The History of the Royal Company of Archers: The Queen's Body-guard for Scotland

Front matter

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Preface

At an interval of nearly a hundred and fifty years since it was first talked of, the history of The Royal Company of Archers has been written, — with what success it is for the members of the Company, and those of the general public who may take any interest in the matter, to judge. The work, which has several times been taken in hand, but never till now completed, is simply a compilation from the minutes of meetings and other records, which have been kept with wonderful regularity since its embodiment in 1676 ; these have been condensed as much as possible, a few remarks thrown in as connecting links, and some notes on the general history of Archery in Scotland inserted in the first chapter.

The Royal Company may well be proud of the position which it at present holds. Few societies can boast of so long and so honourable an existence. It possesses authentic records covering a space of two centuries, and there is much reason to believe that the period of its original organisation extends considerably beyond the date of its first records. And it is yet far from sinking into the dotage of a too long extended life ; on the

IV PREFACE.

contrary, it not only exists with unimpaired vigour and undiminished prestige, but with an increasing number of members, and a more and more widely-spread popularity. May it long continue to keep up its reputation both for skill in archery, and for untarnished loyalty to that Sovereign Lady whose Body-Guard it has the honour to be !

Chapter I. Page

Claims of the Royal Company to have its history recorded — Early notices of the bow in Scripture — Egyptian bows — Homer's description of a bow — Ancient mode of shooting — Papingo competition described by Homer — The bow in Britain — Honourable Artillery Company— Progress of archery in England — Works upon archery — Roger Ascham, etc. — Archery in Scotland — Early Acts of Parliament on the subject — Discouragement of football and golf — The Scottish Archer-Guard of France — Its mythical origin — Description of the body — Gradual decline — Scots Acts from James II. to James V. — "Christ's Kirk on the Green " — Decline of archery in Scotland as a military art — Queen Mary an archer — Ladies* archery clubs — Archers in the Royal Scots Regiment in 1699 — Old burgh arrows in Scotland — Institution of the Royal Company in 1676, . i

Chapter II

First embodiment of Scottish Archers — Existence of an Archers* Company previous to 1676 — Early records of the Royal Company — Regulations for their government — Application to the Privy Council — Appointment of bowmaker — Captain-General the Marquess of Atholl — Uniform — Parade of 4th June 1677 — Competitions previous to 1676 — Tarbat elected Lieutenant-General — Blank in the history of the Company from 1679- 1703 — Probable existence of the Company during that period — Tarbat appointed Captain-General — Shooting at the goose — New charter granted to the Company by Queen Anne — Letter of thanks to the Captain-General. . . . . . .18

CHAPTER in.

Continued prosperity of the Company — Prize of Edinburgh Arrow instituted — Letter from the Earl of Cromarty — Public march — Butts at the Parliament House — Another letter from the Captain-General — Rule anent shooting — Uniform fixed upon — Chaplain appointed — Colours presented by officers — Grand

VI CONTENTS.

inarch to Leith, 17 14 — Arrangements with bowmakers — Death of the Captain- General — Appointment of the Earl of Wemyss — Another march — The Royal Company attend the theatre — Expense of a last-century dinner — Death of the Earl of Wemyss — His son the first winner of the silver punch-bowl — Duke of Hamilton and Brandon appointed Captain-General — ^Allan Ramsay — Musselburgh Arrow — Public march to shoot for Edinburgh Arrow — Yews procured from Loch Lomond— History of the Company proposed to be written, 1728 — New colours got, and grand march — The Governor of Damascus — March and court-martial of officers — David Beatt — Freebairn's French poem, . . 45

Chapter IV

Death of David Drummond, President of the Council — Poem in memory of him — Other verses in connection with him — Parade of Royal Company and ball — Death of the Duke of Hamilton, and appointment of the Earl of Wemyss as Captain-General — Royal Archers in the '45 — Lockhart of Carnwath — Expulsion of Murray of Broughton — Various prizes presented by private members — Dr Nathaniel Spens — Silver bowl enlarged — Maitland*s History of Edinburgh — Death of Lord Wemyss, and appointment of the Duke of Queensberry as Captain- General — George Neilson — Angelo Tremomondo — Dr Carlyle — Archers' Hall built— Theatre patronised by the Royal Company — St Clair of Roslin — Indian long-bow — Ballot for entry introduced — Death of the Captain- General, and appointment of the Duke of Buccleuch — Stamping bows — Good shooting — Reindeer horns presented — Peebles Arrow — Distinguished intrants — Councillors' medals presented — Diploma from the Toxopholite Society, and answer from the Royal Company — " Two strings to your bow," . * 7S

