Our History
The Company dates back to the 14th century, when longbow making was first established in London on a large scale in the 1330s, in preparation for King Edward III’s campaign in France leading up to the famous longbow victories of the Hundred Years’ War. The Bowyers’ Company motto to this day is ‘Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt’.
Longbow making flourished throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, but thereafter was superseded by other weapons during the course of the 16th century. In our Royal Charter of 1621 the Company was described as ‘a company much decayed by lack of employment’.
It was given a lifeline by a senior member, James Wood, whose 1629 will bequeathed properties to the Bowyers that produced an income for the Company and his will also stipulated that the income be used for charitable purposes, thus giving the Bowyers a charitable focus they retain today.
The arms of the Company were granted in 1488. The main feature is the ‘flote’ which was a device for planing and smoothing the bow stave.
The Supporters were granted in1996. One representing a medieval bowyer in holding a ‘flote’ as one of the tools of his trade and the other an archer of the time of Agincourt.