Royal Company of Archers
Encyclopedia
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit
that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard
in Scotland
, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV
, when the company
provided a personal bodyguard to the King
on his visit
to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's Bodyguard For Scotland, and is located at Edinburgh. The Royal Company of Archers has a long history in Scotland as a body that celebrated both the recreation and talent of local archers
. As a royally-established body, the company has a long history of unique prizes, powerful supporters, and ceremonial powers.
and other civil magistrate
s to attend a muster in their respective counties
at least 20 days in advance of the meeting. The civil magistrates, in conjunction with commissioners appointed by the King, supervised this body of militia
, divided it into companies, and appointed captains. People of all stations were obligated to play their part in each rendezvous and to show up equipped in military gear that conformed to their respective ranks. The Lord
s and Baron
s were required to provide a list of the members of their company and the weapons they brought with them to the civil magistrates and King's commissioners. The commissioners then compiled a list of the whole muster, which was presented to the King.
Following the old laws of wapinschaw, the Jacobites
formed a plan to institutionalise a military corps under a pretext of sports and recreation that could be assembled by an authority as occasion offered. A society for encouraging and exercising archery had already been formed in 1676 as a private archery club. This society sought and acquired the patronage of the Scottish Privy Council, which provided a prize that was shot for by the company. The company consisted of noblemen and gentlemen of distinction. The Marquis of Athole
was the company's Captain-General in 1670; and they held frequent meetings during the reign of the royal brothers. No traces of this company exist for some time after the Glorious Revolution
. Upon the accession of Queen Anne
, and death of the Marquis of Athole, they appointed Sir George Mackenzie, then Lord Tarbat
and Secretary of State, and afterwards Earl of Cromarty, their Captain-General.
Having chosen a new leader, the society obtained from Queen Anne a charter
under the Great Seal of Scotland
, establishing them as a corporation by Letters Patent
, dated the 31 December 1713 into a Royal Company. These letters of patent: revived and ratified, on their behalf, the old laws and acts of Parliament that favored archery; gave them power to admit members, chose a President
and council, appoint commanding officer
s, and to meet and act under their officers' supervision in military form for weapon-shawing as often as they should think convenient; and prohibited the civil magistrate from interrupting their activities. These rights and privileges were designed after the mode of feudal tenure
, and to hold them in blanch fee
(reddendo) of Her Majesty and her successors
, therefore annually acknowledging a pair of barbed arrows
. The society received these rights and privileges in its charter from Queen Anne in 1704. In return for being endowed with "perpetual access to all public butts, plains and pasturages legally allotted for shooting arrows", the Royal Company is required to present to the Sovereign three barbed arrows on request.
The first such weapon-shawing was held on the 14 June 1714 with the Marquis of Athole as their Captain-General, even though he was in his 80s by this time, and the Earl of Wemyss as Lieutenant-General at the head of about 50 archers. On that occasion, the society shot a silver arrow
, presented to them by the City of Edinburgh
, at Leith
. The following year, the company doubled in number and was led by David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss
after the Marquis of Athole died.
After the first Jacobite rising in 1715 no parade
was held for nine years, but they resumed under James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton
on 4 August 1724 at Musselburgh
. However, after 1734 public parades were discontinued until after the Napoleonic Wars
.
in 1603, and follows in the traditions of other burgh
s of Scotland. A new, large, arrow was presented in 1713. The victor of the shooting retains the arrow for a year, and on handing it over to the next victor appends a medal to the arrow with an engraved personal motto, all of which are held by the Company. 103 such medals were held by the Company by 1816.
(1626), Selkirk (1675) and Edinburgh
.
The Edinburgh Arrow was presented by the City of Edinburgh in 1709, and the medals appended to it are in gold. The winner was at one time entitled to a prize of five pounds Sterling from the City, but this fell into abeyance after 1716. The 'Edinburgh Arrow' is an annual competition, known as the Sovereign's Prize since 28 July 1822 when it was competed for at the nearby Bruntsfield Links
. It is the rule of the prize "1. That the said Silver Arrow be shot for at the rovers in Leith Links, upon the second Monday of June yearly, at ten of the clock in the forenoon if the day be favourable; and if not, that the shooting be adjourned to the next fair Monday." 16 June 2009 marked the 300th anniversary of the first competition for The Edinburgh Arrow.
The three arrows are now depicted on one of the standards. Until the institution of the third prize only a pair of arrows were presented to the Sovereign on demand, this now increased to three.
and Ladle presented to the company in 1720, and likewise had medals appended to it by its winner.