Chapter V

Proposed history of the Company by Hugo Arnot and Alexander Brown — King's Prize instituted — Diploma to and from the Woodmen of Arden — Entry-money raised — Uniform changed — Dr Spens* portrait — Ludicrous duel — Riots in Edinburgh — Declaration of loyalty — "Pagoda" medals — Incidents of shooting — Wonderful shot of the Turkish Ambassador's Secretary at London — Sir James Pringle's portrait — Bugle-horn — Dinner-meetings altered — Mungo Park — Position and strength of the Company in 1805 — Earl Moira — Dr Spens elected President of the Council — Captain-General the Duke of Buccleuch succeeded by his son — Another alteration in the uniform — Snuff-boxes given as prizes — Challenge by the bachelors of the Company — Lord Elibank elected President of the Council — Address to the Prince Regent — Selkirk Arrow — North American Indians at Archers' Hall — Their mode of shooting — Performances at the theatre, .......... 106

CHAPTER VL

Notes of shooting — Earl of Hopetoun elected Captain-General— Earl of Dalhousie made President of the Council— Dinner to Dr Duncan — The King's visit to Scotland, 1822— Royal Company appointed Body-guard to his Majesty— Arrangements for performing the duties — Alteration of uniform — Entry of

CONTENTS. Vll

George IV. into Edinburgh— Performing the "Reddendo" by presentation of barbed arrows to the King — Levee at Holyrood— Address to the King— Procession from Holyrood to the Castle — Letter to the Captain General— The Archers attend the embarkation of his Majesty at Hopetoun — Portrait of the Earl of Hopetoun — The Hopetoun royal commemoration vase presented by the Captain- General — Excursion to Selkirk and Peebles— A "bottomless riddle " — Death of Lord Hopetoun — The Royal Company offer to attend his funeral — Duke of Montrose appointed Captain-General — Dinner in his honour nearly interfered with by great fire in Edinburgh — Bust of the King presented by the Captain-General — Court-dress of the Company — Presentation of gold stick by the King — Qualification of membership altered, . . .139

CHAPTER VIL

Dinner arrangements — Disturbance among the members, 1829 — Member expelled — Question as to powers of Council — Memorial to counsel on the subject, and answers thereto — Two members of Council challenged — End of dispute — Report of committee on uniform — Remarks on the report — Early tartan dress — Letter from Oliphant of Gask — Border-green cloth adopted — Dispute with the tacksman of the Meadows — Death of George IV., and proclamation of his successor — Presentation of official staffs by William IV. — Resignation of the Captain-General — Earl of Dalhousie elected to the vacant office — Royal Company put on the same footing as the Life-Guards as regards gold and silver sticks — Claim of Kilwinning Archers to guard the King in the west of Scotland — Disposal of the claims — Alteration of court-dress — Duke of Buccleuch elected President of the Council — Coronation of the King — Position of the Duke of Buccleuch at the ceremony as Gold Stick of Scotland — Fees of entry raised, .......... 169

CHAPTER VIIL

Return of Captain-General from India — Ceremony of presenting the colours given by the King to the Company — Picture of the Captain - General receiving the colours — Spens Medal — Dalhousie Sword — Appointment of officers — Misunderstanding about the Selkirk Arrow — Sword added to uniform — Band resolved on — Death of the King, and proclamation of Queen Victoria — Death of the Captain-General — Offer to attend his funeral declined— Appointment of the Duke of Buccleuch as his successor — Fees of admission raised to £2S — Captain-General takes his place as Gold Stick of Scotland at the coronation — Prize-Badges introduced — Valuable bows — Visit of the Queen to Scotland — Account of the services performed by the Body-guard on that occasion — Presentation of the " Reddendo " of barbed arrows — Chinese standards presented — Curious match between an arrow and a golf-ball — Sir George Mackenzie's proposals — Wapinschaw agreed to be held — Memorial from old officers, and decision of Council thereon — Account of the Wapinschaw — Lord Dalhousie elected President of the Council — Montrose Arrow instituted — Royal Company refuse to take part in the inauguration ceremonial of the Wellington Statue, . 195

Vlll CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX.

