During medieval times, various tradesmen such as Blacksmiths, Carpenters and Stonemasons were important for medieval Cities, Towns and Villages.
As time progressed these skills became more established and organised and eventually Guilds were set up with rigorous apprenticeships.
Originally longbow-makers (Bowyers) and arrow-makers (Fletchers) were joined together as one organisation.
However in 1372 Fletchers asked for their own organisation to be created, eventually they were given permission to become a seperate entity from bowyers and formed the Worshipful Company of Fletchers In 1429
The medieval bowyer who was among the most in-demand of these medieval craftsmen who made and sold weapons.
In the case of a medieval bowyer, the main weapons made as the name suggests were bows, commonly known as longbows that were made to the same height as the user, so that the bow could be drawn back toward the users chest.
The longbow was an important weapon in Britain, less so in continental Europe where they favoured the crossbow. It was used to devasting effect during the 100 years wars of the Plantagenet period.
Advanced warfare tactics using longbowmen were used at the
The crossbow was in high demand in Britain and a skilled Bowyer could produce one quality bow from a strip of yew wood in around two hours.
Just like every other medieval Craftsman, a bower required specific training to become an expert in his profession. The training of a medieval bowyer generally took place under the supervision of an experienced bowyer.
Thus by learning from the expert of the field, a bowyer would become an expert medieval Craftsman himself. In time Guilds and structured apprenticeships were created.
A bowyer spent most of his time in a workshop making bows. Of course, the nature and burden of work would vary from time to time.
During periods of war, a bowyer would be busier than usual. He used a variety of wood
Medieval bowyers were among those medieval Craftsman whose work was quite demanding and they needed dedicated space for their work.
Thus medieval bowyers would work in their workshop which is where they would put their tools and works in progress. It required much expertise to produce bows using different kinds of wood while retaining the flexibility and durability of the weapon.
A medieval bowyer used a variety of tools for the making of Longbows in his workshop
He used tools to cut the wood into the required shape and hammers for nails whenever required. He also needed different kinds of wood, mostly poplar, ash, yew, or hickory.
A rack was used to bend the bow into the required shape. This also required treating the bow with warm water and steam. Bowstrings were usually made from fibrous plants, animal sinew, or leather strips.
The most important customers of a bowyer medieval Craftsman were, of course, the soldiers. Thousands of bows were made every year for the need of the military and this single factor retained the status of bowyers as important medieval Craftsmen.
Battle of Crecy *Longbowmen defeat the French Knights
However, sometimes common people would also require arrows and bows, including the nobility. Thus the customers of medieval bowyers were quite diverse.
During medieval times, the need for weapons was always high due to constant wars and conflicts. A medieval bowyer who made arrows and bows was thus considered a very important medieval Craftsman.
A Bowyer would make arrows and bows in his workshop through a long and careful process. These weapons were mainly made for the countries military although common people would also buy products from a medieval Bowyer.
We hope you enjoyed this article on medieval Bowyers, medieval bowyers were important people in medieval towns and villages, you can find out the other medieval craftsmen that worked in medieval towns, villages, and cities by visiting our medieval craftsmen pages, the links are at the bottom of this page about medieval bowyers.