The Bowl made to the value of £20, and the bill for its construction and the engraving on it came to £22, 13s. 9d. sterling. It had inscribed on one side the common seal of the Company, and on the opposite side the reverse of the seal; and between those, on one side a Saint Andrew, and on the other the following inscription: "Edinburgh, 20th June 1720. — The Councill of the Royall Company of Archers, viz., Mr David Drummond, Praeses, Thomas Kincaid, John Nairn, James Ross, Robert Lowis, John Lowis, John Carnegy, George Drummond, Tresr., William Murray and James Lowis, clerks, ordered this piece of plate to be furnished out of the stock of the Company, and to be shot for as ane annual pryze. at rovers by the said Company, as the Councill for the time shall appoint"
to the allies at the Treaty of Seringapatam
in 1792.
commemorating the 1822 visit by King George IV
is also competed for annually on the king's or queen's birthday, and known as the Commemoration Prize.
.
The above prizes were competed at the 180, 185 and 200 yards distance with two targets or 'clouts' as the aiming mark, one located at each end of the range.
Two further prizes are competed for 'at butts' or point blank distance.
At some time in the history of the Company the above method was adopted for shooting for the prize of the Goose by inserting a small glass globe of about an inch in diameter in the centre of the butt-mark, which is a circular piece of cardboard, four inches in diameter. The competitor whose arrow first breaks this globe is declared " Captain of the Goose " for the year, and was awarded the other gold medal presented by Major Spens.
The main duties of the company are now ceremonial, and since 1822 appointment as the Sovereign's 'Body Guard in Scotland' for George IV's visit to Edinburgh, include attending the Sovereign at various functions during the annual Royal Visit to Scotland when he or she approach within five miles of Edinburgh, including the Order of the Thistle
investitures at The High Kirk of Edinburgh
(St Giles Cathedral), the Royal Garden Party and the Ceremony of the Keys
at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the presentation of new colours to Scottish regiments. At the Holyrood-house they provide corridor guard of honour
.
The Company arrives at the Holyrood-house by march at noon, preceded by their pipes and drums band
, and holding the unstrung bows in their right hands. Initially they occupy the colonnades of the façade.
The Company has a march
, the Archer's March composed by Allan Ramsay
, which was played on special occasions.
Sound, sound the music, sound it,
Let hills and dales rebound it,
Let hills and dales rebound it
In praise of Archery.
Used as a Game it pleases,
The mind to joy it raises,
And throws off all diseases
Of lazy luxury.
Now, now our care beguiling,
When all the year looks smiling,
When all the year looks smiling
With healthful harmony.
The sun in glory glowing,
With morning dew bestowing
Sweet fragrance, life, and growing
To flowers and every tree.'
Tis now the archers royal,
An hearty band and loyal,
An hearty band and loyal,
That in just thought agree,
Appear in ancient bravery,
Despising all base knavery,
Which tends to bring in slavery,
Souls worthy to live free.
Sound, sound the music, sound it,
Fill up the glass and round wi't,
Fill up the glass and round wi't,
Health and Prosperity
To our great chief and officers,
To our president and counsellors,
To all who like their brave forbears
Delight in Archery.
commenced on 15 August 1776, and completed by Alexander Laing in 1777, now in Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh. The Hall was extended in 1900 by A.F. Balfour Paul, and recently refurbished. The Hall consists of a hall, forty feet by twenty-four, and eighteen feet high; two rooms of eighteen by nineteen, besides kitchen, cellars, lobby, and other apartments. The ground behind the house is laid out into a bowling-green, known as The Meadows or Hope Park
, a spot deriving its name from Sir Thomas Hope, who drained and converted it into an archery ground, maintained by the Edinburgh Bowling Club. The Hall serves as a venue for various dinners and meetings of the company.
The affairs of this company are managed by a President and six counsellors, who are chosen annually by the whole membership. The Council is vested with the power of receiving or rejecting candidates for admission, and of appointing the company's officers, civil and military.
The structure of the organisation is divided between officers (including a Secretary
, currently David Younger) and members. By seniority, the officers comprise one Captain-General, four Captains, four Lieutenants, four Ensigns and twelve Brigadiers.
From the starting membership of 50 the number of the corps numbered about 1,000 in late 18th century, but only exceeded five hundred by 1930s.
The Captain-General is the Gold Stick
for Scotland. In effect the size of the membership is more than that of a cadre light infantry battalion
in low (reduced) establishment of thee companies than a company
, and would equate more to the British Army regiment.
Every officer of the Archers is of the rank of a general, and the privates of the corps rank at Court as colonels.
Members of the Royal Company must be Scots or have strong Scottish connections. Membership is by election; the present membership totals around 530, with the active list of 400 who pay an annual £25 for membership.
The Company has two standards. The first of these bears on one side Mars
and Cupid
encircled in a wreath of thistles
, with this motto: In peace and war. On the other, a yew tree
, with two men dressed and equipped as archer
s, encircled as the former motto: Dal gloria vires (Glory Gives Strength). The other standard displays on one side, a lion rampant
gules
, on a field, or
encircled with a wreath
; on the top, a thistle and crown, motto: Nemo me impune lacessit
(no one provokes me with impunity). On the other, St Andrew on the cross on field argent
; at the top, a crown, motto: Dulce pro patria periculum (danger is sweet for one's country).
