

was but vain

His captains keen

faii'd at his feet,

And

ftandard-bearer

down was

flain*

The
and Sir

van-guard was led by

Lord Thomas
The
centre

Edward Howard.
;

by

their father

Lord Surrey and the rear by Sir Edward Stanley*. The Lord Dacres,

all

with a body of horfe, was to aft as a referve on The king of Scots exhorting his occafions.

3nen to behave like foldiers, immediately joined

battle.

Sir

Edward Howard
valour

fuftained a heavy charge,

for fometime and had nearly been

routed by the (ingular

of

the

cf

Lekcx
Sir

and

Argyle,

had not the

Earls Lord

Edward

Stanley, after his return from this battle,

began to build
of which is

the magnificent Chapel of

Hornby

in Lancaihire;

on one

par;

an eagle cut in ftone, and the following infcription, " Edwardus Stanley,

"

Miles Dominis Montcaglc,

me

fieri fecit."

Kc dying

before

it

was per-

fected, the parifii fiiiiihed the

bsdyof the

chapel,

which is of inleriur work-

nanflup.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Dacres,
with the Bailard

55

Heron,

brought op

the referve, and rellored the fight.

Lord Thomas Howard met with a brave from the Earls of Crauford and The King and the Earl of Montrose. SuRRtY maintained a long and a fharp difpute, Edward Stanley bringing up his till Sir
refiftance

Archers,

who

let fly their

tlie

arrows with fuch force

and

efFeft,

that

Scots troops begun to give

way by opening

their ranks.

The King
efrorts,

per-

ceiving the diforder redoubled his

prefling forward with
irrefiftible

fury,

and had well

nigh

overthrown

the

Englifli

ftandard,

when

LoxD Thomas Howard coming

to the aflift-

ance of his father, and being joined by Lord AC re's horfe, immediately gave a turn to the The Scottifti monarch, with fortune of the day.

fclves

the flower of his nobility and gentry, threw theminto a ring, in which form they did all

men could do to defend themfelves ; nor did any one exceed the King in perfonal valour; but being mortally wounded in the forehead
that valiant
fell, and with his life ended this The royal corpfe being and cruel con Aid. found the next morning, and acknowledged by feveral of both nations, was conveyed to the Charter-houfe, from thence to Shene, a Monaftry in Surrey; "Where," fays Stowe, " it remain-

with an arrow he
fierce

*'

ed

for a time,

in

what order

am

not certain j
in
the?

f*

but fmce the diffolution of the

Abbeys

56

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

"
*

reign of

Edward

VI.

Henry Grey,
I

then

Duke

of Suffolk, keeping houfe there,

have

been fhevved the fame body, as was affirmed, wrapped in lead, thrown into an old wafte * room, amongft old timber, ftone, lead, and
*'
'

*'

other rubbilh."
inflability
1

ftrange

monument of hu-

man

Henry VIII. feveral were made for the promotion of Archery. The 8th of Elizabeth, chap. 10, regulates the price of bows* ; and the 13th of the fame
During the reign of
ftatutes

reign, chap. 12, enacts, that

*' *'

bow-ftaves fhall

be brought into the realme from the Hanfetowns and the eallward :" So that Archery ftill

continued to be an objedl of attention in the legiflature.

In a

fplendid (hooting match at Windfor, be-

fore the King,

when

the exercife

was nearly over,

his Majefty obferving

one of his guard,

named

Barlow, preparing to (hoot, faid to him, " Beat " them all, and thou (halt be Duke of Archers." Barlow drew his bow, executed the King's command, and received
created
the promifed reward
;

being

Duke

of

Shoreditch,
,

that being the

* Eugh Bows,

2s.

8d. each.

Bow

firings,
. . . .

o
.~ .
.

per dozens'

Livery arrows,

10

per iheaf.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
place of his refidence.
mofl:
titles,

57
of the
with

Several

others

expert
as

markfmen

were

honoured

Earl of Pancridge, Marquis of Clerkenwell, &c.

The
Lodge's

following letter inferted in

Illu'

Jlrations

of Briiip Ilijlory, forves to fliow what attention was paid to this article in our armies fo

late as the

year 1544..
to the

The Lords of the Council

*'

Earl cf Shremujlury.

After our right hearty

commendations to

*
*'

your

L rdship,
and
for

where

thies bearers

Thomas

ScARDEN,
thofe
parts

John Stoddar,
do
preflently
in

the King's
repair into

" bowyer and

**
*'

fletcher,

the

putting

order oF the

*'
'* ** **

*'
**

*'

*'
*<
* * *

bowes and arrows, as wek at Berwick, as other places theire ; and for theire help have alio with them three other bowyers and dve fietchers. Your Lordfiiip fhall undeiiiard, that we have delivered unto them condudl-money, and alfo wages for one monih, to begin at their arrival, That is to fay, the after the rate following f;nd ScAKDEN and Stoddar atXlld. by the daye, and every of the faid fletchers and bowyers Vllld. by the daye; prtiyjng your Lordfhip to take order for continuance of theire wages after the rate aforefaid, when the faid month fhall be expired, for the time of
:

5^
*' their

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
being there accordingly.

And

thus fare

"

your good Lordfhip right hartely well.

" From
** **

Baynard's Caftle, the

XXI Id.

day of

January 1544.
loving friends.

Your

Lordlliip's aflured

**

" Thom asWriothesley, Thomas Westmjnster> *' Charles Suffolk, " William Paget."
ZiO^:

King Henry

VIII. and

Queen Cathe-

rine, came from Greenwich to Shooter's Hill one May- Day, where they were received by two
huudred Archers, clad
perfoi.adng
Kirig the
ikill

in

green, with a Captain

;

Robin Hood
of
his

who

firft

fliewed the

Archers in fhooting : after which the Ladies were condudled into the wood,

and feaflird with venlfon and wine, bowers curioufly decorated.

in arbours

and

On the 17th cf September 15 S3, the London Archers to the number of three thoufand, with each a long-bow and four arrows marched to a
place

near Shoreditch,
tent

called

Hodgfori's Fields,

where a

was pitched for the chief citizens. Proclamation was made by found of trumpet that every man fhould (land at lead forty feet from, each fide of tlie butts *.
* Thefe
butts were diftant

from each other 148 yards.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY

59

This exercife lafted two days ; on the evening of the fccond day the vidors were led off the field mounted on horfes, and attended by twu hundred
perfons with each a lighted torch in his hand.

The
were

drefles

of

this

aflembly
fingular.

would, at

this

day, be thought a
diflinguiflicd

little

I'he Archers

mofl: part

by green ribbons and fafhes of the company had hats and jerkins of
faiin

black velvet, doublets of

and

tafFety

and

upwards of nine hundred perfons, each of

whom

wore a chain of gold.