Proposal to form the Royal Company into a Volunteer Rifle Corps — Opinion of the Council adverse to any change — Regulation anent payment of entry-money — Report by Committee on the laws and charter of the Royal Company — Statement by one of the members of Committee — Resolutions moved at general meeting, 1858 — Death of the Earl of Morton, Vice-President of the Council — Resignation of Mr Secretary Watson — Appointment of Chaplain — Dinner to Officers of 78th Highlanders — Resignation of Presidency of the Council by the Marquess of Dalhousie — Volunteer review, i860 — Guard of honour furnished to her Majesty by the Royal Company — Proposed attendance on Prince Albert in 1861 — Did not take place — Portraits of the Captain-General and the Marquess of Dalhousie — Changes on shooting-dress — New bonnet and bow-case — Ball in honour of the Prince of Wales' marriage — Chaplain and Surgeon- General appointed — Balls in 1869 and 1874 — Conclusion of this part of the history of the Royal Company, ....... 225

CHAPTER X.

THE MEETING-PLACES OF THE ROYAL COMPANY.

Shooting at butts and rovers — Taverns in the olden time— John Monro's — Lauriston Yards — Robert Finlayson*s — Erection of butts on the west side of the Parliament House — The Protestants — The Royal Company get a grant of ground in Hope Park, 1726 — Erection of butts there — Proposal to build a hall 1776 — Foundation-stone laid by St Clair of Roslin, i6th August — Account of the Hall — The portraits — Subscriptions from inhabitants of George Square solicited — The financial difficulties of the Company begin — Match dinners instituted — Reduction of rent granted to the tenant of the Hall — Bowling-green established, 1791 — Unsuccessful endeavours to pay off the debt — Liabilities of the Company in connection with the Hall — History of the Hall as a tavern, and account of its various occupiers — Dinners at the Hall — A guest night — " The Mark " — Changes in the locality of the shooting-ground — Erection of covered butts, 1790, . . . '254

CHAPTER XI.

LYRICS OF THE ROYAL COMPANY.

Early poems in connection with the Royal Company — 'Archerie Revived,' 1676 — The preface — Account of^ the author — Extracts from the poem — Poem by Robertson of Struan — ^Anonymous poem — Cadet company of Archers at the High School — Allan Ramsay and his contemporaries — Dr Pitcaim and the Jacobite Latin verse-writers — French dramatic poem by James Freebairn — Verses on St Clair of Roslin — Archers' songs at the beginning of the nineteenth century — *The Body-g^ard' — *The Bulls* — Professor Maclagan's song — Poem on Archery by Mr Muir, . . . 272

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER XII.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIZES.

Musselburgh Arrow — Antiquity of this prize — Ancient regulations as to shooting for it — Remarkable medals attached to the Arrow — Latin inscription by Thomas Kincaid — Murray of Broughton — His badge and inscription thereon — List of winners — The prize of the Goose — Old manner of shooting for the Goose — Present mode of competition — Institution of the "Goose Medal" — Winners* names — Edinburgh Arrow — Regulaitions — Proclamation of the competition " by tuck of drum ** — Parades of the Company to shoot for the Arrow — Curious inscriptions on the medals — List of winners — The Silver Bowl — Institution of the prize — Regulations for shooting — Ladle added to the bowl — Addition made to its size — Change in the regulations for shooting — Winners* names — The Queen's Prize — First notice of royal prize — Institution of present prize in 1787 — Shot for at Wapinschaw in 1844 — Institution of badge by Lord Dalhousie, .......... 305

CHAPTER XIIL

DESCRIPTION OF PRIZES — Continued,

The Pagoda Medal — Account of its origin and history — Winners* names — The Butt Medal — Institution of and mode of shooting for the prize — Winners' names — The Bugle-horn— First instituted in 1800— New prize presented by Sir Henry Jardine in 1830 — List of winners — The St Andrew Cross — Regulations for shooting — ^Winners' names — Hopetoun royal commemoration prize — Its origin — Winners* names — Papingo medal — Origin of the name — Former mode of shooting for this prize — Winners* names — Speas Anniversary Medal — List of winners — Dalhousie Sword — Description of the prize — Winners* names — Peebles Arrow — Its early history — Revived 1784 — Winners* names — Selkirk Arrow — List of winners — Stirling Arrow — Montrose Arrow — Biggar Jug, 333

ILLUSTRATIONS.