The three arrows on the standard were added after introduction of a third place winner in the competition since 1720.
as a part of their uniform
.
The original uniform of the corps appears to have been a "shooting" dress, consisting of a tartan, lined with white, trimmed with green and white ribbons; a white sash, with green tossels; and a blue bonnet, with a St. Andrew's cross
, a tartan coat, with knee-breeches and white vest; and a "common uniform," the coat of which was "a green lapelled frock." Tartan was fashionable at the time as an expression of anti-Union and pro-Jacobite sentiment and many of the Company were known Jacobites.
From 1713 to 1746 a red
tartan sett was used for uniform, but it has not been satisfactorily settled as to what sett of tartan this was, though it was intended to be patterned on that worn by Prince Charles Edward Stuart
. After 36 following the Battle of Culloden
the Act of Proscription
passed by Parliament which “proscribed or banned the making or wearing of Tartan cloths" was repealed, and from 1783 tartans were worn again. However, in 1789 the red tartan sett was discarded for the Black Watch
one. In 1734 the headgear worn by the corps was a flat bonnet, ornamented with green and white feathers
.
Until 1823 (and possibly later) the Royal Company of Archers still wore tartan.
Late in the 19th century when the Queen Victoria
opened the Glasgow Exhibition, Her Majesty's Scottish Bodyguard wore their dark green tunics (formerly of the "Black Watch" tartan), with black braid facings and a narrow stripe of crimson velvet in the centre; shoulder wings and gauntleted cuffs similarly trimmed; dark green trousers with black and crimson stripe; a bow case worn as a sash, adorned with two arrows forming a St. Andrew's cross surmounted by a crown; a black leather waist-belt with richly chased gold clasp; a short, gilt-headed Roman sword
, like an English bandsman's; Highland bonnet with thistle and one or more eagle feathers.
Their uniform until the Second World War, however has been a Court dress of green with gold embroidery, and cocked hat with a plume of dark cock's feathers.
The officers' dress has gold embroidery, and their rank is indicated by two or, in the case of the captain, three, feathers being worn in the bonnet.
The corps shooting dress is a dark-green tunic with crimson facings, shoulder-wings and gauntleted cuffs and dark-green trousers trimmed with black and crimson, a bow-case worn as a sash, of the same colour as the coat, black waistbelt with sword, Highland cap
with thistle
ornament and one or more eagle feathers, and a hunting knife
.
The weapon worn with this uniform is the sword.
Archers' Hall is a Category B listed building, i.e. "buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered" in compliance with Scotland's Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.
Honor guard
An honor guard, or ceremonial guard, is a ceremonial unit, usually military in nature and composed of volunteers who are carefully screened for their physical ability and dexterity...
that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard is the name given to three ceremonial units in the United Kingdom who are tasked with guarding the Sovereign. These units are:*Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms - formed 1509...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, when the company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
provided a personal bodyguard to the King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
on his visit
Visit of King George IV to Scotland
The 1822 visit of King George IV to Scotland was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland since 1650. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland, to divert him from diplomatic intrigue at the Congress of Verona.The visit increased his popularity...
to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's Bodyguard For Scotland, and is located at Edinburgh. The Royal Company of Archers has a long history in Scotland as a body that celebrated both the recreation and talent of local archers
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. As a royally-established body, the company has a long history of unique prizes, powerful supporters, and ceremonial powers.
Early history
During the 17th and 18th centuries in Scotland, a muster or military rendezvous, called a "wapinschaw" (a weapon-showing) was held at least twice a year. Men were summoned by the sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
and other civil magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s to attend a muster in their respective counties
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
at least 20 days in advance of the meeting. The civil magistrates, in conjunction with commissioners appointed by the King, supervised this body of militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, divided it into companies, and appointed captains. People of all stations were obligated to play their part in each rendezvous and to show up equipped in military gear that conformed to their respective ranks. The Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
s and Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s were required to provide a list of the members of their company and the weapons they brought with them to the civil magistrates and King's commissioners. The commissioners then compiled a list of the whole muster, which was presented to the King.
Following the old laws of wapinschaw, the Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
formed a plan to institutionalise a military corps under a pretext of sports and recreation that could be assembled by an authority as occasion offered. A society for encouraging and exercising archery had already been formed in 1676 as a private archery club. This society sought and acquired the patronage of the Scottish Privy Council, which provided a prize that was shot for by the company. The company consisted of noblemen and gentlemen of distinction. The Marquis of Athole
John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl
John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl, KT was a leading Scottish royalist and defender of the Stuarts during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until after the rise to power of William and Mary in 1689...
was the company's Captain-General in 1670; and they held frequent meetings during the reign of the royal brothers. No traces of this company exist for some time after the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
. Upon the accession of Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, and death of the Marquis of Athole, they appointed Sir George Mackenzie, then Lord Tarbat
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS , known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman....
and Secretary of State, and afterwards Earl of Cromarty, their Captain-General.
