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An Arrow that Changed History

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dmassphoto:
Thought you guys might enjoy this link I found on a random search today....

http://bowsbladesandbattles.tripod.com/id46.html

It talks about the wounding of Henry V at Shrewsbury by a Welsh arrow to the face.

CraigMBeckett:
Interesting, and thank you posting the address.

Where on earth do you get the idea that the arrow was Welsh. There is absolutely no evidence to support this. Henry Percy's archers were overwhelmingly from Cheshire and thus English.

It is thought that some Welsh from the Cheshire borders joined with Percy and if true they would have almost certainly been spear-men not archers. It is the south Welsh who were the renowned archers while the north Welsh were renowned spear-men.

Craig.

dmassphoto:
Ahh, I never knew there was much of a difference in the North/South Welsh population.  I read it in a couple books a few years ago, so my memory may be hazy, but I always thought the archers at Shrewsbury were Welsh.  Either way, it would take an excellent archer to hit the Prince of England in the face as he was charging.

bow-toxo:

--- Quote from: CraigMBeckett on April 10, 2011, 10:47:44 pm ---Interesting, and thank you posting the address.

Where on earth do you get the idea that the arrow was Welsh. There is absolutely no evidence to support this. Henry Percy's archers were overwhelmingly from Cheshire and thus English.

It is thought that some Welsh from the Cheshire borders joined with Percy and if true they would have almost certainly been spear-men not archers. It is the south Welsh who were the renowned archers while the north Welsh were renowned spear-men.

Craig.

--- End quote ---

As usual you are well informed. But I would add that Percy was joined by members of Richard’s disbanded Cheshire archer bodyguard and there was Welsh influence in Chester, which had been part of Wales and was renowned for archery, and I believe a Welsh chieftain did show up with his archers.

CraigMBeckett:
Hi Bow-toxo,

Sorry but your history of Cheshire is wrong it was not Welsh and had not been for centuries. The Romans first conquered the area and made it part of Roman Britain, following the Roman withdrawal in the 5th Centuary the area became part of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia, which then merged into the larger Saxon Kingdom of England, (If one ignores the Danish Invasions).

Cheshire had not been Welsh since the days of the Mercian Saxon Kings when in 616, Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeated a Welsh army at the Battle of Chester, and as at the time of Shrewsbury the Welsh Princes were still prevalent in their country and were thus sworn Enemies of the English in Chester so I doubt that there was any Welsh influence in the city, (most marcher cities had laws against the Welsh even being within the City walls or even their side of Offa's Dyke). It is the English people of Cheshire who were renowned for their archery, Cheshire archers formed the basis of most English archery corps and were used as royal body guards etc, but at the time of Shrewsbury they had been fighting on Richards side against Henry IV and if accounts are true they loathed the man.

I have been unable to find mention of any Welsh archers only of Welsh local to the borders of Cheshire.

Craig.

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