History of Falconry
Falconry dates back to 2000 BC, when birds of prey were used to catch fast moving game, such as pheasant and hare, by nomadic tribes in Central Asia.
The practice of falconry spread with the silk and spice trade routes, and there are records of falcons being used for hunting in Japan by 700 BC. In Europe, the falconry was an established art by 600 AD, and in England by 700 AD.
A European goshawk could catch up to twenty game birds a day, proving to be invaluable in providing fresh meat for the supper table. Falcons were put up and kept station over a covey of partridge known to be hiding in the underbrush, while the falconer crept up and threw a large net over the birds.

Falconry and Royalty
By the 15th century had become a sport and provided leisure entertainment for those members of society who had money and time on their hands. King Henry VIII was a great advocate of hunting and falconry was his one of his favourite past times. He had mews (housing for falcons) at all of his palaces. At Hampton Court Palace, he kept over one hundred falcons and hawks at any one time. He himself did not have the time to train and look after this number of birds, so an entourage of falconers and assistant falconers were employed to look after the birds’ daily needs.
By the 18th century, falconry was very popular throughout Europe and many Subscription Members Clubs were started. The Clubs provided a service for people who were to busy to be able to successfully train and fly a falcon on a daily basis. Professional falconers were employed to source and train the birds. The members of the Club could then hunt their falcons when time and whim allowed. European royalty, in the main, patronized these clubs. However, in Holland, the Loo Club had over one hundred members, who met several times a week in the hunting season.

Falconry in England
In England, the Confederation Hawks of Great Britain, The Falconer Club and later The Old Hawking Club were run on a much smaller scale. The principle remained the same. The clubs allowed the businessman of the day to watch his hawk or falcon work, without having to spend time taming or training the bird.
By the beginning of the 20th century (1927) the Old Hawking Club had been disbanded and the British Falconers’ Club founded. The spirit of the hawking club had changed from prestige to sport. The BFC was for the individual who would now tame and train his own hawk or falcon.
Falconry, since then, has diverged into two branches: hunting and diplay falconry. The BFC provides the support structure that allows the hunting of game as a social sport. Display falconry has become very popular, and is a very useful educational tool, but the welfare of the birds in commercial use always remains a priority. The BFC is strongly involved in conservation of birds of prey and meetings allow members to exchange information and experiences.
The BFC also acts as regulatory body in the United Kingdom. It liases with government authorities and advises on legislative changes regarding the keeping and breeding of birds of prey.