Having chosen a new leader, the society obtained from Queen Anne a charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
under the Great Seal of Scotland
Great Seal of Scotland
The Great Seal of Scotland allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each document individually. Wax is melted in a metal mould or matrix and impressed into a wax figure that is attached by cord or ribbon to documents that the monarch wishes to make official...
, establishing them as a corporation by Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
, dated the 31 December 1713 into a Royal Company. These letters of patent: revived and ratified, on their behalf, the old laws and acts of Parliament that favored archery; gave them power to admit members, chose a President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and council, appoint commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
s, and to meet and act under their officers' supervision in military form for weapon-shawing as often as they should think convenient; and prohibited the civil magistrate from interrupting their activities. These rights and privileges were designed after the mode of feudal tenure
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
, and to hold them in blanch fee
Blanch fee
Blanch fee, or blanch holding ,an ancient tenure in Scots land law, the duty payable being insilver or "white" money in contradistinction to gold. The phrase was afterwards applied to any holding of which the quit-rent was merely nominal, such as a penny, a peppercorn, etc....
(reddendo) of Her Majesty and her successors
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
, therefore annually acknowledging a pair of barbed arrows
Broad arrow
A broad arrow or pheon is a type of arrow with a typically flat barbed head. It is a symbol used traditionally in heraldry, most notably in England, and later the United Kingdom to mark government property.-Use in heraldry:...
. The society received these rights and privileges in its charter from Queen Anne in 1704. In return for being endowed with "perpetual access to all public butts, plains and pasturages legally allotted for shooting arrows", the Royal Company is required to present to the Sovereign three barbed arrows on request.
The first such weapon-shawing was held on the 14 June 1714 with the Marquis of Athole as their Captain-General, even though he was in his 80s by this time, and the Earl of Wemyss as Lieutenant-General at the head of about 50 archers. On that occasion, the society shot a silver arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
, presented to them by the City of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
. The following year, the company doubled in number and was led by David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss
David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss
David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss son of James Wemyss, Lord Burntisland and Margaret Wemyss, 3rd Countess of Wemyss .In his 41 years Earl Wemyss married three times:...
after the Marquis of Athole died.
After the first Jacobite rising in 1715 no parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
was held for nine years, but they resumed under James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton and 2nd Duke of Brandon KT FRS was a Scottish peer, the son of the 4th Duke of Hamilton....
on 4 August 1724 at Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
. However, after 1734 public parades were discontinued until after the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Duties and traditions
The Company's traditions relate to its reason for formation, the archery competition. To further this, it offers thirteen prizes that were at some time in the past competed for annually. Many are retained to the present day.The Musselburgh Arrow
The tradition of shooting the silver The Musselburgh Arrow pre-dates the creation of the company to that, known as the small arrow presented by the town of MusselburghMusselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
in 1603, and follows in the traditions of other burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
s of Scotland. A new, large, arrow was presented in 1713. The victor of the shooting retains the arrow for a year, and on handing it over to the next victor appends a medal to the arrow with an engraved personal motto, all of which are held by the Company. 103 such medals were held by the Company by 1816.
Three Arrows
By 1820s three more arrows were also presented by the cities of PeeblesPeebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
(1626), Selkirk (1675) and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
The Edinburgh Arrow was presented by the City of Edinburgh in 1709, and the medals appended to it are in gold. The winner was at one time entitled to a prize of five pounds Sterling from the City, but this fell into abeyance after 1716. The 'Edinburgh Arrow' is an annual competition, known as the Sovereign's Prize since 28 July 1822 when it was competed for at the nearby Bruntsfield Links
Bruntsfield Links
Bruntsfield Links is of park in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, immediately to the south-west of The Meadows, which it adjoins.Unlike The Meadows, which is a former loch, Bruntsfield Links was always dry...
. It is the rule of the prize "1. That the said Silver Arrow be shot for at the rovers in Leith Links, upon the second Monday of June yearly, at ten of the clock in the forenoon if the day be favourable; and if not, that the shooting be adjourned to the next fair Monday." 16 June 2009 marked the 300th anniversary of the first competition for The Edinburgh Arrow.
The three arrows are now depicted on one of the standards. Until the institution of the third prize only a pair of arrows were presented to the Sovereign on demand, this now increased to three.
The Silver Punch bowl and Ladle
The fifth prize is The Silver Punch bowlPunch bowl
A punch bowl is a bowl, often large and wide, in which the drink punch is served.-Origins:The word punch is a loanword from Hindi. The original drink was named paantsch, which is Hindi for "five", and the drink was made from five different ingredients: spirit, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices...
and Ladle presented to the company in 1720, and likewise had medals appended to it by its winner.
