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Joel Minturn





Joined: 10 Dec 2007

Posts: 232

PostPosted: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 2:42 pm    Post subject: Lowlands Scottish shields of the late 1500s?         Reply with quote

What sort of shields would have been used in the mid to late 1500s on the English/Scottish border area? Would a buckler be appropriate or a Targe or something different? Information on both military and civilian shields would useful (if there is a difference).

I have found plenty of information on weapons and armour but nothing useful on shields.

The reason for this question is that I am trying to put together a Border Reiver persona (well a persona of someone who lived and fought on the Scottish side of the Border in the late 1500s) and any help getting some of the details right would be nice.
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Ed McV




Location: Ontario,Canada
Joined: 06 Mar 2006

Posts: 27

PostPosted: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 3:00 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

From the book "Scottish Renaissance Armies 1513-1550" by Jonathan Cooper a painting on p44 of The Solway Moss battle shows a targe being carried by the horseman.
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Kel Rekuta




Location: Toronto, Canada
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PostPosted: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 7:01 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Round target like the Italian rotella. Very common for the Borders especially. Lots of documentary evidence and not a few woodcuts - just look for images of late 16thC Border Prickers.
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Jack W. Englund




Location: WA State
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PostPosted: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 7:43 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

IMHO, a "targe" ( highland style = unlikely,
a Small round shield poss. if mounted ???

Jack
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Joel Minturn





Joined: 10 Dec 2007

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PostPosted: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 8:40 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hey thanks for the information so far.

IS there a difference for shields used on foot or mounted?
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Kel Rekuta




Location: Toronto, Canada
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PostPosted: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 5:50 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Joel Minturn wrote:
Hey thanks for the information so far.

IS there a difference for shields used on foot or mounted?


For a Border Reiver personae? No. They didn't fight on foot if they could avoid it. They weren't described as the finest light horsemen in Christendom for nothing. Whatever they had mounted was used when dismounted, for whatever reason.
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Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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PostPosted: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 6:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Look at the horsemen in these images.
http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/about/bgallery/Galler...eland.html

IIRC, borderers were prominent in English cavalry from the time of Henry VIII forward. These images are late 16th c.

It's interesting, the way they wear their targets as body armour for the charge. Notice that the Irish sling their targets on their backs in the same way when retreating.

-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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Stephen Curtin




Location: Cork, Ireland
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PostPosted: Sat 04 Jun, 2011 3:42 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Kel Rekuta wrote:
Round target like the Italian rotella. Very common for the Borders especially. Lots of documentary evidence and not a few woodcuts - just look for images of late 16thC Border Prickers.


Hi Kel I've been looking for these woodcuts of border prickers using rotelle but can't seem to find any, other that John Derricke's "Image of Irelande". If you know of any other woodcuts I'd be very grateful if you would share them, thanks.

Éirinn go Brách
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