Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 3, Anatomy-Astronomy

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ARCHERY.
Archery, a commission to teach and exercise his loving subjects in
the said invention, which he particularly recommended
the chief officers of his trained bands to learn and prac¬
tise ; and the justices and other chief magistrates through¬
out England are therein enjoined to use every means in
their power to assist Neade, his son, and all persons au¬
thorized by them, in the furtherance, propagation, and
practice of this useful invention. Both the commissions
and proclamation are printed at large in Rymer. At the
breaking out of the civil war, the earl of Essex issued a
precept, dated in November 1643, for stirring up all well-
affected people towards the raising of a company of archers
for the service of the king and parliament.
There are several societies of archers in England ; but
the most noted society of this kind now existing is
The Royal Company of Archers, the Kings Body
Guard for Scotland. The ancient records of this com¬
pany having been destroyed by fire about the end of the
16th century, no authentic traces of its institution now
remain; but, from entries found in some of the old national
records, this company must be of great antiquity. It is
believed that the Royal Company owes its origin to the
commissioners appointed in the reign of James I. of Scot¬
land for enforcing and overseeing the exercise of archery
in different counties. These commissioners, who were
men of rank and power, picked out from among the better
classes under their cognizance, the most expert bowmen,
formed them into a company, and upon perilous occasions
they attended the king as his chief body guard; and in
that situation they always distinguished themselves for
their loyalty, courage, and skill in archery. The rank of
King’s Body Guard for Scotland was from tradition un¬
derstood to be vested in the Royal Company, and they
accordingly claimed the honour of acting as body guard
to his majesty King George IV. on the occasion of his
visit to Scotland in 1822. His majesty was graciously
pleased to recognise their claim, and the Royal Com¬
pany were thus established as the King’s Body Guard
for Scotland. They attended his majesty at court and
on all state occasions during his residence in Scotland,
and accompanied him on his visit to Hopetoun House,
from whence he embarked for London. The captain-
general has since been appointed gold stick for Scotland,
and the Royal Company now forms part of the household.
It appears from the minutes of the Royal Company now
extant, that an act of the privy council of Scotland was
passed in 1677, conferring on them the name and title of
“ His Majesty’s Company of Archers,” and granting a
sum of money for a piece of plate to be shot for in that
year as a prize; but no permanent king’s prize was estab¬
lished until 1788, when his majesty George III., as a mark
of his royal patronage and favour, was pleased to grant a
sum of money to be shot for annually, to be named the
king’s prize, and to become the property of the winner.
The gainer is bound to purchase a piece of plate, on
which must be inscribed the king’s arms, and the date
when the prize was gained.
During the revolution in 1688 the Royal Company
were opposed to the principles then espoused; and for
many years they had to forego their public parades, and
the company in consequence had nearly been annihilated.
On the accession of Queen Anne, however, their former
splendour was revived; and in the year 1 /03 a royal char¬
ter was granted, confirming all their former rights and
privileges, and conferring others upon them.
Thus the Royal Company continued to flourish for a
number of years; but their attachment to the family of
Stuart was the cause at various times of a temporary
prosperity and decline. These unhappy differences hav¬
ing long since terminated, the Royal Company, which con¬
sists of the principal nobility and gentry of Scotland, are AnJiery.
now more prosperous, and perhaps more dexterous in the ' y-
art of archery, than at any former period in their history.
The prizes belonging to this Royal Company, and
which are annually shot for, are, ls£, A silver ariow, given
by the town of Musselburgh, which appears to have been
shot for as early as the year 1603. The victor in this, as
in the other prizes, except the king’s prize, has the cus¬
tody of it for a year, then returns it with a medal append¬
ed, on which are engraved any motto and device which
the gainer’s fancy dictates. 2rf, A silver arrow, given by
the town of Peebles A. d. 1626. 3c?, A silver arrow, given
by the city of Edinburgh a. d. 1709. kih, A silver arrow,
given by the town of Selkirk, which was shot for in 1819,
after an interval of 144 years, bth, A silver punch bowl,
made of Scotish silver, at the expense of the company,
a. d. 1720, to which a gold medal has annually been at¬
tached. This prize can only be gained by three consecu¬
tive ends ; and if not won during the summer, it is shot for
as an ordinary prize at the end of the season. §th, A gold
medal, made of pagodas, being part of the money paid by
Tippoo Sultan at the treaty of Seringapatam, and presented
to the Royal Company by Major James Spens. lih. An
elegant silver vase and gold medal, presented by General
John Earl of Hopetoun, in commemoration of the visit of
George IV. to Scotland in 1822, called the royal commemo-
ration prize, and which is shot for on the king s birth-day
annually. These prizes are all shot for at the distance
of 180 yards. There is another prize, which was given
by Sir George Mackenzie of Coul, Bart., to the Royal
Company, to be shot for at the distance of 200 yards, and
is called the “ Saint Andrew prize.” These prizes are
shot for at rovers, and, with the exception of the silver
bowl, are gained by the person who counts the greatest
number of points in a given number of ends.
Besides the above, there is another prize shot for, at the
distance of 100 yards, being an elegant silver bugle-horn,
presented to the Royal Company by one of the general
officers, Sir Henry Jardine, Knt., and was shot for on 9th
April 1830 for the first time.
There are also two prizes contended for at butts, or point
blank distance, being 100 feet. The first is called the
goose. The ancient manner of shooting for this prize
was, by building a living goose in a turf-butt, having the
head only exposed to view; and the archer who first hit
the head was entitled to have the goose as his reward,
and bore the title of Captain Goose for the season. This
barbarous custom has long since been laid aside; and in
place of the goose’s head a small glass globe is put into
the butt, of about an inch in diameter, and the archer who
breaks this is declared victor, and is entertained by the
company at dinner. He wears a medal which was^ pre¬
sented by Major Spens, also made of Tippoo Sultan’s pa¬
godas. The other butt prize is a gold medal, which is
shot for on the last Saturday of January, February, and
March, annually, and is gained by him who counts the
greatest number of points in the three days shooting.
The affairs of the Royal Company are managed by a
council, consisting of seven, who are chosen annually at a
general meeting of the members. The council are vested
with the power of receiving or rejecting candidates for
admission, and of appointing the officers of the company,
civil and military.
The Royal Company consists of about 500 members.
There are weekly meetings of members at Edinburgh, in
the Meadows, when they exercise themselves in shooting
at butts and rovers; and in the adjoining ground they have
a handsome building called Archer's Hall, erected within
these 50 years, where they dine, and hold their elections
and other meetings relative to the business of the company.