The Bowl made to the value of £20, and the bill for its construction and the engraving on it came to £22, 13s. 9d. sterling. It had inscribed on one side the common seal of the Company, and on the opposite side the reverse of the seal; and between those, on one side a Saint Andrew, and on the other the following inscription: "Edinburgh, 20th June 1720. — The Councill of the Royall Company of Archers, viz., Mr David Drummond, Praeses, Thomas Kincaid, John Nairn, James Ross, Robert Lowis, John Lowis, John Carnegy, George Drummond, Tresr., William Murray and James Lowis, clerks, ordered this piece of plate to be furnished out of the stock of the Company, and to be shot for as ane annual pryze. at rovers by the said Company, as the Councill for the time shall appoint"
The Pagodas Medal
This prize consists of a medal, one of two which were presented to the Company in 1793 by Major James Spens, The 73rd Regiment (Royal Highland East Indies). They were made from fifty "pagodas," being part of the money actually paid by Tippu SultanTipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
to the allies at the Treaty of Seringapatam
Treaty of Seringapatam
The Treaty of Seringapatam, signed 19 March 1792, ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Its signatories included Lord Cornwallis on behalf of the British East India Company, representatives of the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Mahratta Empire, and Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore.-Background:The war...
in 1792.
Silver Vase and Gold Medal
A prize by the General John Earl of HopetounJohn Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun
Lieutenant General John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun PC KB , known as the Honourable John Hope from 1781 to 1814 and as the Lord Niddry from 1809 to 1816, was a Scottish soldier and politician.-Military career:...
commemorating the 1822 visit by King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
is also competed for annually on the king's or queen's birthday, and known as the Commemoration Prize.
The Royal (Queen's) Prize of 20 Guineas
Since 1677 there has also been a competition for The Royal (Queen's) Prize for which £20 is awarded on the condition that the winner contributes to the Company silver plate to the value of money received from the Crown. The condition is that the plate must bear the insignia of Archery.The Silver Bugles
The ninth and tenth prizes are a pair of Silver Bugles, one presented to the Royal Company by one of the General Officers, Sir Henry Jardine, Knight, and which was shot for on the 9th of April, 1830, for the first time. The second was presented later by the Sovereign's BodyguardSovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard is the name given to three ceremonial units in the United Kingdom who are tasked with guarding the Sovereign. These units are:*Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms - formed 1509...
.
St. Andrew's Prize
St. Andrew's Cross, given in the 1840s by Sir George Steuart Mackenzie FRS, (7th baronet), of Coul, to the Royal Company, and called the "St.Andrew's Prize."The above prizes were competed at the 180, 185 and 200 yards distance with two targets or 'clouts' as the aiming mark, one located at each end of the range.
Two further prizes are competed for 'at butts' or point blank distance.
Prize of the Goose
The Prize of the Goose was competed for since 1703 and involved a live goose, requiring the winner to kill the goose when only its head protruded from the mark. The winner was to be known as the Captain of the Goose for a season.At some time in the history of the Company the above method was adopted for shooting for the prize of the Goose by inserting a small glass globe of about an inch in diameter in the centre of the butt-mark, which is a circular piece of cardboard, four inches in diameter. The competitor whose arrow first breaks this globe is declared " Captain of the Goose " for the year, and was awarded the other gold medal presented by Major Spens.
The Gold Medal
This is the more often competed for prize, the competition being held three times a year for three days each time, the scoring accounted in points like the usual archery competition.Competition Rules
The Rules and Regulations of the Royal Company of Archers have never been printed, and, in fact, were never completed. The society may, therefore, be considered as "lawless" when within the precincts of their shooting ground.Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
investitures at The High Kirk of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
(St Giles Cathedral), the Royal Garden Party and the Ceremony of the Keys
Ceremony of the Keys
Ceremonies known as the Ceremony of the Keys are held in at least two locations in the United Kingdom: London, and Edinburgh, as well as Gibraltar.-London:...
at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the presentation of new colours to Scottish regiments. At the Holyrood-house they provide corridor guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
.
The Company arrives at the Holyrood-house by march at noon, preceded by their pipes and drums band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
, and holding the unstrung bows in their right hands. Initially they occupy the colonnades of the façade.
The Company has a march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
, the Archer's March composed by Allan Ramsay
Allan Ramsay (poet)
Allan Ramsay was a Scottish poet , playwright, publisher, librarian and wig-maker.-Life and career:...
, which was played on special occasions.
Sound, sound the music, sound it,
Let hills and dales rebound it,
Let hills and dales rebound it
In praise of Archery.
Used as a Game it pleases,
The mind to joy it raises,
And throws off all diseases
Of lazy luxury.
Now, now our care beguiling,
When all the year looks smiling,
When all the year looks smiling
With healthful harmony.
The sun in glory glowing,
With morning dew bestowing
Sweet fragrance, life, and growing
To flowers and every tree.'
Tis now the archers royal,
An hearty band and loyal,
An hearty band and loyal,
That in just thought agree,
Appear in ancient bravery,
Despising all base knavery,
Which tends to bring in slavery,
Souls worthy to live free.
