An Act for the Maintenance of Artillery and the Debarring of Unlawful Games
In 1541, the Parliament of England was concerned that the men of the realm were losing their archery skills, whittling away the time playing senseless board and coin games. This concern is clearly set out in the first paragraph of the Act for the Maintenance of Artillery and the Debarring of Unlawful Games, as well as a requirement for all men to practice their bow and arrow skills on a regular basis.
An Act for the Maintenance of Artillery and the Debarring of Unlawful Games[edit]
Most humbly complaining, shew unto your highness your daily orators, the bowyers, fletchers, stringers and arrowhead makers of this your Realm, that where for the advancement and maintenance of archery, the better to be maintained and had within the same, and for the avoiding of divers and many unlawful games ... occupied and practice within this realm, to the great hurt ... of shooting and archery, divers good at lawful statutes have been devised; the which good and laudable act notwithstanding, divers and many subtil inventative and crafty person's intending to defraud the same statute, ... have found and daily find many and sundry new and crafty games as Logetting in the Fields, Slide-thrift (otherwise called Shove-groat); ... by reason where of archery is sore decayed and daily is like to be more and more minished, and divers bowyers and fletchers, for lack of work, gone and inhabit themselves in Scotland and other places out of this realm, there working and teaching their science, to the puissance of the same, to the great comfort of estrangers and detriment of this realm.
Every man being the King's subject, not lame, decrepit nor maimed (except spiritual men ... justices and barons)... shall ... use and exercise shooting in longbows and also have a bow and arrows ready continually in his house to use himself ... in shooting; and also that the fathers, governors and rulers of such as be of tender age, do teach and bring them up in the knowledge of the same shooting; and that every man having a man-child ... of the age of seven years and above, till he shall come to the age of 17 years, a bow and two shafts to induce and learn them and bring them up in shooting...."