18/2/2014 Historical fencing in Scotland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Historical Fencing in Scotland

Focus Scottish basket-hilted broadsword

Country of

origin

Scotland

Creator Historical

Famous

practitioners

William Machrie, Sir William Hope,

Donald McBane, Captain James

Miller, Thomas Page, Archibald

MacGregor, Henry Angelo, John

Taylor, Thomas Mathewson

Olympic

sport

No

Historical fencing in ScotlandFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There is some evidence on historical fencing as practiced in Scotland in the Early Modern Era, especially fencing with the Scottishbasket-hilted broadsword during the 17th to 18th centuries.

Most of our current knowledge of these arts derives from various combative treatises or Martial arts manuals, as well as writtenanecdotes (i.e. battle accounts, folklore, etc.) and artistic representations from different periods and locations in Scottish history

(see Penicuik Sketches[1]).

Contents

1 Scottish fencing masters

2 Fencing manuals

3 Techniques

4 Famous Scottish duellists

4.1 Clan styles5 See also

6 References7 External links

Scottish fencing masters

The following is a list of fencing masters[2] that were very influential in their day, and have contributed to our current knowledge of the martial practices of Scotland (see CombatTreatises below):

William Machrie - a Scottish fencing master who taught in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 17th, and early 18th centuries. He was also known as "Judge and

Arbitrator of all who make any publick Trial of Skill in the Noble Art of the Sword, within the Kingdom of Scotland".[3]

Sir William Hope (16601724) - a Scottish fencing master who wrote a number of books on fencing, his most important works being the "New Method" (dedicated to William

Keith, 9th Earl Marischal of Scotland), and the "Vade-Mecum".

Donald McBane (1664c.1730) - Born in Inverness, Donald joined the British Army, fought in the Highlands and in Europe where he opened a number of fencing schools.

Donald later wrote a book on his extensive experience in swordsmanship and his life in the army.

Captain James Miller - a Scottish fencing master who dedicated his treatise of 1735 to John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll.[4]

Thomas Page - an English shop owner who served in the Norwich Artillery Company, raised in January 1746 for the defense of the City against possible invasion during the

Jacobite Rebellion in 1746. He dedicated his Broadsword treatise to John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk.[5]

Captain G. Sinclair - An officer in the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot, or Black Watch, during the late 1700s. He wrote two treatises on the Broadsword or Singlestick,

"Anti-Pugilism" in 1790, and a later revision/renaming of the same treatise under the title 'Cudgel-Playing Modernized and Improved' in 1800.Archibald MacGregor - Archibald MacGregor was a Paisley fencing master who toured Scotland in the late 1700s giving lectures and instruction on the sword.

Henry Angelo (c.1760-1839) - Son of Italian fencing master Domenico Angelo, Henry and his son (also Henry) were Broadsword masters to the Light Horse Volunteers of

London and Westminster at the time he wrote his treatise in 1799, which they dedicate to Colonel Herries.

John Taylor - Served as Broadsword Master to the Light Horse Volunteers of London and Westminster before writing his treatise in 1804.

Thomas Mathewson - an Englishman who taught the art of Scottish Broadsword. He wrote his treatise in 1805.

Fencing manuals

Scottish Fencing manuals detailing the use of the basket-hilted Scottish broadsword (besides other disciplines including the smallsword and spadroon and, to a lesser extent, the targe,dirk and quarterstaff) were published throughout the 18th century, with early and late examples dating to the late 17th and early 19th centuries, respectively:

The Scots Fencing Master (the Complete Smallswordsman) - Sir William Hope (1687)[6]

Advice to his Scholar from the Fencing Master - Sir William Hope (1692)

Complete Fencing Master - Sir William Hope (16911692)

The Swordsman's Vade-Mecum - Sir William Hope (1692)[7]

New Short and Easy Method of Fencing (1st Edition) - Sir William Hope (1707)[1][8]

New Short and Easy Method of Fencing (2nd Edition) - Sir William Hope (1714)

A Few Observations upon the Fighting for Prizes in the Bear Gardens - Sir William Hope (1715)[9]

A Vindication of the True Art of Self-Defence - Sir William Hope (1724)[10]

Expert Swords-man's Companion - Donald McBane (1728)[1]

A treatise on backsword, sword, buckler, sword and dagger, sword and great gauntlet, falchon, quarterstaff - Captain James Miller (1737)[4]

The Use of the Broad Sword - Thomas Page (1746)[5]

Anti-Pugilism - Anonymous (Captain G. Sinclair, 1790)[11][12]

Cudgel Playing Modernized and Improved; or, The Science of Defence, Exemplified in a Few Short and Easy Lessons, for the Practice of the Broad Sword or Single Stick, on

Foot - Captain G. Sinclair[13]

Lecture on the Art of Defence - Archibald MacGregor (1791)[11]

The Guards of the Highland Broadsword - Thomas Rowlandson (1799)[14]

Hungarian & Highland Broadsword - by Henry Angelo and Son (1799)[11][15]

The Art of Defence on Foot with Broadsword and Saber- John Taylor (1804)[11][16]

Fencing Familiarized; or, a New Treatise on the Art of the Scotch Broad Sword - Thomas Mathewson (1805)[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_basket-hilted_broadswordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fencinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_in_the_Early_Modern_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_basket-hilted_broadswordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_manualhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburghhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Keith,_9th_Earl_Marischalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invernesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Campbell,_2nd_Duke_of_Argyllhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hobart,_1st_Earl_of_Buckinghamshirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42nd_(Royal_Highland)_Regiment_of_Foothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domenico_Angelohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencing_manualhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket-hilted_Scottish_broadswordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallswordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spadroonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterstaff