Bill (Polearm)

An English polearm derived from the agricultural billhook, fitted with a hooked, chopping blade on a long shaft, carried by English ships’ crews and coastal defenders of the Tudor period. Large numbers of bills were recovered from the wreck of Henry VIII’s warship Mary Rose, illustrating how common the weapon was aboard English vessels of the era, including armed merchantmen and privateers. It was gradually phased out in favor of the pike and firearms through the 16th century.