Sound, sound the music, sound it,
Fill up the glass and round wi't,
Fill up the glass and round wi't,
Health and Prosperity
To our great chief and officers,
To our president and counsellors,
To all who like their brave forbears
Delight in Archery.
Organisation
The Royal Company of Archers has its base in Edinburgh at Archers' HallArchers' Hall
The Archers' Hall is the club house of the Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland. It is located at 66 Buccleuch Street in the Southside of Edinburgh, and has been used by the company for over 330 years. Building commenced on 15 August 1776, and was completed in 1777 to...
commenced on 15 August 1776, and completed by Alexander Laing in 1777, now in Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh. The Hall was extended in 1900 by A.F. Balfour Paul, and recently refurbished. The Hall consists of a hall, forty feet by twenty-four, and eighteen feet high; two rooms of eighteen by nineteen, besides kitchen, cellars, lobby, and other apartments. The ground behind the house is laid out into a bowling-green, known as The Meadows or Hope Park
The Meadows (park)
The Meadows is a large public park in Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the south of the city centre. Largely consisting of wide open grassland crossed by tree-lined paths, the park also has a children's playground, a croquet club, tennis courts and cricket pitches...
, a spot deriving its name from Sir Thomas Hope, who drained and converted it into an archery ground, maintained by the Edinburgh Bowling Club. The Hall serves as a venue for various dinners and meetings of the company.
The affairs of this company are managed by a President and six counsellors, who are chosen annually by the whole membership. The Council is vested with the power of receiving or rejecting candidates for admission, and of appointing the company's officers, civil and military.
The structure of the organisation is divided between officers (including a Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
, currently David Younger) and members. By seniority, the officers comprise one Captain-General, four Captains, four Lieutenants, four Ensigns and twelve Brigadiers.
From the starting membership of 50 the number of the corps numbered about 1,000 in late 18th century, but only exceeded five hundred by 1930s.
The Captain-General is the Gold Stick
Gold Stick and Silver Stick
The Gold Stick and the Silver Stick are bodyguard positions in the British Royal Household, personal attendants to the Sovereign on ceremonial occasions....
for Scotland. In effect the size of the membership is more than that of a cadre light infantry battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
in low (reduced) establishment of thee companies than a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
, and would equate more to the British Army regiment.
Every officer of the Archers is of the rank of a general, and the privates of the corps rank at Court as colonels.
Members of the Royal Company must be Scots or have strong Scottish connections. Membership is by election; the present membership totals around 530, with the active list of 400 who pay an annual £25 for membership.
Company standards
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
and Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
encircled in a wreath of thistles
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, with this motto: In peace and war. On the other, a yew tree
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
, with two men dressed and equipped as archer
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
s, encircled as the former motto: Dal gloria vires (Glory Gives Strength). The other standard displays on one side, a lion rampant
Royal Standard of Scotland
The Royal Standard of Scotland, , also known as the Banner of the King of Scots, or more commonly the Lion Rampant of Scotland, is the Scottish Royal Banner of Arms...
gules
Gules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
, on a field, or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
encircled with a wreath
Wreath
A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...
; on the top, a thistle and crown, motto: Nemo me impune lacessit
Nemo me impune lacessit
Nemo me impune lacessit is the Latin motto of the Order of the Thistle and of three Scottish regiments of the British Army. The motto also appears, in conjunction with the collar of the Order of the Thistle, in later versions of the Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland and subsequently in...
(no one provokes me with impunity). On the other, St Andrew on the cross on field argent
Argent
In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
; at the top, a crown, motto: Dulce pro patria periculum (danger is sweet for one's country).
The three arrows on the standard were added after introduction of a third place winner in the competition since 1720.
Uniforms
The Royal Company of Archers have the distinction of being the first military body of troops in the service of the British Crown who adopted tartanTartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
as a part of their uniform
Military uniform
Military uniforms comprises standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and military styles have gone through great changes over the centuries from colourful and elaborate to extremely utilitarian...
.
The original uniform of the corps appears to have been a "shooting" dress, consisting of a tartan, lined with white, trimmed with green and white ribbons; a white sash, with green tossels; and a blue bonnet, with a St. Andrew's cross
Flag of Scotland
The Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...
, a tartan coat, with knee-breeches and white vest; and a "common uniform," the coat of which was "a green lapelled frock." Tartan was fashionable at the time as an expression of anti-Union and pro-Jacobite sentiment and many of the Company were known Jacobites.