Prince Henry,
and gun
officer in
;

fon of

James
this

I.

at

eight

years of age, learned to (hoot both with

at the

the

bow

fame time

prince had an
ftyled

his eftablifliment

who was

Bow

Bearer.

Charles

I.

appears from the dedication of a

treatife, entitled

The

Bo^w?nati^s Glory, to

have been

himfelf an Archer.

And,

in the eighth year of his

reign, he iffued a commiflion to the Chancellor,

Lord Mayor, and

prevent the
as
fields

feveral of the Privy Council, to

near

London being

fo inclofed

to interrupt

the
;

neceflary and profitable exas alfo to lower

ercife of (hooting

the

mounds

where they prevented the view from one mark to

another.

6o
in 1631

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

This Prince likevvife iffued two proclamation: and 1633, for the promotion of Archery ; the laft of wliich recommends the ufe of the bow

and pike together.

On

the

2 1(1

of March 1661, four hundred

Archers marched with flying colours to HydePark, where feveral of the Archers with crofsbows fhot near twenty fcore yards ; and fome of

them, to the amazement of the fpeflators,

hit the

mark

at

that very great diiiance

likewife

three fhowers of whiftling

There were arrows. So

fplendid vvas the appearance, and pleafing the exerciie, that three

regiments of foot laid down their

arms

to join the fpedators.

John King,
his

of Hipperholm near Halifax,

the beft

in Yorkfhire, vvas efteemed

Archer of
to the

time in England.

He

was

fent for

court of

Charles
at

Being viftor
chefter,

and won great wagers. a great fhccting match at ManI.

during Crom.well's adminiftration, fome^ of the gentry caufed him to be carried upon n^.en's Ihoulders, crying " A Ki ng, a Kin g !" Great

numbers of republicans being

prefent,

were alarm!

ed, and cried out as eagerly, " Treafon, treafon " A plot, a plot !" He died in January 1675.

A>;CDOTS OF ARCHERY.
1 N the year
niofl:
1
,

675 three hundred and fifty Archers,

appeared
V'i

pliment Si r

in MoorfielJs to comner, then Lord Mayor From thence they marched through Moorgate, Cripplegate, and through Woodlbeet into Cheapfide then they paffed by the north-fide of St. Paul's, and marched round into Cheapfide again,

richly habited,

Robert

where they waited to reLord Mayor. When the king liad viewed and pafTcd by the Archers, they marched to Chrifl-church, where a very noble dinner was given, at tiie expence of the Lord Mayor. Their flandard was guarded by fix
fo

and

to

Guildhall

ceive the King, and the then

crofs-bow men ; all the officers wore green and every bowman a green ribbon.

fcarfs,

The

principal officers were

Sir Robert Pev-

TONjKright, and Mr.

Michael Arnold.

On the 26th of May following, the Archers rendezvoufcd in the military ground near Bloomfbury, and marched from thence through part of
Holborn, Chancery- Lane, Temple-Bar, and the
Strand,
to

White-hall, being

fix

abreaft

yet,'

reached Whitehall, the rear was not pafled through Temple- Bar. From Whitehall they pafTed to Tothill- Fields; here they

when

the van

drew

up and were reviewed by

the PLing,

who marched

along their front feveral times. He was attended by the Dukes of York and Monmouth, and moll of the nobility. The Archers were
in

num-

62

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
;

ber about a thoufand

times that number.

the fpeflators near twenty-

During the courfe of the day feveral Ihowers of wliiflling arrows were difcharged*, with which the company were exceedingly entertained.

Catherine of Portugal, (Queen to Charles II.) feems to have been much pleafed
with the fight of
this exercife
:

For

in

1676,

by

the

contributions of

Sir

Edward Hun-

ger ford and others, a filver badge for the Marfhal of the fraternity was made, weighing twenty- five ounces, and reprefenting an Archer drawing the long-bow, with the following infcription

Regin/e Catherin^'e Sagittarii.

fupporters were two bow-men, with the arms cf England and Portugal.

The

London Archers, number of one thoufand, under the command of Mr. Edwards and Mr. Henry Warren, marched to Hampton-Court, to fhoot for

On

the 14th of July, 1681, the

to the

feveral pieces of plate,

viz.

Two

filver

cups and

three dozen of filver fpoons.

The

target

was

placed upon a butt ereded on purpofe upon the

* Thefe arrows are fuppofed
proach during the night.
to

have been ufed by the

picqiiet guards, to give notice to the

camp of

the enemy's ap-


ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
63

lawn before the palace. The King was pleafed to honour them with hii prefence on the occafion ; ftaid near two hours, ai'.d pcrmiued as many of
"the

A niaric Archers as pleafed to kifs his liand viewing their cxercifc. of the plcafure he took in

On
the

Friday, April 21,

i6S,-!,

the Archers under

Edward HuNCiiRFOKu, Colonel M. Arnold, Lieutenant Colonel J. Mould, Major H. Warren, Likucommand
of Sir

TEN'ANT E. D.)N.\E, G. V/alk.kr, and

j.

Manlev,
the

Captains, met in the artillery ground

Fieetftreet,

and marched through Cornhil!,

Strand, to Tothill- Fields.

and

The King and

moft of the nobility honoured them with their There were at leafl one thoufand company.

Archers in the field. The recreation lafted for Tomctimp, dnrino; which three jhowers cf wliiilling arrows were difcha.'-ged. The company, the Archers, and the exercife taken altogether, ir was
fuppofed, exceeded any thing of the kind tha: had hitherto been feen in EnHand.
:

i^>^;

In Scotland little lefs attention, thougli apparently not with equal fucccfs, was paid to the encouragement of this art. In both kingdoms it was provided that the importers of merchandifs
fhoiild be obliged,

merce,

to

along with their articles of comimport a certain proportion of bows,

04

ANECDOTES OF AIICHERY.
and fliafts was enjoined bows and arrows
for arrows.

bovv-f^aves,

In both ever/

perfon
in

to
:

hold Ijimfdf provided

and

was prefcribed the

frequent ufe of Archery.

in:ipofed
Iports,

In botli a reilraint was

upon the exercife of other games and they fnould interfere with the ufe of the bow ; for it was intended that people fhould be made expert in the ufe of it as a military weapon, by habituating them to the familiar exercifa of it as an inilrumer.t of amufement.
lell

As
it

there

was no

t:iaterial

diFerence between

the activity and bodily ftrength of the two people,

might be fuppofed

that the Englifli

and Scots

wielded the
terity
it
:

bow

with an equal vigour and dexhirtorical

But from undoubted

that the former

monuments
fuperiority.

f.ppears,

had the

The Engllfh (hot with a very long bow. Thofe who were arrived at their full growth and maturity, being prohibited from Ihooting at any mark
that was not diftant

upwards of two hundred and

In the ufe of the bow great dexbeen reterity, as well as Hrength, feems to have Though we htar of arrows at Cheviot quifite.

twenty yards.

