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Auction: 24111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 875

Royal British Bowmen

a scarce, gilt metal belt buckle of rectangular form with prince of Wales feathers in white metal surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, this surrounded by the wording ROYAL BRITISH BOWMEN within band and with four crossed arrows in each corner, some staining and wear to gilding in parts, otherwise very fine

No reference to this particular buckle has been sourced but it dates to around the early to mid 19th Century.

There is a splendid coloured engraving (after J. Townshend, a member of the Royal British Bowmen) in the grounds of Erthig on 13 September 1822 recapturing the scene repeated at all such gatherings. The ladies and gentlemen, many wearing the archer’s green, shooting at the targets, the Lady Patroness holding court in front of the tent in the foreground and between them and the mansion of Erthig. In the middle-ground a coach arrives, and in the centre background families are enjoying strolling in the immaculately landscaped grounds which a stream divides. Around the perimeter is woodland the haunt of the nightingale.
A visit to the opulence of Eaton Hall, the ancestral home of the Grosvenor family, was regarded as a great occasion by the Royal Society of British Bowmen. One such visit took place in October 1826 when the laureate was Mr Bellasis whose ode rejoiced at the joy of Welsh bowmen crossing the border into England to express their loyalty and friendship.

The Bowmen returned to Eaton six years later on 1 October 1832, they were invited to a meeting arranged to coincide with the visit of the thirteen year old heir to the throne, Princess Victoria, and her mother the Duchess of Kent staying there when they opened the Grosvenor Bridge. There is no record of the ode on this occasion but an account of the visit is recorded in a letter written by Lady Elizabeth Grosvenor who described the scene to her mother.
‘The day began with heavy rain . .. we had our own luncheon in the dining room, the public in a tent at 2, as the weather completely cleared about 12 and the afternoon was very fine and warm. We walked about nearly the whole afternoon among quantities of people. About 5 we came in and the regular Bow-meeters and their parties were included in the dinner which was arranged in the Library. After the dinner there were many toasts, the gleesingers from Chester singing after each. There were 260 people dining. The children came in after dinner at the Princess’ request. When we got up we all went into the other rooms for tea. The company were pretty well cleared by 10, when Princess Victoria took leave of us all and gave the children very pretty little presents.’

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Estimate
£500 to £700

Starting price
£500