Now! Then! Long after the longbow’s demobilization, the Scorton Archers agree to shoot annually for a silver arrow

Excerpt

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ARTICLES
Agreed upon by the SOCIETY of ARCHERS at SCORTON, May 14, 1673, for the regulating of the annual exercise of shooting at the targets for a silver arrow.

I. IMPRIMIS. That every person intending to shoot at this, or other yearly game, for the future, shall deposit and pay into the hands of the Captain and Lieutenant of the Archers (or of some others deputed and appointed by them Stewards to the Company of Archers for that year), the sum of five shillings [ca. £56 in 2020], or what other sum shall from time to time be concluded and agreed upon by the major part of the Archers; the same to be done some convenient time before the general day of meeting to shoot at the said targets, whereof notice to be publicly given, to the end, that plate, and such other prizes as are hereafter mentioned, may be had and provided in due time.

II. ITEM. Upon the day appointed for the said exercise, all persons concerned shall repair to the place for the said purpose (to be appointed by the Captain of the Archers for that present year, which place shall always be within six miles of Eriholme upon Tees, in the county of York, unless otherwise resolved and agreed upon by the greater number of the Society of Archers present at the shooting down of the said targets) by eight of the clock in the morning; when and where a note in writing shall be taken of those intending to shoot, (the Captain and Lieutenant excepted) and lots or figures of their numbers shall be drawn by some indifferent person; according to which figures they are to observe their several courses and orders in shooting for that time; and if any come after the lots are drawn, they shall take their places, and shoot after the last figure and according to their coming.

III. ITEM. Two targets shall be then and there ready provided by the Captain and Lieutenant, (who hereby are and shall be exempted and freed from depositing any sum or sums of money, so long as either of them shall continue in their respective offices) with four circles aptly distinguished with colours; whereof the innermost circle being gilded or yellow, shall be for the Captain’s prize; and the next to that shall be for the Lieutenant’s prize; and the third and fourth, or outermost circumferences, shall be for such spoons or other prizes of a greater and lesser value, according to the monies deposited, as they shall be ordered and proportioned by the Captain and Lieutenant, and three of the Company of Archers then and there present.

IV. ITEM. The said targets shall be set in some open and plain field, upon two draw basts or mats, breast-high from the ground, each being distant from the other at least eight score yards, as which distance three rounds shall be shot by all the Company, with what manner of shaft (not exceeding two shafts) every one pleaseth. The Captain and Lieutenant beginning first, and then the rest two and two, in order, according to their several lots and numbers, till the said rounds be shot out at the first stand; after which they shall remove in ten yards, and there shoot other three rounds in manner aforesaid; and then remove in ten yards more, and shoot three rounds there; and so forwards from stand to stand, or one removal to another till all the prizes be gotten or shot down; provided that their said approach to the targets be never nearer than sixty yards, at which distance they must stand to shoot them out, if not won before.

V. ITEM. Such person as in his due order and place shall first pierce or break the Captain’s Prize, or any parts thereof with his arrow, (that is to say) so as his arrow or any part thereof shall be within the circle dividing between red and gold, shall have the silver arrow from the rest, and shall be esteemed and adjudged Captain of the Archers, and shall have and enjoy all privileges due and belonging to that office, during the year ensuing; and further shall have twenty shillings of such monies as shall be deposited by the Company of Archers at their next annual meeting for shooting at the targets; when he shall and must bring in the said silver arrow, to be shot for in manner and form aforesaid. The same to be done and performed yearly about Whitsuntide, to and by all the successive Captains. Also he that in like manner pierceth the Lieutenant’s Prize or Circle, shall have such prize or piece of plate as shall be allotted and appointed by the Captain and Lieutenant for that time. Likewise he that first pierceth either of the other circumferences shall have one spoon (or such other prize as shall be appointed for the same circle as aforesaid) for every arrow wherewith he shall pierce or break them, in case all the prizes belonging to them be not gotten before. Also he that pierceth any of the inner circles. in manner aforesaid, whereout the prize or prizes were won before, shall have one of the best prizes remaining in the circle, next to that which he shall so hit, provided that the spoons and such other prizes as shall be designed for the said two outer-most circles shall be of two several rates and values; and the better of them shall be allotted and appointed for the circle and circumference next to the Lieutenant’s.

