of laminated construction (repaired crack in one limb), with 47# draw weight, carved horn nocks, red cloth covered handle with riser, stamped 'Waring London', '47', and 'Cambridge bowmens prize, won by H.W. Sheppard, 1828', length 70 inches

The Royal Toxophilite Society was founded on the 3rd of April 1781 by Sir Ashton Lever, a Lancashire aristocrat, business man and sportsman, and Thomas Waring, Superintendent of Sir Ashtons 'Museum of Collections' in Leicester House, London. Thomas Waring had taken up archery in an attempt to 'alleviate oppressions upon his chest caused by sitting too long and too close at his desk and pressing his breast too much against it'. He had derived ‘great benefit’ from the exercise and Sir Ashton decided to follow suit. Waring later opened a shop selling archery equipment and wrote his 'Treatise on Archery' in 1822, sold from his shop on Caroline Street, Bedford Square, London (Waring, 1824) (H, 2014).