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Full Transcript: “Archery at Oxford: A Brief History”
Archery has a long and fascinating history at the University of Oxford. In the Middle Ages, archery played an important role in the town and gown riots for which Oxford was notorious. Many scholars kept a bow handy by their bedsides to be ready to join the fray when the occasion arose and, in this, they were matched by the townsfolk. Indeed, the tower at Carfax, which marks the centre of Oxford, was lowered in the 14th century in order to minimise the danger of townspeople raining down arrows and rocks on the students below!
It was in the 19th century, however, that the practice of archery as a sport became popular at Oxford. During that time several colleges established their own archery clubs. The members of these clubs wore elaborate costumes and practised in their college gardens. The costume for the New College archery club consisted of a dark green coat adorned with an ornate club button, a buff waistcoat, white trousers, and a black hat and neckerchief. No one except for members in mourning and clergymen was allowed to compete without wearing this striking attire. These college archery clubs had a strong social component, as noted at the time by the writer Joseph Hewlett: “Archery meetings, I allow, are very pleasant things for bringing people together to eat and drink in a tent, lounge about prettily laid-out grounds, and finish the evening with a dance.” In fact, the longest-lasting college archery society, the St John’s Archery Club, eventually functioned more as a dining club than as an association of archers.
Significantly, archery was one of the first organised sports in which women participated in large numbers, as well as one of the first Olympic sports to include women (in 1904). At Oxford, women took part in matches held by the St John’s Archery Club starting from 1898—an unusual circumstance given that Oxford sports of the time generally excluded women. Previously, Oxford college archers had sometimes competed against women’s teams from outside the university. An account from 1879 records that seven St John’s archers participated in a match against seven women belonging to the Cheltenham Archers, with the women securing a substantial victory.
In the 1940s, the Oxford University Company of Archers (or OUCofA) was founded to provide a university-wide society for the practice of archery. The club shot exclusively outdoors until the Iffley Road Sports Centre was built in the 1960s, allowing archers to shoot indoors during the colder months of the year. The club’s oldest records date from the 1950s. Among the assorted papers is a letter of 1956 to the University’s Central Athletics Committee requesting £15 to buy four sets of wooden practice arrows, two new recurve bows, and a target boss. To this the Athletics Committee haughtily replied: “Before considering a grant to the Company of Archers the Central Athletic Committee wishes to be assured that your club is not mixed. We can take no responsibility for clubs with lady members.” However, the Athletic Committee’s shocking response came too late. The OUCofA had already admitted its first woman member years earlier. This was Daphne Frances Proctor, who studied at Lady Margaret Hall in the early 1950s and earned an honours degree in 1953.
The Oxford University Company of Archers’ first recorded Varsity with Cambridge took place in May, 1950. The Cambridge University Bowmen won the match by 1548 points to Oxford’s 1102. Happily, the OUCofA has turned things around since then and in recent years has had a strong winning streak against Cambridge. This year will be the 75th anniversary of the Oxford-Cambridge Archery Varsity Match and we are planning to maintain our dominance! The match alternates between taking place in lovely Merton Field in Oxford, and at the back of St John’s College in Cambridge, with punters passing by on the River Cam. Traditionally, the host club would issue a letter of invitation written in Shakespearean English—in keeping with archery’s storied history. The main trophy awarded to the victors is the Rose Bowl, a large, engraved silver bowl with the name of each winning club since 1950. OUCofA also hosts an annual Cuppers archery tournament, where archers (some complete novices) compete on behalf of their respective colleges. Interestingly, the Cuppers’ silver plate—awarded to the archer who comes in first place—was only recently recovered from an old member, who had found it in an attic where it had lain forgotten for decades!
The Oxford University Company of Archers today has many talented archers who have won individual and team medals in competitions. One appealing thing about archery is that, even if you have never lifted a bow before university, you can become very good at the sport with practice and dedication. We also welcome purely recreational archers who want to try their hand at landing an arrow in the centre of a dauntingly distant target. Moreover, in the spirit of its 19th-century ancestors, our archery club can be counted on for great social events throughout the year!
This article makes use of archival material in the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford.
