page_title: Historical fencing in Scotland
section_title: Fencing manuals
hierarchical_section_title: Historical fencing in Scotland / Fencing manuals
caption_attribution_description: English: Hanging Guard images from Captain G. Sinclair's fencing treatise Anti-Pugilism
context_page_description: There is some evidence on historical fencing as practiced in Scotland in the Early Modern Era, especially fencing with the Scottish basket-hilted broadsword during the 17th to 18th centuries.
  Most of our current knowledge of these arts derives from various combative treatises or Martial arts manuals, as well as written anecdotes and artistic representations from different periods and locations in Scottish history.
context_section_description: Scottish fencing manuals detailing the use of the basket-hilted Scottish broadsword (besides other disciplines including the smallsword and spadroon and, to a lesser extent, the targe, dirk and quarterstaff)
  were published throughout the 18th century, with early and late examples dating to the late 17th and early 19th centuries, respectively:
  The Scots Fencing Master (the Complete Smallswordsman) - Sir William Hope (1687)
  Advice to his Scholar from the Fencing Master - Sir William Hope (1692)
  Complete Fencing Master - Sir William Hope (1691–1692)
  The Swordsman's Vade-Mecum - Sir William Hope (1692)
  New Short and Easy Method of Fencing (1st Edition) - Sir William Hope (1707)
  New Short and Easy Method of Fencing (2nd Edition) - Sir William Hope (1714)
  A Few Observations upon the Fighting for Prizes in the Bear Gardens - Sir William Hope (1715)
  A Vindication of the True Art of Self-Defence - Sir William Hope (1724)
  Expert Swords-man's Companion - Donald McBane (1728)
  A treatise on backsword, sword, buckler, sword and dagger, sword and great gauntlet, falchion, quarterstaff - Captain James Miller (1737)
  The Use of the Broad Sword - Thomas Page (1746)
  A Dictionary Explaining the Terms, Gards and Positions, used in the Art of the Small Sword - Hary Fergusson (1767)
  The Sword's-man - John Ferdinand (1788)
  Anti-Pugilism - Anonymous (Captain G. Sinclair, 1790)
  Lecture on the Art of Defence - Archibald MacGregor (1791)
  Treatise on the New Sword Exercise, for Cavalry - Sholto Sorlie (1797)
  The Art of Defence on Foot with Broad Sword and Sabre, by C. Roworth (1798)
  The Guards of the Highland Broadsword - Henry Angelo, art by Thomas Rowlandson (20 January 1799)
  Hungarian & Highland Broadsword - by Henry Angelo and Son (12 February 1799)
  Ten Divisions of the Highland Broadsword - Henry Angelo (20 June 1799) 
  Cudgel Playing Modernized and Improved; or, The Science of Defence, Exemplified in a Few Short and Easy Lessons, for the Practice of the Broad Sword or Single Stick, on Foot - Captain G. Sinclair (1800)
  Lecture on the Art of Defence - Archibald MacGregor (1791)
  The Art of Defence with Broad Sword and Sabre, by C. Roworth (1804 & 1824)
  Fencing Familiarized; or, a New Treatise on the Art of the Scotch Broad Sword - Thomas Mathewson (1805)
caption: Different positions from the Hanging Guard, from Captain G. Sinclair's "Anti Pugilism"
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