Chafe which were a yard long yet it is by no means to be fupppfed, that the whole band made
;

ufe of fuch, or could

draw them

to the head.

The regulation of the Statute of Edward IV. exceed the height viz. " That the bow lliall not
t'

of a man,"

is

allowed by Archers to have been

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Well confidered
;

65
be half
fix

and

as the

arrow

fiiould

the lengih of the bow, this would give an arrow

of a yard
feet high.

iu

length to thoTe only

llrong

who were

man of
eafily

this

fize in the

pre-

fent

times,

cannot

draw above twentyof a proper llrength

fevon inches, if the

to

bow

is

do execution
it

at

a confiaerable diilance.

At

the fiime time

mull be admitted, that as our

ancellors were obliged

to

by fome of the

old llatutes,

begin iliooting with the long-bow at the age of

than their dcfcendants.

fcven, they might have acquired a greater flight

in this cxercife

Not many

years ago, there was a

man named.

Top HAM, who

exhited furprifing feats of ilrcngth,

and who happened to be at a public houfe near Jflington, to which the Finfljury Archers reforted
after their

exercife.

Top ham

confidered

the

long-bow as a play-tliing, only fit for a child ; upon which one of the Archers laid him a bowl of punch that he could not draw the arrow two
thirds of
its

length.

Top ham

pofal with the greatefl confidence

accepted the probut bringing ;

his ear,

the arrow to his

greatly mortified
fruitlefs efforts.

bread inftead of

he was

by paying

the wager, after

many

As

to the diftance to

fhot from a long

which an arrow can be bow, with the beft elevation of

forty-five degrees, that

mud

neceflarily

depend

66

AKECDOTES OF ARCHERT.
both upon the llrengtli and
fliglit

much

of the

i^rcher; but

genemi the diftance was reckoned

yards*.

from eleven

to twelve fcore

toNEAD, an Archer might ftioot arrows in the time of charging and difcharging one mufquet.
Accorduig
fix

Arrows are reckoned by fheaves

fifling

a flieaf concar-

of twenty-four arrows

*.

They were
for

ried in a quiver, called alfo an arroi.>j-cafe,

ferved for the magazine.

Arrows

which immediate

ufe were carried in the girdle.

In ancient times

phials of quicklime, or other conibuflible matter for burning houfes or

fliips

f arrows, and with wild-fire,

fliot

was fixed on the heads from long-bows. Arrows

areftore;-

and arrows for fire-works,

at

mentioned among the

Berwick,
ifl

Newhaven and

of

Edward

Vf.

To

protefl our

Archers from the attacks of

the enemy's horfe, they carried long (lakes point-

Thefe they planted in the earth-, ed at both ends Hoping before them. In the firfl; of Edward VI. three hundred and thirty of thefe ftakes were in the flores of the town of Berwick ; there were alfo
:

at the

fame time eight bundles of Archers' ftakes

in Pontefratfl Caftle.
*

By

the 33d of

Henry

VIII. no one aged twenty-four;

was
\

to flioot at

any mark under eleven fcore yards-

Grose

on ancient arniour-

AXECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

6/

The

following defcripuon of an Archer and

is
r;

his accoutrements

given

in

MS.

written ia

the time of

Qu E E

EL

zAB ETH

" Captains an J o.licers flioukl be fkilful of that " mod noble weapon and to fee that their fol;

*'

diers, according to their

draught and ftrength,

" have good bows,

*'
*

'

"
'

rocked, well flringcd, everie ftring v/hippc ia their nocke, and in brr.fer and the myddes rubbed with wax, fome fpare flrynges trymcd fhutting glove, as aforefaid ; every man one flieaf of arrows,
well

with

a cafe of leather, defenfibie againfl

the

" rayne, and in the fame fowcr and tvvencie ar" rows; whereof eight of them fiiou'd be lighter * than the refidue, to gall or artoyne the enemy " with the hail-fliot of light arrows, before they " fliall come within the danger of their harquebufa " lliot. Let every man liave a brigandine or .1
** little

cote of plate, a fkuU or hufkin, a maule

five feet

*'
*

of lead, of

in length,

and a pike,

" "
** **
*'

and the fame hanging by his girdle, with a. hook and a dagger ; being thus furniflied, teach them by mufters to march, fhoote, and retire, keeping their faces upon the enemy's. Sumtimc put them into great numbers, as to battell apparteyneth,
praftifed
battell
till

and there ufe them often times

they be perfeft
;

for thofe

men

in

"
"

None ne fkirmifh cannot be fpared. other weapon maye compare with the fanv?

noble weapon."

68

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
ancient records of the Royal
in

The
by
fire,

Company

of Archers
tury,

having been deftroyed about the beginning of the prefent cenScotland,

inftitution

no authentic traces of their

It
is

now

remains.
the

faid,

that they

owe

their origin to

appointed in the reign of of Scotland, for enforcing and over^ feeing the exercife of Archery in different counThefe CommifTioners, who were in general ties.

Commiflioners
J.

James

men of rank and power,

picking out amongft the

better fort of people, under their cognizance, the

moft expert Archers, formed them into a company, and upon perilous occafions made a prefent of their fervices to the king as his chief body
In which fituation they often diftinguifhed themfelves for their loyalty, their courage, and fkill in Archery. This rank of the King's
guards.
principal

body-guards, the Royal

feven
miles of the

Company

ftiil

claim

within

metropolis of

Scotland.

The Company
thoufand
in

at prefent confifts
;

of about one

number

among whom

are moft of the

Scottilh nobility of the firft diftinftion. A number of thefe gentlemen meet weekly during the fummer feafon in Edinburgh, and exercife themfelvesin the

Meadows,

fhooting at

butts

or

rovers.

In the adjoining ground they have a handforae

building, eredted within thefe twelve years, with.
fuitable offices, whither they adjourn after

their

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERV.
^xerclfe,

69
and

and where they hold

to

their eleiTuon?,

other

meetings relative

the bufinefs of the

Society.

The prizes belonging to this company, and which are annually lliot for, are il. A Silver Arrow, given by the tov.'n of Muflelburgh, which appears to have been (hot for as early as the year
;
1

The vliflor in this, as in other prizes, ex1603. cept the King's prize, has the cuftody of it for a
year, and then returns it with a medal appended, on which are engraved any motto and device which the gainer's fancy didatcs. 2d. A Silver Arrow,

given
3d.

by

tlic

tov/n

of Peebles,

A.