Full Transcript: “Archery at Oxford: A Brief History”
Archery has a long and fascinating history at the University of Oxford. In the Middle Ages, archery played an important role in the town and gown riots for which Oxford was notorious. Many scholars kept a bow handy by their bedsides to be ready to join the fray when the occasion arose and, in this, they were matched by the townsfolk. Indeed, the tower at Carfax, which marks the centre of Oxford, was lowered in the 14th century in order to minimise the danger of townspeople raining down arrows and rocks on the students below!
It was in the 19th century, however, that the practice of archery as a sport became popular at Oxford. During that time several colleges established their own archery clubs. The members of these clubs wore elaborate costumes and practised in their college gardens. The costume for the New College archery club consisted of a dark green coat adorned with an ornate club button, a buff waistcoat, white trousers, and a black hat and neckerchief. No one except for members in mourning and clergymen was allowed to compete without wearing this striking attire. These college archery clubs had a strong social component, as noted at the time by the writer Joseph Hewlett: “Archery meetings, I allow, are very pleasant things for bringing people together to eat and drink in a tent, lounge about prettily laid-out grounds, and finish the evening with a dance.” In fact, the longest-lasting college archery society, the St John’s Archery Club, eventually functioned more as a dining club than as an association of archers.
Significantly, archery was one of the first organised sports in which women participated in large numbers, as well as one of the first Olympic sports to include women (in 1904). At Oxford, women took part in matches held by the St John’s Archery Club starting from 1898—an unusual circumstance given that Oxford sports of the time generally excluded women. Previously, Oxford college archers had sometimes competed against women’s teams from outside the university. An account from 1879 records that seven St John’s archers participated in a match against seven women belonging to the Cheltenham Archers, with the women securing a substantial victory.
In the 1940s, the Oxford University Company of Archers (or OUCofA) was founded to provide a university-wide society for the practice of archery. The club shot exclusively outdoors until the Iffley Road Sports Centre was built in the 1960s, allowing archers to shoot indoors during the colder months of the year. The club’s oldest records date from the 1950s. Among the assorted papers is a letter of 1956 to the University’s Central Athletics Committee requesting £15 to buy four sets of wooden practice arrows, two new recurve bows, and a target boss. To this the Athletics Committee haughtily replied: “Before considering a grant to the Company of Archers the Central Athletic Committee wishes to be assured that your club is not mixed. We can take no responsibility for clubs with lady members.” However, the Athletic Committee’s shocking response came too late. The OUCofA had already admitted its first woman member years earlier. This was Daphne Frances Proctor, who studied at Lady Margaret Hall in the early 1950s and earned an honours degree in 1953.
The Oxford University Company of Archers’ first recorded Varsity with Cambridge took place in May, 1950. The Cambridge University Bowmen won the match by 1548 points to Oxford’s 1102. Happily, the OUCofA has turned things around since then and in recent years has had a strong winning streak against Cambridge. This year will be the 75th anniversary of the Oxford-Cambridge Archery Varsity Match and we are planning to maintain our dominance! The match alternates between taking place in lovely Merton Field in Oxford, and at the back of St John’s College in Cambridge, with punters passing by on the River Cam. Traditionally, the host club would issue a letter of invitation written in Shakespearean English—in keeping with archery’s storied history. The main trophy awarded to the victors is the Rose Bowl, a large, engraved silver bowl with the name of each winning club since 1950. OUCofA also hosts an annual Cuppers archery tournament, where archers (some complete novices) compete on behalf of their respective colleges. Interestingly, the Cuppers’ silver plate—awarded to the archer who comes in first place—was only recently recovered from an old member, who had found it in an attic where it had lain forgotten for decades!
The Oxford University Company of Archers today has many talented archers who have won individual and team medals in competitions. One appealing thing about archery is that, even if you have never lifted a bow before university, you can become very good at the sport with practice and dedication. We also welcome purely recreational archers who want to try their hand at landing an arrow in the centre of a dauntingly distant target. Moreover, in the spirit of its 19th-century ancestors, our archery club can be counted on for great social events throughout the year!
This article makes use of archival material in the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford.