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Society of Royal British Bowmen. First and only edition of the membership list for the newly restored society. Founded in 1787, the Royal British Bowmen was the first archery collective to admit women. It "regarded shooting more seriously than most and took steps to limit the excessiveness and expense of the festivity" (Johnes, pp. 196-7).The society toured the country houses of its members rather than meeting in taverns, in large part because of the presence of women. The events functioned as an extension of the marriage mart, and there were several unions among its members. Although archery enjoyed great popularity in the late 18th century, the sport dwindled during the Napoleonic Wars. This membership list dates from the post-Waterloo revival, which was also influenced by the growing taste for medievalism. Nineteenth-century archery was characterized by increased opulence and sociability.WorldCat records only one institutional holding: the British Library. Despite the designation on the title page as a "new edition", we have traced no copies of an earlier publication.

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