14/10/2022
The current issue of Arrowhead – a newsletter published by the Society of Archer-Antiquaries contains some absolutely fascinating and previously unpublished information about 16th century archery equipment. It was unearthed by Ted Hart, who was combing through The Records of the Woolwich District by W T Vincent.
In the following extracted passage from an entry in 1599, there is a list of archery equipment inventoried in a local repair shop. So many stories and puzzles in this list.
Bowes to be repaired..............76
Shurbowes................................2
Crossbowes............................ 2
Bowestaves..............................6019
Shurbowes...............................47
Wrecks of bowestaves.......... 982
Arrowes, livery..........................30 shefe
Arrowes, decaied....................170 shefe
Arrowes, sherbowe.................127 shefe
Long bowe arrowes with fireworks…24
Musket arrowes........................22
Same to be new feathered.......24 shefe
What is a shurbowe ??? Why are there two entries for the same item?
Over six thousand bowstaves – wow that is a significant stock for a local repair shop, albeit in Woolwich , which subsequently became the site of Woolwich Arsenal.
Nearly a thousand ‘wrecks’ of bowstaves. Does this mean that broken bows were spliced together and reclaimed as new bows? Why else inventory broken parts.
Arrows ‘decayed’ – Presumably the shaft was ok but possibly the fletchings had feather mites and were there to be re-fletched?
Arrows for a shurbowe – again, what is a shurbowe???
Longbowe arrows with fireworks – obviously incendiary arrows.
Musket arrows ????? Were these arrows that could be shot from a musket/arquebus in the same way that the first canon shot a type of arrow. I could see these being used at sea for incendiary arrows. Has anyone encountered this term before?
This is an absolute treasure trove of new information to stimulate enquiry. Archery remained extremely important for Naval warfare well into the Elizabethan era. As readers of my book War Bows will know, longbows were an essential part of Sir Francis Drake’s shipboard arsenal in his voyages to the New World, with its raids on Spanish shipping. Even so, it is noteworthy to find an account of such abundant military archery stocks this late.
I have used an image of the Mary Rose bows, simply because they are the closest in date to this document. The Mary Rose sank in 1545