D. 16:6.

Silver

Arrow, given by

the city of Edin-

burgh, A D. 1709. 4th. A Silver Punch Bowl, of the value of about fifty pounds, made of Scottifh

filver,

at

the

A. D.

1730.

fth.

expence of the Company, A Piece of Plate, value

r.i^v, ,- twenty pounds, called the King's property '1627. i lus prize oecome? me atjfOlutc

of the winner.

termed All thefc prizes arc flvot for at what is the marks being placed at the dilUnce of ro-vcrs ;
one hundred and eighty- five yards.
Befides thefe
there
is

another prize annuallypoint-blank diilance, manner of (hooting

contended for
called the Goofs.

at

butt, or

for this prize

The was, a

ancient

living goofe being built in


yo
turf-butt,

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
with his head only expofed
firll

to

view;

the

Archer who

hit

the goofe's head

his

was
this

entitled to the

gcofe

as

reward.

But

cuilom, on account of

iis

barbarity,

has been

long ago laid afule ; and in place of the goofe's head, a mark of about an inch diameter, is affixed upon each bctt ; and the Archer who iirft hits this mark is captain of the buU-fisooters for a
year.

The
nually

affairs

Prefes and fix Counceilors,

of the Conipany are managed by a who are choien an-

by the whole members. The Council are vefled with the power cf receiving or rejefting
candidates for admiffion, and of appointing the

Company's

officers civil

and military.

uniform of the Royal Company of Archers id trimnipd tartan^ lined wjta whire. and trimmpd wirh is ^ic^ afia Winte fringes ; a wbitt efafli with green

The

The Company have two of thefe bears on one fide Mars and Cupid encircled in a wreath of thirties, with this motto, *' in peace and war." On the other a eugh tree, with two men dreiTed and equipped as Archers, encircled as the former
Crcfs and feathers.
:

f^andards

The

firfl

motto,

" DAT GLORIA VIRES."

Other ftardard difplays on one fide a lion
^!:/cs,

The

rampant,

on a

field

or,

encircled with a

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
wreath; on the top a
*'

7I

thiftle

and crown,

motto,
Oh
the
;

NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSEt"

Andrew on
a
the

other, St.
at

the crofs, on a field argent

top

crown,

motto,

" dulce pro

PATRIA PERICULUM."

% Roger Ascham, who

wrote a
treatife

on

this

art in the year 1544, mentions the bracer or lealeft arm, from being cut by the firing of the bow. But he recommends fhooting without any bracer, as its ufe may be fuperfeded by giving the bow a greater bend ; that is about nine inclies. The fhcoting glove was like the bracer, the fame

thern guard worn by Archers upon the

to prevent
it

as at prefent.

The

bow-ftring was

made

either

of

filk

or

hemp.
to

The bow he recommends

be made out of the

bole of a eugh tree, and its ftrength luch that the Archercould with moderate exertion draw an arrow to the head. The arrow was made of oak or
to the birch, and was of different fizes, according purpofes it was intended for ; its length

different

generally from twenty-feven to thirty-two inches the longefl were ufed in war.

He recommends
as better than

a goofe's feather for the fhaft,

The head of the arrow from the modern ones. Thofe difrered very much
any other.
2

72

ANECDOTES OF ARCHER.Y.

ufed in fliooting at the marks fomewhat rcfembling a pine apple, fmooth at top, but furrowed longitudinally.

For war they ufed fharp heads without any

barb.

The arrow was

they Ibot
vers,
it

always drawn to the ear when

at fhort

marks.

At long marks or

roele-_

was then neceffary on account of the vation, to be drawn to the breafl.

The
at the

took aim

Archers did not fhut either eye when they nor did they look at the arrow, but ;
only.

mark

BOW- MAKERS.
During
in

the

laft

century,

Manchelkr were
England
;

the beft
is

that family

the Kelsals of bow and arrow makers now exdndl The art is

revived by Josei^h

Wrigle v
;

and Co. of Cheetall

ham

near Alanchefter

who

excel

others in the

choice of wood, and accuracy of workmanfhip.

Bows and arrows

are

aho made and

fold

by

Samuel Stan way

near Northwich in Chefhire.

There is alfo a manufaiflory for implements of Archery cilablifhad by Mr. Waring at Leicciler Koufe.

In ancient times
ticles

when

the

demand

for thcfe ar-

was univerfal, the bufniefj was divided into

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
feparate branches
;

73

from whence arof^ the follow

ingSirnanies, viz.

Bowyer, Bovver, St ringer, Arrowsmith, Fletcher, &:c.

LANCASHIRE
These
their

and CHESHIRE ARCHERS.

fkilful

counties have long been celebrated fof

numerous and

Archers.

About

tlie

year )6|8, three brothers,

in that fcience

John, Roger, and

particularly

Daniel Rawson, became

:

famous
is

James

the fon of

John

now

(1792) living at Cheetham-Hill near Manchefler, aged 76 From the age of eighteen to fixty he never refufed a challenge; nor ever lofl a match. Jn the above counties are many focieties of bow:

men Few market towns

:

in

Lancafhire but have one

at the feveral dlllances

or two

fets

of butts placed
i)0,

and J20 yards. The Lancafhire bowmen hold their meetings at Cheetham-Hill every Wednesday, from Lady- day to Michaelof 30, 60,

mas,

at three in the

afternoon.

party,

who

fnoot there every

There is alfo a Monday, Wednef-

day, and Friday, if the weather proves favourable.

Miss Bouvre, near Warrington,

the beft Archerefs in the county. the
ancient fame of l.ancafliire
in his Colleiianca, hath the

is

efleemed

In fupport of

bowmen, LefoHowing
line,

LAND,

Lancaehere faire Arc here.

74

ANECDOTES OF ARCKERY.

SCCRTON ARCHERS
Began
to Ihoot for a Silver

Arrow

at Scorton

near Richmond, in Yorkfliire, and have continued ever fince.

May

14, 1673,

ARTICLES
Agreed upon by
the

Society
14,

of

Archers
the

at

Scorton,
cf thz annual

May

1673, for

regulating

exercife

of Jhcoting at the Targets for

a
I.

Silver Arronv,

IMPRIMIS. That

every perfon intend-

ing to ftiootat this, or other yearly game, for the future, fliall depofite ard pay into the hands of the Captain and Lieutenant of the Archers (or
others deputed and appointed by them Stewards to the Company of Archers for that year, tlie fum of five {hillings, or what other fura ihall from time to time be concluded and agreed upon by the major part of the Archers ; the fame

offome

be done fome convenient time before the general day of meeting to flioot at the faid targets, whereof notice to be publicly given, to the end, that__ Plate, and fuch other prizes as are hereafter mentioned, may be had and provided in due time.
to
11.