From 1713 to 1746 a red
Royal Stewart Tartan
The Royal Stewart Tartan is the best known tartan of the royal House of Stewart, and is also the personal tartan of Queen Elizabeth II. It is appropriate for all subjects of Elizabeth II to wear the Royal Stewart tartan , in much the same way that clansmen may wear the tartan of their clan chief...
tartan sett was used for uniform, but it has not been satisfactorily settled as to what sett of tartan this was, though it was intended to be patterned on that worn by Prince Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
. After 36 following the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
the Act of Proscription
Act of Proscription 1746
The Act of Proscription was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, which came into effect in Scotland on 1 August 1746. It was part of a series of efforts to assimilate the Scottish Highlands, ending their ability to revolt, and the first of the 'King's laws' which sought to crush the Clan...
passed by Parliament which “proscribed or banned the making or wearing of Tartan cloths" was repealed, and from 1783 tartans were worn again. However, in 1789 the red tartan sett was discarded for the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
one. In 1734 the headgear worn by the corps was a flat bonnet, ornamented with green and white feathers
Hackle
The hackle is a clipped feather plume that is attached to a military headdress.In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries the hackle is worn by some infantry regiments, especially those designated as fusilier regiments and those with Scottish and Northern Irish origins. The...
.
Until 1823 (and possibly later) the Royal Company of Archers still wore tartan.
Late in the 19th century when the Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
opened the Glasgow Exhibition, Her Majesty's Scottish Bodyguard wore their dark green tunics (formerly of the "Black Watch" tartan), with black braid facings and a narrow stripe of crimson velvet in the centre; shoulder wings and gauntleted cuffs similarly trimmed; dark green trousers with black and crimson stripe; a bow case worn as a sash, adorned with two arrows forming a St. Andrew's cross surmounted by a crown; a black leather waist-belt with richly chased gold clasp; a short, gilt-headed Roman sword
Gladius
Gladius was the Latin word for sword, and is used to represent the primary sword of Ancient Roman soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians and others during the early...
, like an English bandsman's; Highland bonnet with thistle and one or more eagle feathers.
Their uniform until the Second World War, however has been a Court dress of green with gold embroidery, and cocked hat with a plume of dark cock's feathers.
The officers' dress has gold embroidery, and their rank is indicated by two or, in the case of the captain, three, feathers being worn in the bonnet.
The corps shooting dress is a dark-green tunic with crimson facings, shoulder-wings and gauntleted cuffs and dark-green trousers trimmed with black and crimson, a bow-case worn as a sash, of the same colour as the coat, black waistbelt with sword, Highland cap
Balmoral bonnet
The Balmoral is a traditional Scottish hat that can be worn as part of formal or informal Highland dress. Dating back to at least the 16th century, it takes the form of a knitted, soft wool cap with a flat crown...
with thistle
Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
ornament and one or more eagle feathers, and a hunting knife
Dirk
A dirk is a short thrusting dagger, sometimes a cut-down sword blade mounted on a dagger hilt rather than a knife blade. It was historically used as a personal weapon for officers engaged in naval hand-to-hand combat during the Age of Sail.-Etymology:...
.
The weapon worn with this uniform is the sword.
Captains-General
- John Murray, 1st Marquess of AthollJohn Murray, 1st Marquess of AthollJohn Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl, KT was a leading Scottish royalist and defender of the Stuarts during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until after the rise to power of William and Mary in 1689...
c.1676–1703 - George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of CromartieGeorge Mackenzie, 1st Earl of CromartieGeorge Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS , known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman....
1703–1714 - David Wemyss, 4th Earl of WemyssDavid Wemyss, 4th Earl of WemyssDavid Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss son of James Wemyss, Lord Burntisland and Margaret Wemyss, 3rd Countess of Wemyss .In his 41 years Earl Wemyss married three times:...
1715–1720 - vacant
- James Hamilton, 5th Duke of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 5th Duke of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton and 2nd Duke of Brandon KT FRS was a Scottish peer, the son of the 4th Duke of Hamilton....
1724–1743 - James Wemyss, 5th Earl of WemyssJames Wemyss, 5th Earl of WemyssJames Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss was the son of David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss.He was key to securing his father-in-law's release from Newgate after he was sentenced to hang for the capital felony of rape....
1743–1756 - Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of QueensberryCharles Douglas, 3rd Duke of QueensberryCharles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry, 2nd Duke of Dover, PC was a Scottish nobleman.The son of James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry, 1st Duke of Dover, and Mary Boyle, daughter of Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan, was a Privy Counsellor and Vice Admiral of Scotland.He took up the cause...
1756–1778 - Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of BuccleuchHenry Scott, 3rd Duke of BuccleuchHenry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and 5th Duke of Queensberry KG KT FRSE was a Scottish nobleman and long-time friend of the notable Sir Walter Scott...
1778–1812 - Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of BuccleuchCharles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of BuccleuchCharles William Henry Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch & 6th Duke of Queensberry, KT was the son of Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and Lady Elizabeth Montagu...
1812–1819 - John Hope, 4th Earl of HopetounJohn Hope, 4th Earl of HopetounLieutenant General John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun PC KB , known as the Honourable John Hope from 1781 to 1814 and as the Lord Niddry from 1809 to 1816, was a Scottish soldier and politician.-Military career:...
1819–1823 - James Graham, 3rd Duke of MontroseJames Graham, 3rd Duke of MontroseJames Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose KG, KT, PC , styled Marquess of Graham until 1790, was a Scottish nobleman and statesman.-Background:...
