Hackbuts and other small artillery to be furnished within the realm

Item, because the shooting of guns, hackbuts, hand-bows and other small artillery now commonly used in all countries, both by sea and land, in their wars is so savage and of such great danger to the high courage of noble and valiant men, whose acts and deeds cannot be shown unless they too have provision of these instruments of war and battle, it is therefor statute and ordained by the king's highness, with the advice and consent of the three estates of the realm, that every landed man within this realm shall have a hackbut of found, called a hackbut of croichart, with their cams, bullets and pellets of lead or iron, with powder suitable thereto, for every hundred pound of land that he has of new extent, and he that has only a hundred merk land shall have two culverins, and each man having a forty pound land shall have one culverin, with cams, lead and powder appropriate thereto, with gun supports, to be at all times ready for shooting of the said hackbuts; and that every man of living foresaid shall have one man or more as he may furnish for shooting of the said hackbut and culverins and to teach others to shoot the same; and that every man have the said artillery belonging to his living, substantially furnished as is said, ready within 18 months after the publication of this act, under the pain of doubling of the price that will buy each piece of the said artillery, to be applied to the king's grace's use for buying of the same for himself; and the said 18 months being passed, that every man make his musters with the said artillery, well-furnished as is said, at the next wappenschawing thereafter to the partakers and receivers of the said wappenschawings, which being done they shall not be bound to bring the said artillery to any wappenschawings thereafter unless they be specially required thereto by the writings of his grace the king or by the sheriff or other judge ordinary under the king's grace; and that this act be extended as well to the lords of regality and their tenants as to them of the royalty, and that every kirkman likewise furnish such artillery in the manner written above to be shown at wappenschawings as is said after the value and quantity of their temporal lands, and that their artillery remain at the castle, abbey or mansion of the bishop, prelates or kirkmen, to be kept there and left to his successors who shall be held to uphold the same for the defence of the realm. And because it cannot be now clearly known of every burgh the value and quantity of the artillery and how much they may furnish, therefore, it is ordained that letters be written to the provost, bailies and aldermen of every burgh of this realm signifying to them this statute and ordinance of the manner of furnishing artillery to be made by the barons and kirkmen, charging them, therefore, to convene their council, advise and conclude what artillery and in what manner each burgh may furnish themselves, and refer again to the king's grace within 15 days after they have been charged thereto, that his highness may be advised therewith; with certification if they fail in the said matter, his grace shall cause them to be taxed after the value and quantity of their common good and substance for furnishing of the said artillery; and ordains that ladies of conjunct fee and liferent shall furnish according to the quantity of their living for support of the barons and other landed men in the supply of the said artillery.

  1. NAS, PA2/8, II, f.19r-v. Not contained in NAS, PA2/8, III version. Back
  2. A hackbut supported on a rest by a hook of iron fastened to the barrel, from the French arquebuse à croc. Back
  3. Moulds for casting bullets or other articles of metal. Back