ITEM. Upon
all

the day appointed for the

faid exercife,

perfons concerned fnall repair to

the place for the 4id purpofe (to be appointed by the Captain of the Archers for that prefent year.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

75

which place fhall always be within iix miles of Erihohne upon Tees, in the county of York, unltfs othervvifs refolved and agreed upon by the greater nunr.bcr of the Society of Archers prefent
at

the

fliooting

down of

the faid
;

targets)

eight of the clock in the morning

by when and

where a note

in writing (hall be taken of thcfe in-

tending to (hoot,
excepted) and
fhall lots

(the Captain

and Lieutenant
accord-

or figures

of their numbers
;

be drawn by fome indifferent perfon

ing to which figures they are to cbferve their

k;

veral courfes and orders in fhooting for that time

and
fhall

if

any come after the

lots

are drawn,
after the

they
lait

take their places, and

Ihoot

figure and according to their coming.

III.

ITEM. Two

targets

(liall

be then and

there ready provided by the Captain and

tenant,

Lieu-

(who hereby are and fhall be exempted and freed from depoliting any fum or fums of money, fo long as either of them fliall continue in
their refpeftive ofiices) with four circles aptly diflinguillicd with colours
;

whereof the innermoft

fliall

circle being gilded or yellow,

tain's prize
;

be for the Cap-

and the next to that fhall be for the Lieutenant's prize ; and the third and fourth, or outermofl circumferences, fliall be for fuch fpoons" or other prizes of a greater and leffer value, according to the m.onies depofued, as they fhall be
ordered and proportioned by the

Captain and

^6

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Company of Archers
and there

Lieutenant, and three of the

Lh.'n

prtfer.t.

IV. ITEM. The faid targets iliall be fet in fome open and plain field, upon two ftraw balls or
j-nats,

breaft-high from the ground,

each being

from the other at leal'l eight fcore yards, at which diilance three rounds fluU be ihot by all the Company, with what manner of fhaft (not
diflant

.exceeding two fhafts) every one pleafeth.

The

Captain and Lieutenant beginning nrft, and then the refl two and two, in order, according to their
feveral lots

and numbers,
firfl

till

the faid rounds be

which they fhall and there fhoot other three rounds in manner aforefaid ; and then remove in ten yards more, and flioot three rounds there ; and fo forwards from ftand to ftand, or one removal
fhot out at the

ftand

after

lemove

in ten yards,

to another

down

till all the prizes be gotten or ftiot provided that their faid approach to the

targets be never nearer than ftxty yards, at

which

diftance they muft ftand to flioot

them

out, if not

won

before.

V.

ITEM. Such
firft

perfon as in his due order

pierce or break the Captain's and place fhall is Prize, or any parts thereof with his arrow, (that
to fay) fo as his arrow or any part thereof fhall

be

within the circle

Ihall

dividing betv.'cen red and gold,

have the

filver

arrow from the

reft,

aud fhalt

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

7/

be efieemedand adjudged Cap-tain of the Archers, and (liall have and enjoy all privileges due and belonging to that office, during the year enfuing and further fliall have twenty llullings of fuch monies as

Company of meeting for fliooting at the targets; when he iliall and niuft bring in the faid filver arrow, to be fnot for in manner and
ihall

be depofited by the

Archers

at their next annual

form aforefaid. 'l"he fame to be done and performed yearly about Whitfuntide, to and by all the fucceflive Captain's. Alfo he that in like manner
pierceth the Lieutenant's

'

Prize or

Circle, fhall

have fuch prize or piece of plate as fliall be allotted and appointed by the Captain and Lieutenant
for that time.

Likewife he that
circumferences

firll
fliall

pierceth

either of the other

have one fpoon (or fuch other prize as fliall be appointed for the fame circle as aforefaid) for e\ery arrow

wherewith he
all

fhall pierce or

break them,

in

cafe

the prizes belonging to

fore.
in

Alfo he that

them be not gotten bepierceth any of the inner circles

have one of the
bell:

manner

aforefaid, whereout the prize or prizes

fliall

were won before,

remaining
fo
hit,

prizes

in the circle,

next to that which he fhall

provided that the fpoons and fuch other

fhall

prizes as fhall be defigned for the faid two outer-

moft

circles
;

be of two feveral rates and

(hall

values

and the better of them

for the circle

be allotted

and appointed

and circumference

next to the Lieutenant's.

IT

78

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

VI. ITEM. If any of the Company fhall prefame to fhoot at the targets out of his due
turn of /landing,

he

ihal! loofe

his

fhot for

that

round (or having

following
:

fiiot

before) in the next round

And

if

any be abfent from the ftand

figure, then

to fhoot in his turn according to his

the next figure there prefent fhall fhoot on,

that

no time

may

be

lofl,

and

fhall

have fuch prize aa of flanding, have

Captain
time of his

he

fliall

then win.

Neverthelefs fuch abfent figure

to the place

may,

at his

coming

liberty to fhoot during that round, if the

fo pleafe

and appoint, either

at the

coming, or at the end of the fame round, provided that he come before the beeinnins of the
next round.

VII. ITEM. Forasmuch as the Exercife or Archery is lawful, laudable, healthful, and innocent; and to the end that God's holy name may not be dilhonoured by any of that Society, it is agreed and hereby declared, that if any one of them fliall that day curfe or fwear in the hearing of any of the company, and the fame be proved before the Captain and Lieutenant, he fhall forthwith pay down one fhilling, and fo proportionably for every oath; to be dillributed by the Captaia to the ufe of the poor of that place or townfhip And in cafe of refufal or newhere they fhoot. gleft to pay the fame, then fuch party to be excluded from fhooting any more till payment is

made

as aforefaid.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Vlir.

79

AND LASTLY.
fhall,

All

the

Company

of Archers

on the day of

lliooting at the tar-

gets as aforefaid, dine with the Captain and Lieu-

tenant at fome ordinary appointed for them near

the place of flicoting
refufe or negleil fc
;

and
do,

if

any of them

fiiall

to

or not dining

with

them,

fhaJl

pay one Hulling to the Captain or

;

Lieutenant for his ordinary fending

fhall

then the party fo of-

ihooting in

and forfeit the privilege of the round next following after dinner.
lole

8o

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
l~^

t~.

-o

t^

rl n
-<

ri-

M M N M ^ *
I

o\

r)

00

to <^

I I

w X
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f^
-V

ft

<
o
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u
e C
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J5 Pi

o c o o " ^ ^
.

s -

"

..^

.r

rt

O
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vt;

*"

^
"ej

r^

i-i

*^

r\

-.

^^^
'^

c a c
oj

_C _C

T- "3

>^ ^ ^ "o
5-^

c/1

PC
i
I

t4 Id

< <

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ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. m ^ *^ OS o M O ^- oo
rt
>H

8i

f<^

^^

r.

c.

- -^

>

r-

"S.

-a

fn

t - g c

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;

n
o e
(21

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OS

td

U M
?"<

'k^

o
'^

i;

J"

o s

H h
f-

5 S 5 h X
<
J

H o o a K
111

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I

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(^

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ffi

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a: 01

^
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o

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S S ^

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82

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
11

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I

i-im>,H>-'

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t:

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72
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-^ -^

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(Soio?.

