THE ~ MEDIEVAL Jim BradburyTHE MEDIEVAL ARCHER Jim Bradbury THE BOYDELL PRESS© J. Bradbury 1985 ‘AL Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation ‘no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright owner First published 1985 by The Boydell Press, Woodbridge Reprinted 1992, 1994 Reprinted in paperback 1996, 1998 and 1999 Reprinted in hardback 1997 ISBN 0 85115 194 9 hardback ISBN 085115 675 4 paperback British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Bradbury, J. ‘The medieval archer. 1. Bow and arrow — History 1. Tide 355.8741 UBT? ISBN 0-85115-194-9 Library of Congress Cataloging Card Number: 85-9718 ‘The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK and of Boydell & Brewer Inc. PO Box 41026, Rochester, NY 14604-4126, USA. ‘website: heep://www-boydell.co.uk ‘This publication is printed on acid-free paper Designed by Gillian Crossley-Holland ‘Printed in Great Britain by St Edmundsbury Press Ltd, Bury St Edmunds, SuffolkCary daueena Contents List of illustrations Preface The Archer and His Weapons Archers at Hastings From Hastings to Lincoln on Foot Robin Hood The Advent of the Longbow The Triumph of the Longbow Agincourt The Last Years of Military Archer The Archer in Society Bibliography Index on 116 139 159 180 189To AnnList of Illustrations Archer from a fifteenth century manuscript. (Bodleian Library, MS Hatton 10, £396) ‘thirteenth ceneury drawing ofan archer on cruside. (Macickowski Bibl, 1240, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, MS 638 23%). Chinese crossbow. Detail from sixth century painting on silk. (British Museum). ‘Aerossbow. Line drawing of crossbow with a stcel bow. (From Treasures ofthe Tower, HMSO 1976, p.2), Ashortbow. (Ureche Psalter £ Tr. Utrecht University Library). Shortbows nd crossbows. (Pettus de Ebolo, De Rebus Siclis Carmen. Codex Bemnensis 120.108. Burgerbibiothek, Bern) “Turkish mounted archer, 15th century. (Photo Giraudon) Welsh fot archers. 13th century. (Public Record Office, Liber A (E36/274) £32 and F356). Northsmbrian archer, from the Franks’ casket (Masco Bargello, Florence) Aseventh century Northumbrian carving ofan archeron the Rathvvell Cros. ‘The English archer on the Bayeux tapestry (Photo Michael Holford). Frankish archer. (Bibliothique dela Ville, Eperay) Yew bow from Hedeby. ‘The arrow in Harold’ eye, Harold cut down by a sword andthe death of Harold, from the Bayeux tapestry. (Photo Michael Holford) ‘Stitch marks for arzow in the eye ofthe second figure. (Photo Michael Holford). ‘Archers shooting upwards, (Photo Michaol Holford) “The mounted archer on the Bayeux tapestry (Photo Michael Holford) Sketch of Norman archer (Colchester and Essex Museum). Four Norman archers. (Photo Michael Holford). Two ofthe nineteen archers on the Bayeux ‘apestry with the arrows sewn on the wrong side of thebows. (Photo Michael Holford) Correct position ofthe arrow. Ricar’s Mayor's Calendar of Brit, 1480. (Bristol Records Ofte). Plan ofthe Battle of Tinchebrai, The neighbour hood of Tinchebrai and the disposition of the Plan ofthe Battle of Alengon. The neighbour hood of Alencon and the disposition ofthe armies, Plan ofthe battle of Brémule. The neighbour- hood of Brémule and the disposition ofthe arms. Plan ofthe Battle of Bourgehéroulde. The neighbourhood of Bourgthéroulde and the disposition ofthe armies Plan ofthe Battle of the Standard. The sit of the bate and the disposition ofthe armic “The Battle of Lincoln, from Henry of Hunting ddon’s chronicle, (British Library, MS Arundel 48 £1680) Plan ofthe Battle of Lincoln, 1141. The sie ofthe batle and the disposition ofthe aris ‘Knights charging inline abreast (Life of St Edmund, c.1125/50, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, MS 736, £.7¥). ‘Alongbow The Nydam bows. th century. (Conrad Engethardt, Nydom Mesefind 1859-1863, Copenhagen 1865, pl. xi) ‘Acrossbowman, Matthew Pati, Chronice Minora, (Cambridge, Corpus Chris College MS 16, £1389), ‘A crossbow bole and an carly sixteenth century quiver, (The Armouries, HM Tower of London. ‘A.windlass. (Bibliotheque nationale, MS fr. 2613, £1650). Skeffington MS (Public Record Office, De Banco Roll CP 40/123 Easter 26 Edward 11298 mi07 Leye;). ‘Archery target practice from the Lute! Pale. (British Library, MS Add, 42130, £1476) Plan of the Battle of Bannockburn “The Battle of Halon Hil AH. Burme’s interpretation ofthe ‘herce ‘The medieval harrow: () from Tres Riches Hewes du Duc de Beri, October. (Musée de Chantilly,Photo Giraudon). (i) English 15th century harrow. {(Vietoria and Albert Museum). (ii) Lutrell Psalter (British Library MS Add, 42130, € 171). Longbowmen flanking pikemen. From a French ‘manuscript. ‘The Battle of Crécy. (Bibliotheque nationale, MS 2643, £ 165y) Plan of the Crécy campaign and of the Battle of Crécy, ‘The Battle of Crécy. (British Library, MS Cotton Neto E Il, £152v}, Plan of the Bartle of Poitiers. The Black Prince's route to Poitiers. ‘The Battle of Poitiers. (Bibliotheque national, Froissart Chronigues. MS fr. 2683 £ 207) Longbowmen at Agincourt. (Lambeth Palace Library) A pavise, ¢.1450, (The Armouries, HM Tower of London), Paviss in ation atthe siege of Caen. The Beauchamp Pageant. (British Library, MS Cotton Julius ELV, artvi, £19) Archers in retinues, (British Library, MS Harley 782, £82). Heney V's route to Agincourt. Plan of the dispositions forthe Battle on the Somme. Archers across the front of the army. (British Library, MS Royal 16 G VII, £189) Cannons and bows. Wavrin, Chronique d’Angle- tee, Flemish, 15th century. (British Library, MS Royal 14 EV, £59) Plan of the Battle of Verneuil lan ofthe Battle of Formigny. 