[MR] Wikipedia: Roger Ascham

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Archers,

On this date in 1568 English scholar Roger Ascham died at the age of 53,
possibly from Malaria.

Ascham was a prolific writer, and is best known to Scadians for his 1545
work TOXOPHILUS, the earliest known English language work on archery. He
rather shrewdly dedicated the book to King Henry VIII, who was himself a
master archer and supporter of archery in his armies and navy. While
somewhat tedious, the book contains valuable information on arrows and bows
and is worth reading even today. An online edition is found at
https://www.archerylibrary.com/books/toxophilus/ .

Like most educated gentlemen of his time, Roger Ascham was trained in the
classical languages. He was considered the finest Greek scholar in England,
and was elected a fellow at St. Johns College, Cambridge. This later landed
him a job as Greek and Latin tutor to Princess Elizabeth. When Mary I
ascended to the throne, Ascham was appointed her Latin secretary. Next he
filled the same role under Elizabeth when she succeeded to the throne.
Somehow, but sucking up to royalty without being drawn into politics,
Ascham was one courtier who, as they say, managed to keep his head when
others were losing theirs.

Ascham was buried in the cemetery of London's St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate
church.

More about Roger Ascham is found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ascham .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