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"

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
t^ f-

83
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I

<^ VO

'ft^^O C\0\M

C^-loo
I I

t^<^
1

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bn bO _c s
:>;

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(^

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15

5 I Q Q

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H
t"

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84
E
ri

oo

CN

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. O O M O VD lo 0 ^
-*-

fl

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AN'ECDOTES OF ARCHERV.
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86

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

FINSBURY ARCHERS,
Injiituted in the

year

75 3
this

The
fion

few gentlemen now remaining of

Society, are incorporated with the Archers' divi-

of the Hon. Artillery Company;

thofe

and were
in the

among

who attended

his

Majefty

pro-

ceffion to St. Paul's

on the 23d of April, 1789.

WHARFDALE ARCHERS,
Jrifiiiuted in the year I'j'ij.

Articles.
whofe names are underwritten, do hereby oblige ourfelves to meet every Thurfday, between the hours of three and fix in the afternoon, at

We

Mrs. Bentham's

in Otley.

And

it

is

further

agreed, that every Subfcriber

fuch default forfeit fixpence

who does
and
if

not attend

according to the above obligation,

;

fhall for

every he does atotherwife

tend
Ihall

fhall

pay fixpence

for

his club,

That his name, forfeiture, and day of the month be entered in a book, kept at Mrs. Bent ham's for that purpofe. That the forfeitures be paid on a day appointed by a majority of the Subfcribers, That if any one
be deemed a
defliulter.

<3enies

on that day

to

tures, as entered in the

pay his forfeiture or forfeibook, he fhall bcprofecuted

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
according to law
iliall
;

8/

and

liis

name upon

fuch refufal,

beflruck out from theliU: cf Subfcribers.

To
by

prevent any difputes which

may be

occafioned

the difference of clocks and watches, Mrs.

Benmeet-

tham's
ing.

clock only

Ihall

be referred to

in all cafes

relating to the hours appointed as

above

for

Dated

the fourth day of Augulij 1737.

W. Vavasour.,
Tho. Fawkes, HiiN. Atkinson, Ays. Fawkes, Fr Fawkes, John Fawkes,

B. Knight, Hen. Mitton, Jas. Robinson, Anth. Foster,

R.

Muscrave,
Harrison.

Thomas Bcoth,
1'ho.

Wm. Bulkley,
C. Vavasour,

How

long this Society continued to meet

is

not

now known*.

RICHMOND ARCHERS,
Instituted
in

Yorklhire, in the year

fhoot for

borough of Richmond 1755, to '^^'^^ ^"^ a Silver Cup, on Thurfday in every

v/Ithin the

week.
*
I

have bien informed

t!iat tlie butts,

ufcd by th's Society,

were phced near Farnley Ha!l, and bu:

litely dem-Jlfhsd,

68

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

DARLINGTON ARCHERS,
Ikstituted March
ihoct for a Silver
the

25th,
*
;

Medal and Gcrget

f
:

to 1758, on which

day

the Articles

were agreed upon, and figned

by

the following gentlemen

James Allan,
Isaac Tr

Geo. Allan,

uM AN,

H.Thompson,
J. Marsh, Jeremiah Rudd^, Tho. Burrel, Jos. Appleev, Vv''m. Ch aytor, Ra. Tunstall,

Wm

Moore,

Robert Hall, W, Hutchinson, Rhd. Scruton,

Geo. RiDSDALE,

Wm.
Jos.

NoRTtiNjjun.

Morley, Thomas Watson,

Fra. LowsoN,jun.

Wm.Hollan,
Tho. KiTCHiNG, Rhd. HouGiON, John York, Phil. Carter,

Rd Richardson, Rd Merewether*
Joseph Dix'ON, Edward Lowson,

Wm. Aungle,
Joh.n Wright, Rhd. Sh erwood,
*

Tho. Pierse, jun. John Pease, Jos. Nicholson, Hen. Chaytor.

" Secvndus hoc con-

The motto on

the Gorget

is,

TEKTUS AEITO."
\- There was afterwards a Silver Cup added as a third pr'ae, oa which is engraven, *' Texvivs hoc contzntvs."

V\NECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
Shooters at this meeting ivere^

89

Robert Hall, George Allan, RuD.HoDG-ON, Jos. MoRLEY, Rhd Sherwood, Tho. Kitching,

Tho. Watson, Wm. Moore,

W.Hutchinson,
Geo. Ridsdale, John Wright, Wm. Hollak.

In September following, a Banner was added the Medal and Gorget. On this Banner, which was of green filk, was embroidered or
to

painted, feveral golden arrows, tied together with a riband, and furrounded by military trophies,

September

i,

175S.
tvere,

Shooters at this }neeting

Tho. Kitching, Tho. Watson, Rhd, Hodgson,

Tho. Pierse, John Wright,

Jos.

M. Nicholso.v, G. Allan, Hen. Chaytor, Wm. Chaytor, Robeet Hall.

MoRLEY,

The Medal was won by Mr. Robert Hall, and the Gorget and Banner, by Mr. Henrtt

CHAYTORr

$.0

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

May
son.

1,

1759.

The Medal was won by Mr. Thomas WatThe Gorget and Banner by Mr. Robert Hall.

September
Tho. Watson, RoBT. Hall, Hum. Thompson,

7,

1759.

Shooters at this meeting ivere,

Gto. Allan,

Rhd. Hodgson^

Wm. Aungle.

Memorandum. The Medal not won this day. The Gorget was won by Mr. Thomas Watson,
and the meeting adjourned
day.
to

one o'clock the next

September
Tho. Watson, Robert Hall, George Allan,

8,

1759.

Shooters at this meeting ijoere,

Rhd, Hodgson,

Hum. Thompson W. Aungle.

The Medal was won by Mr. Robert Hall, The Gorget by Mr. Thomas Watson.

May
Robt.Hall, Tho. Watson, Rhd. HodgsoN;,

13, 1760.

Shooters this day vjere,

Tho. Kitching, Wm. Hall.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

Qf

The Medal was won by Mr. Richard Hodgson. The Gorget and Banner by Mr.

Thomas Watson.
September
5, 1760.

The Medal was won by Mr. Robert Hall. The Gorget by Mr. Thomas Wat60n.

May

14, 1761.

The Medal was won by Mr. Thomas Hall^ The Gorget was not fhot for.

September

11, 1761.

The Medal was won by Mr. Robert Hall. The Gorget by Mr. Richard Hodgson.

AYCLYFFE ARCHERS.
This
Society met at Ayclyffe,
in the

county of

Durham, May the 24th, 1758, to flioot for a but continued a very fhort time. Silver Cup
;

TOXOPHILITES.
This Society was formed by Sir Ash ton Lever and Mr. Waring. For fometirae they
tention they have

members ; but with unwearied atnow increafed their numbers to one hundred and fifty. They are patronifed by
fhot

with few

his

Royal Highnefs the

is

their Prelident

the

Duke

Prince of Wales, and of Norfolk,

92

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

WOODMEN

OF

ARDEN.