1824–1830 - George Ramsay, 9th Earl of DalhousieGeorge Ramsay, 9th Earl of DalhousieGeneral George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie GCB , styled Lord Ramsay until 1787, was a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator...
1830–1838 - Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of BuccleuchWalter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of BuccleuchWalter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry KG, PC , styled Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 1819, was a British politician and nobleman.-Background and education:...
1838–1884 - William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of BuccleuchWilliam Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of BuccleuchWilliam Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch & 8th Duke of Queensberry KG KT PC JP DL was a Scottish Member of Parliament and peer. He was the paternal grandfather of HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the maternal great-grandfather of HRH Prince William of...
1884–1914 - John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch 1914–1935
- Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord ElphinstoneSidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord ElphinstoneSidney Herbert Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone and 2nd Baron Elphinstone KT was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:...
1935–1953 - John Dalrymple, 12th Earl of StairJohn Dalrymple, 12th Earl of StairJohn James Hamilton Dalrymple, 12th Earl of Stair, KT, DSO, DL was the son of the 11th Earl of Stair.He fought in the Boer War, and World War I, was captured by the Germans....
1953–1961 - Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 8th Duke of BuccleuchWalter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 8th Duke of BuccleuchWalter John Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch, 10th Duke of Queensberry KT GCVO TD PC was a politician and Conservative peer. He was the son of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch...
1961–1973 - John Dalrymple, 13th Earl of StairJohn Dalrymple, 13th Earl of StairJohn Aymer Dalrymple, 13th Earl of Stair, KCVO, MBE, DL , the son of John James Dalrymple, 12th Earl of Stair and Violet Evelyn Harford. He served as Lord-Lieutenant of Wigtownshire from 1961 to 1983.-Family:...
1973–1988 - Ronald Colville, 2nd Baron ClydesmuirBaron ClydesmuirBaron Clydesmuir, of Braidwood in the County of Lanark, Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1948 for the Unioniste politician John Colville. He served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1938 to 1940. His son, the second Baron, was Governor of the Bank...
1988–1996 - Sir Hew Fleetwood Hamilton-Dalrymple, 10th BaronetHamilton-Dalrymple BaronetsThe Dalrymple, later Dalrymple-Hamilton, later Hamilton-Dalrymple Baronetcy, of North Berwick in the County of Haddington, is a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. It was created on 29 April 1697 for the Hon. Hew Dalrymple, Lord President of the Court of Session under the judicial title of Lord...
1996–2004 - David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of AirlieDavid Ogilvy, 13th Earl of AirlieDavid George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 8th Earl of Airlie, KT, GCVO, PC, JP is the eldest son of David Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke. His younger brother was Sir Angus Ogilvy, the husband of HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent.Born in London, Lord Airlie was educated at Eton, and...
2004–present
Notable members
Over the years the Company members have included soldiers, scientists, lawyers and politicians.- Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Ferguson (1773–1841) and his brother Robert Ferguson of Raith (1770–1840) - subjects of the painting, "The Archers" (1789 or 1790), by Sir Henry RaeburnHenry RaeburnSir Henry Raeburn was a Scottish portrait painter, the first significant Scottish portraitist since the Act of Union 1707 to remain based in Scotland.-Biography:...
(1756–1823). (Collection: National Gallery) - Sir Walter Scott
- Sir Henry Raeburn
- The Rt HonThe Right HonourableThe Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
Sir Angus OgilvyAngus OgilvySir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy, was a British businessman best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II....
(1928–2004), husband of Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady OgilvyPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady OgilvyPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
. - Robin Orr Blair, LVO, WS (1940-), Lord Lyon King of ArmsLord Lyon King of ArmsThe Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
of Scotland - Charles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of TullichettleCharles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of TullichettleCharles Eliot Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle PC was a British judge and advocate. He was often praised as one of the finest legal minds of his generation in Scotland, and his legal opinions - both as a practising advocate and as a judge - commanded immense respect.-Biography:Jauncey was...
, Law LordJudicial functions of the House of LordsThe House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, historically also had a judicial function. It functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers, for impeachment cases, and as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. In the latter case the House's...
. - Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll (1948-), a cross-bench member of the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Chief of Scottish clanScottish clanScottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
HayClan HayClan Hay is a Scottish clan that has played an important part in the history and politics of Scotland. Members of the clan are to be found in most parts of Scotland and in many other parts of the world. However, the North East of Scotland, i.e...
, and hereditary Lord High Constable of ScotlandLord High Constable of ScotlandThe Lord High Constable is a hereditary, now ceremonial, office of Scotland. In the order of precedence of Scotland, the office traditionally ranks above all titles except those of the Royal Family. The Lord High Constable was, after the King of Scots, the supreme officer of the Scottish army. He...
. - Alan Cuthbert
Significance
The Company forms a part of The Queen's Household in Scotland.Archers' Hall is a Category B listed building, i.e. "buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered" in compliance with Scotland's Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.