Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Questions concerning Rate of "fire" per minute
CraigMBeckett:
--- Quote from: bumppo on January 30, 2012, 03:11:25 pm ---Reference for 1415 exchequer records for the Duke of York, reporting an incident in which 4 archers are removed from the rolls for failing to shoot the necessary ten arrows a minute.
The manuscript is in the National Archives, in the exchequer records (E) and the call number for the manuscript is E101/45/19. You can get copies through the National Archives website either sent to you via e-mail or as photocopies. A word of warning - you need to be able to read exchequer script and latin to be able to decipher it!
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordcopying/default.aspx
As far as what a minute was, its very doubtful it matches our understanding of 60 seconds. Musicians did keep time, oarsman on ships kept time, astronomers measured time very accurately with various mechanical clocks. One of the most important functions of timekeeping in the middle ages was for religious purposes, signaling times for prayer etc. and a variety of devices were used to keep track of the hour.... candles, sundials, clocks..... and its very probable Harfleur had a clock tower in 1415, but most certainly would not have had a minute hand.
My way of thinking leads me to the simplest solution, somebody just counted a simple cadence, or maybe sang or played a short song at a certain tempo, probably an older archer skilled in this test. He was probably taught how to do it the way a musician would have been taught to play a song, or monks to chant....... by ear. This to me means there had to be some variation to the length of this test, and was not exactly 60 seconds. However it probably served to be good enough or accurate enough to designate which archers were deemed worthy to keep in the army.
--- End quote ---
Doubt that the service is available for a "Foreigner" such as I so why don't you get a copy and post it on here, something written in 15C is no longer in copyright.
Thanks for the info by the way.
Agree with you over time keeping.
Craig.
Ian.:
I have requested the document, its not available online it seems. I think it would be interesting to get some value as this question is quite common.
Its estimated to take a week so I will keep you posted.
Ringeck85:
Excellent, that source in public access would be enlightening to be sure. Thank you, Ian for requesting that document!
CraigMBeckett:
--- Quote from: Ian. on January 31, 2012, 11:18:04 am ---I have requested the document, its not available online it seems. I think it would be interesting to get some value as this question is quite common.
Its estimated to take a week so I will keep you posted.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for doing this Ian, I look forward to seeing it. If what Bumpo says it correct then my belief that this document did not exist was wrong. Do you read medieval Latin?
As a matter of interest is there a charge for this service from the National Archives?
Craig.
Ian.:
I must admit I dint think anything like this existed. I think there will be a charge but I have to wait for the Archives to E-mail me.
I don't read the language, but I know some that do and I am prepared to spend some time translating it. I do want to be able to read it one day. I may post it on a few armourer forums as I know many of them can read it.
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