Hardwood longbow with 6 foot 8 inch span

Key details

Object number: 3.4553
On display: No

Description

This hardwood longbow is said to have belonged to Robert Burns but the provenance statement is ambiguous. It is possible that it could have been used for hunting small game on the farm.

Burns is known to have been admitted to the Royal Company of Archers the sovereign's ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland early in 1792, but whether he would have possessed a rudimentary long bow, is ambiguous.

The bow carries a message attached "This bow belonged to Robert Burns the Poet. It came into the possession of Jean Armour's husband, Anderson, who lived in Firfar and was given by him to William Brown, senior who was involved in Barclays Well [Mill] from him it descended to his son. Brown Jnr, Glamis Road, who gave it to me. William."

Object information

Material

Wood

Measurements

Depth: 2.5(cm)
Height: 203(cm)
Width: 4(cm)

Themes

Burns The Man

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