They praftice under the patronage of the Earl. of AvLESFORD, in Warwickfhire.

ROYAL BRITISH BOWMEN,

Patronifed by his Royal Highnefs the

Prince
fup-

ofWAi, Ei-.

They were encouraged and

ported by the late Sir

Watkin Williams

WyNMvE,

his

m
as

the principality.

Lady, and moft of the iirfl families A company of ladies join

are moft expert in the exercife

this Society,
is

who

proved by the excellent fhooting of

in particular.

Lad r

CuNLiFF
The
for.
is

candidates for this

Society are ballotted

Six black balls exclude.

only one guinea per annum.

;

The fubfcription By way of pra<5tice,

detachments meet weekly

is

but the grand- field day-

once a fortnight,

tation.

A
;

each member's houfe in rocollation is ferved under the Society's

at
is

tent,

a limitation

made

as

to

the

number of
is

and the difplay of any thing ed by a fine of five guineas.

difhes

hot

punifli-

Gold and

Silver
fliot

Medal, with Druidical emfor each field-day.

bellifhments, are

The
is

gentlemen flioot yards diftance.

at ninety, the ladies at

only iixty

The uniform

for the

men

green coat, white vvaiftcoat and breeches, deco-

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
rated with the Prince of Wales's
the ladies' drefs
is

9J

plume buttons;

white muflin and^reen ribbons*

= =
4^1

ROYAL KENTISH BOWMEN,

Patronifed alfo by the

Prince

of

Wales.

moft fupcrb and elegant lodge, with a delightful Ihooting ground, at Dartford
a

Thcv have
in

Heath

Kent.

ROBIN HOOD'S BOWMEN. A fet of Gentlemen who meet near Highgate,, and are much increafed of late years.

LOYAL ARCHERS.
Formed
on the 23d of April, iy?g, the day of the general thankfgiving for the reilcratioa They meet at Lewifham> of the King's health where their lodge and Ihooting ground are pleafantly fituated in a retired and rural fpot.

The HAINAULT FORESTERS. They meet under the venerable Oak*,

the forell of that
The Lord
held under this

in]

name

in

EfTex.

This Society
a Fair
;

Warden's
Oak

Records mention

being

for near

two centuries back

snd there

are perfons yet living (1792)

who remember

tie fhadeof this

wonderful tree covering a ftatute acre of ground.

cf the ftem
is

The middle

forty feet in circumference.

)4
confifts

ANECDOTES OF ARCHRY.
of ladies, as well as gentlemen, and arc
firft

compofed of the
hood.

families

of the neighbour-

YORKSHIRE ARCHERS.
This
faid,

Society was
y'/^<^,

firfl

of the year
fpedability,

jf
firfl:

formed

in the

Summer
be truly

whom

it

may

both with regard to their dexterity and rethat they are inferior to none.

They
at

Ihot their

Target,
at

May

3,

1790,.

Chapel-Town near Leeds,

Efq;
.
.

which meeting,

Cabr Ibbetson,
John Dixon,
V

Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers. 1790,

Efq;

....

Ju.'.E 7,

Being the next monthly target, it was fhot at Chapel -Tovn, by appointment ofCARR. Ibbetson, Efq; who, winning the Medal of Captain of the target, has, on that account, the appointment of the place where the next monthly meeting ihall
be held.
j^t this tmethig

Samuel RoDU A RD,

Efq;

John Dixon, Efq; ....

Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers.

1790.
at
.

July

5,

This target was fhot

Chapel-Town.
Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers^

Henry Dixon,
John Dixon,

Efq;

Efq;

ANECDOTES OF APvCHERY.

95

August
This target was
fliot at

2,

1790.

the Granby, Harrogate.

.

Thomas Fenton,
John Dixon,
Efq;

Efq;

Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers.

6,

SaPTEMBER
This target was fhot

1790.

at
.

Chapel -Town.
Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers.

William Lee,
John Dixon,

Efq;

Efq;

....

October.
.

4, 1790.
at
.

This target was fhot

Efq;

Ferrybridge.
Capt. of the target,
Capt. of numbers.

Thomas Fenton,

Henry Dixon,

Efq; ..

May
Samuel Rodbard,
John Dixon,
Efq;

2, 1791. at

This target was fhot

Chapel-Town.
Capt. of the target.

Efq;

Thomas jAQUES,Efq; .. Samuel Rodbard, Efq;

June
6,

Capt. of numbers. Lieut, of the target.

Lieut, of numbers.

1791.
at
.

This target was fhot

Chapel-Town.
Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers.
Lieut, of the target.

Thomas Jaques,

Efq;

John Dixon, Efq; John Hanson, Efq;..

Thomas Jaques,

Efq;

Lieut, of numbers.

96

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

July
This target was

4,

1791.

fliot at

Heath, near Wakefield.

.
.

Thomas J aques, Efq; Samuel R.DBARD, Efq; Thomas Wyberg, Efq;

Capt. of the target.

Capt. of numbers.
Lieut, of the target.
Lieut, of numbers.

Henry Dixon,

Efq;

August
Thomas Wyberg,
'

i,

1791.

Thi? target was fhot at the

Efq;

Granby, Harrogate.
Capt. of the target. f Capt. of numbers.
-|t(_

John

^ Dixon,

Elq; *

Lieut, of the target.

Samuel Rodbard,

Efq;
5,

Lieut, of numbers.

September
This target was
{hot on

1791.

Knavefmire, near York.

Capt. of the target.

Thomas FtN
-

ion, Efq;

f Capt. of numbers.

ToHN Dixon, Efq; ^'

-Jr.
(_
.

Lieut, of the , target.

-,

Henry

Dixon, Ffq;

..

Lieut, of numbers.

October
This target was fhot
at

3,

1791.

Heath, near Wakefield.

C
^ I

John Dixon,
TT

Efq;

Tk Llq; Hfnry Dixon, rr

...

Capt. of the target. Capt. of numbers. ^ ., ^

.

Lieut, or the target.

Thomas Wyberg,

Efq;

Lieut, of numbers.

Befides the above monthly meetings, the

Ihire

York-

Archers had a target at the general meeting

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
of

97

all the Societies in England, held May 27, 1791, on Blackheath, and were within one arrow of gaining a Medal there fhot for.

Their (hooting uniform, is a plain green frock, and velvet cape of the fame colour, Vv-itli uniform buttons, white waiftcoat and breeches, round black hat, uniform button and loop, with a white
oftrich

feather,

white ftockings, half boots, or

Patroncfs.

black gaiters.

The drefs uniform depends on the

Lady
to

pleafure of the

The

targets

be always fhot at on publia

days, at the diftance of one hundred yards.