12th century crossbows. Henry VIin Sicily, 1194, Pettus de Ebolo, De Rebus Siculie Carmen. (Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Codex Bernensis 120, £131). Spanning 2 crossbow. Misericord carving. Formerly atthe abbey of St Lucien, (Paris, Musée de Cluny), Drawing a crossbow with one foot. Siege of Rhodes, 1480, Descriptio Obsidionis Rhodiae Urbs by Guillaume C2oursin, ¢ 1490, (Bibliotheque national, MS la. 6067, £5804, vill Drawing a crossbow with two feet Lull aay (British Library, MS Ada, 42130, € 5). Spanning a crossbow by be Lael Pater. (Bish Li £50) Acranequin, 18th century. (The Armouries, HM Tower of London} Longbows ina realistic art style, The Beauchamp Pageant, (Brash Library, MS Corton Julius E1V, 1485-90, art. vi). The Bate of Barnet. French version of The Arrival of Edward IV. (University of Ghent, MS 236 ‘The Batle of Tewkesbury, Fronch version of Th Anivall oj Edward IV. (niversiy of Ghent, MS 236) ‘Tudor archers. Boulogne 1544, (Engraving by Janes Basie ater SH. Grimm, National Army ‘Moscum, From a painting at Cowdray destroyed by fice) “The Flodden window, Sir Richard Assheton and 16 archers, (St Leonard's, Middleton). ws and spacers recovered from the ‘Mary Rose’, (Mary Rose Trust). Archers onthe Moorfilds map, 1559, (Museum MS Add. 42130, ‘of London). A crossbow shooting competition. (Bodleian Library, MS Douce 93, £14), ‘Target shooting with crossbows, (Hans Schautelein, MMustrations aus den Leben des Kaiser Maximilian 1, 1520), ‘Woman shooting ata stag, (British Library, MS Royal 10 EV, £1599). Archets hunting, Livre de Chasse of Gaston de Foix, 15th century. (Bibliotheque nationale, MS fr 616, €111¥), Hunting birds. (British Library, Luttrell Psalter. MS Add, 42130, £54), John Gower with a bow, 15th century. (British Library, MS Cotton Tiberius ATV, £99) ‘The martyrdom of St Sebastian, Boucicaut Master. (Musée Jacquemart-Andre, Paris, MS 2, £.21¥). ‘The martyrdom of St Edmund, 13th century version, (British Library),Preface The origin of this book is threefold. Partly, it came out of my research thesis on twelfth century warfare, which provoked thoughts on warfare beyond the boundaries of that period Secondly, it came from an interest in archery in the Hundred ‘Years War. As a result of this, I gave a paper on longbows to one of the educational courses that are held in the Tower of London. Dr Richard Barber was also speaking on that course. Some casual remarks by him initiated the idea of a book, and | am grateful for the encouragement he has given me since that date. Thirdly, | am aware of the help and inspiration derived from books by many authors past and present, and in particular for the enjoyment derived from Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey's The Crossbow, and Robert Hardy's Longbow. There is a book to be written on every aspect of the medieval archer, but this is not it. The wider plans with which I began have been slimmed down for reasons of time and practicality. This book pretends to do no more than survey the subject, and delve a little into some aspects that have interested me. The two main themes of the book are the development of the military roleof the medieval archer, and his place in society. I should like to make public my gratitude to various people who have given me assistance, and beg the forgiveness of those whose names are not recorded. In particular, I should like to thank Professor R. Allen Brown for reviving my interest in medieval history, and awakening an interest in medieval warfare. I should like to thank my colleagues at West London for their tolerance in terms of the time I have been able to give to research. I am also grateful to the friends who have passed on titbits of information on archery that they have come upon during their own researches, not all of which I have been able to use, but all of which T have appreciated, for example, Chris Philpotts, Dr Alex Rumble, Jennie Kiff, Teresa Bonnick, Ruth Harvey, Dr Ann Williams and lan Peirce. I should also like to acknowledge the help received in discussion on many a pleasant evening spent in the ‘Marquess of Anglesey’, and the U.L.U. bar, with Nick Hooper, Nicholas Kingwell, Matthew Bennett and others. None of these people are, of course, in any way responsible for the errors which are bound to exist in a