From a Harleian MS. in the British Museum.
John Yonge, Somerset Herald, who attended Margaret Tudor, the daughter of Henry VII., on her journey to Scotland for her marriage to James IV., states under the date Alnwick, 27th July, 1503: "Two mylle from the sayd place, the sayd Erle (Northumberland) cam and mett hyr well accompayned, and brought hyr thorough hys park, when she kylde a Buk with hyr bow."
In Sir II. Nicolas' Household Expenses of Henry VIII. we find these entries:
May, 1530. Itm the same day paid to Scawsely for bowys, arrowys, shafts, brode hedds, bracer, and shooting glove for my Lady Anne xxxiijs iijd.
June. Itm the same daye paied to the King's Bowyer for iiij bowes for my ladye Anne at iiijs iiijd, a pece xxiiijs iiijd.
June, 1537. Itm payed to Charles Morley for Bowes, Arowes, a qwyver, wt other thinge for my lade g'ce xijs xd.
These show us that archery was among the Royal amusements of this time. Elizabeth is said to have been extremely fond of hunting, and to have been expert with her bow. Roger Ascham, a great lover of archery who wrote the first treatise on the pastime, and after whom the long cupboards so well known to every archer are named, was Elizabeth's tutor, though whether he initiated her in the mysteries of the art is not known, but certain it is that during this Queen's reign archery was a popular pastime among the ladies of the Court.
When Elizabeth was being entertained by Lord Montecute at Cowdray, in Sussex, it is stated in Nicol's Progresses that "On Munday at eight of the clock in the morning her Highnes tooke horse and rode into the parke, where was a delicate bowre prepared under the which were her Highnesse musicians placed, and a crossebowe by a Nymph with a sweet song, delivered to her hands, to shoot at the deere, about some thirtie in number, put into a paddock, of which number she killed three or four, and the Countesse of Kildare one. Aug. 18th, 1591."
It is stated on this occasion, that the Queen was surpassed in skill with the bow by her favourite Lady Desmond, the latter, however, courtierlike, avoided giving her mistress any cause for jealousy, by judiciously missing her quarry occasionally. Again Robert Cary, Earl of Monmouth, speaking of events which happened in 1596 says "the Queen came to dinner to Enfield House, and had butts set upon the park to shoot at marks after dinner."[5]
[5] Memories of Robert Cary, Earl of Monmouth.