VI. ITEM. If any of the Company shall presume to shoot at the targets out of his due turn of standing, he shall lose his shot for that round (or having shot before) in the next round following: And if any be absent from the stand to shoot in his turn according to his figure, then the next figure there present shall shoot on, that no time may be lost, and shall have such prize as he shall then win. Nevertheless such absent figure may, at his coming to the place of standing, have liberty to shoot during that round, if the Captain so please and appoint, either at the time of his coming, or at the end of the same round, provided that he come before the beginning of the next round.

VII. ITEM. Forasmuch as the exercise of archery is lawful, laudable, healthful, and innocent; and to the end that God’s holy name may not be dishonoured by any of that Society, it is agreed and hereby declared, that if any one of them shall that day curse or swear in the hearing of any of the company, and the same be proved before the Captain and Lieutenant, he shall forthwith pay down one shilling, and so proportionably for every oath; to be distributed by the Captain to the use of the poor of that place or township where they shoot. And in case of refusal or neglect to pay the same, then such party to be excluded from shooting any more till payment is made as aforesaid.

VIII. AND LASTLY. All the Company of Archers shall, on the day of shooting at the targets as aforesaid, dine with the Captain and Lieutenant at some ordinary appointed for them near the place of shooting; and if any of them shall refuse or neglect so to do, or not dining with them, shall pay one shilling to the Captain or Lieutenant for his ordinary; then the party so offending shall lose and forfeit the privilege of shooting in the round next following after dinner.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

The Society’s website conceals a wealth of information. Revival or invention? Flodden (1513) was the last major battle in which the English longbow played an important role, and it was phased out by local militias towards the end of the 16th century (Harris 1976), though its use by Bridgnorth Dad’s Army in 1642 helped drive off a Royalist force:

[Scouts] brought us word that Prince Maurice, the Lord Strange, Marquis Hertford, the Lord Paulet, M. Hastings of Leicestershire, Sir John Byron, with a very considerable army, were upon a march to our town, which news began to startle us, instantly an alarm was given, every man from 16 to 50 and upwards, got himself into such arms as they could presently attain, or could imagine be conducible for the defence of the town. Likewise we had 5 field pieces and 3 troop of horse, which came to guard them from Worcester, being come the night before; those we mounted upon the church, and the rest in the best places where we could conceive we might prejudice the enemy. Our troop of horse made good a passage where they were to pass over before they could attain to the town. Our foot made several good marches and entrances, according to our skill and best endeavours.

The Lord Strange feeling himself thus defeated, and having been galled twice or thrice, with our field pieces from the top of the church, made a stand, and drew up some companies of foot, under the covers of a grove of willows, who, with their muskets, played upon our troop of horse, and beat them from their passage, wounding near 20, insomuch that they began to wade ford [foarde], which being descried, we with our bows and arrows, did so gall them (being unarmed men) that with their utmost speed they did retreat, striving to renew the shelter of the grove to hide them from us. During this conflict, his Excellency, with several regiments of horse drew near the town; which caused the Lord Strange into a champaign [champayn – moor, common land, I think, rather than a vineyard!] field between our town and him, endeavouring to intercept his passage. Notwithstanding the Lord Strange his army was very considerable both of horse and foot, yet the forces under the command of the Earl of Essex were so eager to fall on, that maugre [in spite of – cf. the modern French malgré] all persuasions they would not stay till the foot marched up to second them, but having received directions from the Earl, they charged them boldly with their carbine shot, dividing so their troops, that at one onset both van and rear were charged so fiercely, that spite of all the cavalier’s discretion, they lost their order, and in a confused manner retreated basely. In this confusion many men were lost and hurt, but which side most is not yet apparently known, and among them my Lord Paulet was noosed [captured or hung?]. It is conceived there was about 80 killed and 45 wounded on both sides (Anon 1867).

Modern celebrations would obviously be added to the daily list of customs if the date were at all predictable.

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