Ascham cabinet
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1800
Materials
Simulated oak, painted on pine
Measurements
199 x 37 x 39.5 cm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Scotney Castle, Kent
NT 790833
Caption
Edward Hussey I joined The Society of Royal Kentish Bowmen on August 8th 1789. The Society had been set up in 1785 and from 1786 met regularly at Dartford Heath where they had the use of a house known as Bowman’s Lodge. The longbow was the bow of choice and the Prince of Wales, later George IV, was made patron in 1789. He donated many objects to be prizes for competitions and it is also noted that he laid out the rules on the uniform of the Society members. The Society of Royal Kentish Bowmen took their sport very seriously and the society had their own printed rule book, of which there is a copy at Scotney (NT 3111584). This small but beautiful leather-bound book was printed in 1789 and lays out the rules and regulations of the society such as the uniform expected to be purchased and worn by members and the order of shooting at a meet. This book was owned by Edward Hussey who wrote on the title page ‘Edw: Hussey 1790’. He made many other annotations in the book. At the back of the book there is a printed list of members and when they joined the society, the newest members names added in handwriting. As well as the Society rule book there is a silver horn in a red leather case, given to the society as a prize by ‘His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales’ and which was won by Edward Hussey in August 1794. With it there are two silver and green tassels (the society colours) that could be hung from the horn. This cabinet, which stands in the Hall at Scotney, is known as an 'Ascham' cabinet and houses a large collection of archery paraphernalia; Ascham cabinets take their name from Roger Ascham who was a Tudor Scholar with a particular interest in Archery. The Ascham cabinet is believed to have come from the lodge of the Society of Royal Kentish Bowmen and is designed specifically to store archery equipment. Within the cupboard there is a set of sixty-one arrows hanging in a specially designed tray. These arrows have green and yellow coloured bands on the shaft and it is likely that this set of arrows was used in the Society of Royal Kentish Bowmen meets and competitions by Edward Hussey. There are also two tubes for transporting and storing arrows, one black, the other green with a red shoulder strap. There are two other recorded Ascham cabinets in the collections of the National Trust, one at Wimpole (NT 206951) and the other at Charlecote Park (NT 533050).
Summary
A painted pine 'Ascham' cabinet, English, circa 1800. Painted to simulate oak and of tall, narrow proportions, the upper section with moulded cornice and enclosed by a twin-panel door, the lower projecting panelled section with hinge-down lid, standing on a plinth base, filled with archery equipment, bows and arrows.
Provenance
Part of the Hussey collection. The contents were bequeathed to the National Trust in 2006 by Mrs. Elizabeth Hussey.