XII

His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, K.G., &c.

Frontispiece.

The Earl of Wemyss, ....... 52

John, Fourth Earl of Hopetoun, G.C.B., . . 144

George, Ninth Earl of Dalhousie, G.C.B., .... 196

Henry, Third Viscount Melville, G.C.B., &c., . . . 250

The Edinburgh Silver Arrow, 1709, . 314

Silver Punch-Bowl and Ladle, 1720, ..... 326

Old Musselburgh Arrow, 1603- 17 12, Peebles Silver Arrow,

Selkirk Silver Arrow, Musselburgh Arrow, 17 13,

Papingo Medal,

Queen's Prize Badge,

Dalhousie Sword Badge,

Bugle-Horn,

Spens Anniversary Medal, j

Pagoda Medal and Goose Medal, I

Hopetoun Prize Badge, J

The Hopetoun Royal Commemoration Prize, 1822, .

Dalhousie Sword.

Standards of the Royal Company of Archers. Gold Sticks given by George IV. and William IV. The Biggar Jug.

St Andrew's Cross, Vignette,

Note.— The six coloured portraits are from water-colour copies taken (by Mr John Adam) from the original paintings in oil, and engraved and coloured by Messrs Kronheim & Co., London. The eminent autot>'pists, Messrs Spencer, Sawyer, Bird, & Co., have depicted the prizes by their permanent process.

340 350

THE HISTORY

OF THE

THE QUEEN'S BODY-GUARD FOR SCOTLAND.

Chapter I

EARLY NOTICES OF THE BOW IN SCRIPTURE — NOTICES OF ARCHERY BY HOMER — PROGRESS OF ARCHERY IN ENGLAND — WORKS UPON ARCHERY — ARCHERY IN

SCOTLAND EARLY ACTS OF PARLIAMENT ON THE SUBJECT — DISCOURAGEMENT

OF FOOTBALL AND GOLF — THE SCOTTISH ARCHER -GUARD OF FRANCE — ITS MYTHICAL ORIGIN — DESCRIPTION OF THE BODY — GRADUAL DECLINE — SCOTS ACTS FROM JAMES II. TO JAMES V. — "CHRIST*S KIRK ON THE GREEN " — DECLINE OF ARCHERY IN SCOTLAND AS A MILITARY ART — QUEEN MARY AN ARCHER — ladies' ARCHERY CLUBS — OLD BURGH ARROWS IN SCOTLAND — INSTITUTION OF THE ROYAL COMPANY IN 1 676.

"N the following chapters we propose to narrate the history of the Royal Company of Archers — now the Queen's Body-Guard for Scotland — from the time of its first institution, or at least from the period at which its earliest authentic records begin, down to the present time. It is a history not unworthy of being written, being that of a body which has comprised among its members men of the greatest eminence in the most various walks of life, and some of whom are intimately connected with the political and social his-

A tory of Scotland herself. It is a body, too, which has accomplished with the greatest success the object for which it was formed — namely, to keep up the practice of archery in Scotland, and to prevent falling into disuse a healthful and manly exercise, in which our forefathers so much excelled. Before, however, entering upon the narration of our story, it may not be out of place briefly to glance at the progress which archery had made in Scotland, and the decay into which it was falling previous to the latter part of the seventeenth century.

The use of the bow is undoubtedly of very ancient origin. It was probably used in the first instance as a weapon of the chase, in order to slay animals for the food of man. We read in Genesis that Ishmael "dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer;" and again, we find the instruments of archery more directly referred to when Isaac says to his son Esau, " Take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and take me some venison." It was not long, however, ere the bow came to be used for less innocent purposes than the slaying of beasts. As a more artificial state of society grew up, the bow was speedily turned into an instrument of war. It is curious how little its shape has changed during the long ages in which it has been used, the bows employed by the ancient Egyptians being almost identical with those of more modem date. The arrows, too, of that people were, as regards the feathers, made in a manner exactly similar to our own. The arrow itself was of wood, with a metal head, the latter most commonly lance-shaped. Quivers and bowcases were also used by the Egyptians.

Among the nations of antiquity renowned for their skill in archery, the Scythians and the Persians stand pre-eminent. The Greeks were also well skilled in the use of the bow, the origin of which they attributed to Apollo. From a description by Homer, horn would seem to have been the material used in fashioning the weapon, and it is probable that most of the Asiatic bows were made of it, at least in some degree. The bow of Pandarus is thus described : —

'*Twas fonn'd of horn, and smoothed with artful toil, A mountain goat resigned the shining spoil, Who, pierc'd long since, beneath his arrows bled ; The stately quarry on the cliffs lay dead. And sixteen palms his brows large honours spread : The workman joined, and shap'd the bended horns. And beaten gold each taper point adorns."

— Iliad, iv. 137 (Pope).

A few lines further on we find the mode of drawing the bow described : —

" Now with full force the yielding horn he bends, Drawn to an arch, and joins the doubling ends ; Close to his breast he strains the nerve below, Till the barb'd point approach the arching bow : The impatient weapon whizzes in the wing, Sounds the tough horn, and twangs the quivering string."

From these lines it would seem that the ancient method of shooting was by drawing the butt of the arrow close to the breast, and not to the ear, as is the modern practice. It was owing to this that the Amazons are said to have cut off their right breasts. In a picture prefixed to Moseley's * Essay on Archery,' an archer is represented drawing a bow to his breast ; but there is no doubt that the fashion of drawing to the ear has prevailed for a very long time, the superiority of the latter method being easily apparent

Many other allusions to archery are made in Homer, but we will only refer to one more. From it we may see that the art was not only practised as a part of the art of war, but mingled in the sports of the arena. In the funeral games following the death of Patroclus, there is a description of what would now be termed "papingo" or "popinjay" shooting — that is to say, a bird was fastened to the top of a pole, and he whose arrow pierced the captive gained the prize. In the case to which we allude, the prize was ten double-edged battle-axes, to be won by the slayer of the bird ; he whose arrow only cut the bonds was to receive an equal number of single-edged axes. Achilles proceeds to make arrangements for the contest : —

" The mast which late a first-rate galley bore, The hero fixes in the sandy shore ; To the tall top a milk-white dove they tie, The trembling mark at which their arrows fly."

The competitors then, in modern archery parlance, " draw a

party : " —

..." Experienced Merion took the word, And skilftil Teucer ; in the helm they threw Their lots inscribed, and forth the latter flew : Swift from the string the sounding arrow flies, But flies unblest ! no grateful sacrifice, No firstling lambs, unheedful ! didst thou vow To Phoebus, patron of the shaft and bow ; For this thy well-aim'd arrow turn'd aside, Err*d from the dove, yet cut the cord that tied : Adown the main-mast fell the parted string. And the free bird to heaven displays her wing."

Merion then shoots, after vowing a sacrifice to Apollo : —

" The dove, in airy circles as she wheels Amid the clouds, the piercing arrow feels ; Quite through and through the point its passage found. And at his feet fell bloody to the ground. The wounded bird, ere yet she breath'd her last. With flagging wings alighted on the mast ; A moment hung, and spread her pinions there. Then sudden dropt, and left her life in air."

Passing from classical times and scenes, and looking at our own island, we find the introduction of the bow into Britain involved in much obscurity. That it was known at an extremely early period is certain from the many flint arrow-heads which have from time to time been discovered. The Saxons were acquainted with its use, as is seen from many representations in manuscripts, though it does not seem quite clear that they employed it as a weapon of war. After the Norman conquest, however, the bow rose rapidly