The four Medals belonging to the Society to be transferable, and to be fhot for at each of the fix monthly meetings. The Gold Medal for the Captain of the Target, to be gained by the moll centrical fhot during the day he large Silver Medal to tiie Captain of Numbers, for the

number of fhots in the targets The Medal for the fecond befl fhot and the other Silver Medal for the Lieut'^nant of Num-. bers, having the fecond greateft number of fhots
greateft

Silver

in the tarjiets. o

The fum
bated
in the

of Four Guineas

is

given by the Sodifl.-i-

ciety to be fhot for on each target day, ar.d

following manner; viz.

Each arrow,

fhot within the gold or centre circle of the targets^

89

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
all
;

receive two {hillings and fixpence;

arrows in
thofe hit(hilling

the red or fecond circle, two (hillings

ting the inner white or
third circle,

one

and fivpence ; thofe in the black or fourth circle, one (lulling, and thofe in the outer white or fifch
circle, fixpence.

The

Patron of the

v/iLLiAM

The

Society, Patronefs, the

Earl FitzCountess of

MtXEOROUGH.
The
S ciety crnfi(ts at prefent of feventy-four
ones.

members, with four honorary

The Ladies prefented the iiociety laft fummer, with very elegant Colours, to be placed on the top of a large Tent belonging the Society, in which a company of eighty may with great convenience dine.

THE MERCIAN BOWMEN,

A
-mer
very refpedable Society,
Hill, near Coventry.

who meet on Sum-

THE KENIISH RANGERS.

A
of the
Society

formed of members

who meet on Blackheath, and are who have feparated from one

v-ther Societies.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.

<)i)

SOUTHAMPTON ARCHERS,
Now
Royal, being
patronifcd

by

his

Royal

Highnefs the

Duke

of

Gloucester.
:

:i4^

BOWMEN OF CHEVY-CHACE,
Under the immediate patronage of the
of No RTHUMBERLAND.
:ctfi:

Duke

WOODMEN

OF
:^i:

HORNSEY.

SURREY BOWMEN,
Who
are alfo

become Royal, having

of
late

his

Royal
diftin-

Highnefs the

Duke

Clarfnce

as

patron.

This Society has of

been particularly

guidied, and promifes to vie with any in point of dexterity and Ikill.

The archers

of

ARCHENFIELD,
of,

Near Hereford, have been much fpoken

both for their dexterity and hofpitality.
I z

ICO

ANECDOTES

01^

ARCHERY.

The
27th of

Societies of Archers, took place

grand Annual Meeting of rhe following on Friday, the

at Blacktieath, viz.

May, 1791,

HoNi URABLE THE ArTILLERY COMPANY, in two divifions,

Surrey Bowmen,

firil

divifion,

fecond divifion,

Haikauit Foresters,
TcxoPHOLiTEs,
firft

divifion,

fecond divifion,

Northumberland Archers,
ShEK-WCOD FOK.ESTERS,

Kentish Rangers, Kentish Bowmen, Loyal Archers, V/OODMEN OF ArDEN, Robin Hood Society, YoRKSHi&E Archers, Vv'cCPMEN OF HORKSEY.
Tbcy were all drefTed in green, with half- boots. Numbers of ladies were likewife drefled in the
Thirty-two targets uniform of the Societies. were placed on the ground, and about a dozen of At twelve Archers appointed to fhoot at each.

o'clock the fhooting for the prizes

commenced,

and continued without intermiflion till three ; when they retired to their tents, and partook of fome After which, the contefl was rercfreflmients.

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.
newed
Societ)
;

101
fix

and

on

examining

the

targets at

o'clock,
,

Mr. RiCKARD^,

of

the

Toxopholite
to

appeared to be entitled
the

the

Gold

Medal; and Mr. Rjsh of

Hornfey, to the Silver Medal.

Woodmen of Lord Aylestimes into

bury,
The

having {hot fixteen

differ nt

the target, he was declared Captain of Nun.bers.

\rchers afterwards

retur'ied

to town,

and

dined together at the Thatched-Houfe Tavern.

The Loyal Archers

Eye of the Target
once
;
;

fliot

once into the Bull's

;

the Yorkfhire Archers once

;

the Toxopholite Society twice

and the

Woodmen

Robin Hood of Hornfey twice.

the

Two
The

perfons were flightly

wounded by flandlng

too near the targets.

tents

were fancifully decorated with ban-

ners, proudly difplaying the devices of the various

orders of Archery.

Thus have we feen in the lapfe of time, one of the moft dangerous and deilruftive weapons
of war
foreign
laid afide, to

make room

for a novel in-

vention; and Englifh Archery, once the terror of

enemies,

now changed

into a plealing,

elegant, and healthful amufement.

May we

not

wifh for a fimilar alteration with regard to every

of

102

ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY..
tlie

Other imirument invented for

deflr ucllon

men

and hope

for the arrival

of thofe peaceful

days, fo beautifully defcribed by the poet

No more
Nor Nor The
But

flia'l

nation againft nation rife,

ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes

fis'ds

with gleaming Reel be ccver'd o'er>

;

brazen tiumpets kindle rage no more

ufelefs lances into fcythes (hall

bend,

And

the broad falchion in a plowfhare end.

rv5

INDEX.
Page.
/icliilles,

Page.

6
1 1 .

Cambyfcs,
Cretans,
CrefTcy,
Clifford,
.

lo
.

Alexander,
Ai.hens,
.

u
33

1 1

Artillery

Company,
their fhape

13 35 71

Aginccurt,

Charles

I.

57 59

Arrows,

Catherine of Portugal, 62 Clergy excepted from

and fize Arrow, how

....
.

far

one
.

may
to

be (hot,

()6

fhooting

.45
.

Arrows, wood proper

Demollhenes,
71

i\

make them

of,

Defcription

of
.

an
.

AycIyfFe Archers,

91

Archer,

6j

Bannock Burn, 27 Bows, their price, .&c. 56 Bows every man to

be poflefled of one, 43 Bowi, height of - 64

Darlington Archers, 88 Eneas, 8

Efau,

.... ....
.
.

Ethiopians,

10

Bow
Bows

firings, 'o

71

be

made of
71
.

Edward II. Edward HI. Edward IV.

27
33

.
.

.43
30

eugh,
Britifh
.\

Bowmen, 92 Bo men of Chevy

chace.

Elland (Sir John) Fortefcue, .

'35
.
.

Flowden
Fathers

Field,

99
.

Finfbury Archers
to

45 86

Butts to be erefted
in

provide

every town,

Bow Makers,
Cyrus,
.

43 72
9

bows

and

arrows
.

for their fons

44
7

...

Glove ((hooting)

10+

:,,

1.

'3m

3 1158 00165 3491

FACIU]!,

'jJjS;"

470 000 606