Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Questions concerning Rate of "fire" per minute
Ian.:
Reply Received - they have said that the information I requested is not easy to find and will need an independant researcher to look into it. So two options, One I will request the whole document make it avaliable to others and we will find the reference. Or if someone is close to the Kew records office where the document is kept if that person doesn't mind spending a little time looking at records the national archives staff would be willing to give free advice.
Thoughts?
bumppo:
We went over this topic in October 2010 in another post. I found a reference to the ten rounds a minute in Juliet Barkers "Agincourt", 2005, page 303.
"two days before the departure from Harfleur, his numbers had been reduced to eighty men-at-arms and 296 archers (four of the latter had been struck off because they could not fire the required minimum ten aimed arrows per minute." This refers to the Duke of York
I contacted Ms. Barker about the remark, and she gave me the National Archive reference number. I cannot say if the record was accurately interpreted or not and it would be great to see the original records. I contacted the National Archives and was given an estimate for the researcher to find the records. I can't remember what the exact cost was, just that it was pretty darn expensive.
Ian, if you get an estimate, I'd be willing to chip in towards the expense to see this to a conclusion. I can't make it to Kew any time soon, its a long way from Alaska!
There are so many questions in that one line, I don't think we will ever know. What did "aimed" mean, what does "minute" mean, why being so short of men, would the Duke of York send anyone home? It seems he had already lost almost half his men at Harfleur..... Did those archer deliberately fail the test guessing what was ahead of them?
Ian.:
Yeah I have requested copies of everything, there may be more good stuff hidden there. Nit picking here but if she has said 'fire' then it hasn't been translated perfectly. ;D
Although it seems like a small amount Richard Wages book does have some interesting figures about how much the crown requested and how much was sent. It shows that there was some very accurate accounting going on, I will have to find the page again.
Thanks for the offer as well.
peasant1381:
Rate of shot is just the tip of the iceberg, ten aimed arrows in a minute, aimed at what and at what range? Now imagine trying to replicate it. What poundage of bow, what arrow? what target?
CraigMBeckett:
--- Quote from: Ian. on February 01, 2012, 07:13:57 am ---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.
--- End quote ---
My son has finally got around to going to uni, starting in a week or so, and is going to study archaeology as one of his subjects, so I would think that there should be someone in his department or elsewhere at his university that reads the language, so if you post it or send it to me I may be able to persuade him to find someone to translate it.
Craig.
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