ROYAL COMPANY OF ARCHERS. S

in estimation as a military weapon. The people were encouraged in the practice of archefy, and the English bowmen were soon of world-wide reputation, and showed their prowess in many a wellfought field. It is curious, nevertheless, to find, that even when the glory of English archery was at its height in the reign of Edward III., a complaint was made by that monarch to the sheriffs of London, declaring that other and useless games were interfering with the practice of archery, and ordering them to see that more time was spent by the populace in shooting with the bow : offenders were to be punished with imprisonment Similar regulations were promulgated in the reigns of Richard II. and Edward IV. King Henry VIII. granted a charter to certain gentlemen, empowering them to form a company or guild of " artillery of long-bowes, cross-bowes, and hand-gonnes." This company was called the Fraternity of St George, and still exists, though in a somewhat different form, as the Honourable Artillery Company of London. They were granted certain privileges of dress, being allowed to wear any sort of embroidery or silver " in their gownes, jackettes, cootys and dublettys, and any maner of silkys, as veluet, satten, and damaske (the colours of purple and scarlet oonly excepted) on theyr gownes and jackettes." They were also permitted to practise shooting at all kinds of marks and butts, and at the popinjay. The members of the Company were exempted from serving as jurymen. If any person happened to be wounded by one of them, the shooter was not to be held responsible, provided he had called out the word **fast" before shooting. A second charter to the Artillery Company was granted by James I., by which the marks which had existed in the time of Henry VIII., and which had been destroyed, were ordered to be again put up. Charles I. also granted a similar charter ; and the " merry monarch " himself, if we are to judge from the preface to Wood's * Bowman's Glory ' (1682), was an archer of some skill. Long previous to his reign, however, the fate of the bow as an instrument of war had been sealed, though down to comparatively late times there have not been wanting those who advocated its use in preference to firearms. Even as an amusement, archery seems to have been much neglected for many years. In the first half of the eighteenth century, the only societies which practised shooting with the bow were the Royal Company of Archers in Scotland, the Honourable Artillery Company, and perhaps one or two societies in the midland counties of England. In 1780, the Toxopholite Society was founded by Sir Ashton Lever ; and about that time several other archery companies began to be formed throughout England. From this time a strong reaction in favour of archery set in ; and now there are few counties in England that cannot boast of a good company of bowmen, and the largely-attended meetings of the various bodies' prove how popular the art has again become.

Of books on the subject there is no lack ; but a really good history of archery has still to be written. The earliest book of the kind is Roger Ascham s * Toxophilus, the schole or partitions of shooting, contayned in two books, Pleasaunt for all gentlemen and yomen of Englande. For theyr pastime to reade, and profitable for theyr use to followe both in warre and peace.' Ascham wrote this treatise in 1 544 : it is in the form of a dialogue between Philologus and Toxophilus, the first part being an account of ancient archery and a disquisition on the merits and advantages of the art in general, and the second part containing practical hints as to shooting with the bow. It is written in a graceful and flowing style, the language being much superior to the usual English written in that day. It is a book many parts of which may be even yet read with pleasure and profit. The standard works on archery are Moseley's * Essay on Archery' (1792) and Roberts's * English Bowman' (1801); but both treat more of the practical portion of the art than of its history. Both, too, want arrangement, the facts not being laid down in very lucid order. There are several books of ' Anecdotes of Archery,' but they do not contribute much to the history of the subject The best modem work is * The Theory and Practice of Archery,' by Mr Horace Ford, himself an excellent practical archer. He confines himself, however, to giving instruction in shooting, and does not enter at any length on a historical account of the art.

Having taken the above extremely cursory glance at the progress which archery made in the sister kingdom, let us turn our attention a little more particularly to the history of the art in Scotland. Without referring to prehistoric times, or discussing the question of flint arrow-heads, and the knowledge of archery possessed by the aboriginal inhabitants of North Britain, let us look at the first mention of bows which occurs in the statute-book. We find this in the reign of King William the Lion, in the latter part of the twelfth century. Of course, by this time the long-bow, the use of which the Normans had introduced, or rather revived, in England, was a recognised instrument of warfare, and so we find it playing a prominent part in the equipment of a soldier of that period. The Act to which we refer is entitled — " of them quha comes to the hoist ; '' and after saying that all men between sixty years of age and sixteen are to be armed according to their position in life, it is enacted ** that he quha hes fiftene pond l^nde, or fourtie merks worth in moveable gudes, sail have ane horse, ane habergeon, ane knapiskay ^ of iron, ane sword, ane dagger.