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Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

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The Volunteers Annual Match 1876
and Battalion Prizes

The sixteenth Annual Prize Meeting of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 20th and 21st of June 1876.

The Town Butts was the venue and the weather conditions were just perfect. The Guardian reporter was expecting some very good scores.

The first day was taken up with a three range shoot, 200 500 and 600 yards, with 5 shots at each range. The entrance fee was 10s. and prizes totalling £65 were to be shared out in decreasing amounts. In the event of tied scores the money was divided up between the tiers.

Private Kemp began with the only possible at 200 yards, made an equal top score of 23 at 500 yards, but came unstuck at 600 yards with only 14 and a total of 62; but it put him in third place only two points behind the days winner, Sergeant George Carder with 64, and one behind second placed Private Roe on 63.

The competition for the members of the Association took place on the second day. The winner's prize was £7 and the N.R.A. bronze medal, which also gave him an entry into the Prince of Wales' Prize at the N.R.A. Wimbledon Meeting in July.

Sergeant George Carder, who had won the first day's shoot, maintained his form and made 65, one better than his first shoot. Of the other Tuesday leaders, Private Roe made only 50 and Private Kemp again had trouble at 600 yards for a score of 56.

The main contender for first place was Corporal T N Coles, who, if he was listed as Private T N Coles on the first day well down the list with 51, produced 24 at 200 yards, one ahead of Sergeant Carder, followed by an equal 21 at 500 yards and needed another 21 at 600 yards to pass Carder's score. It all hang on his last shot with a bullseye to win. He made it and won by one point.

The final match of the meeting was reserved for the Yeomanry Cavalry with 7 shots at 200 yards. There was £10 in prize money available down to sixth place. The prizes were shared between eight shooters including ties of whom seven were from the South Notts. Yeomanry Cavalry corps. The last prize winner was from the Sherwood Rangers.

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The Nottinghamshire Guardian, Friday, 23 June, 1876.

NOTTS. RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

The sixteenth annual prize meeting of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association was held at the Town Butts, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The weather was all that could be desired for rifle shooting there being just sufficient wind to blow the smoke away from the competitors, but nothing to take effect on the bullet as it sped on its way to the target. In such weather tall scoring is always looked for, and from the list below it will be seen that the first prizes were taken by splendid scores. The competition on the second day for the N.R.A. bronze medal produced some beautiful shooting between those excellent shots Sergeant Carder and Corporal Coles, the latter requiring his last shot at 600 yards to be a "Bull" to win, which by steady shooting he obtained, and became the winner of the Blue Riband of the meeting, also securing his right to shoot for the Prince of Wales' Prize at the forthcoming Wimbledon Meeting in July next. The following is the full return of winners:–

FIRST DAY, TUESDAY
A. £65, for Sniders. Entrance 10s.
Ranges 200, 500, and 600 yards.
5 shots. Any position.
    Grand 
 Total.Total.Total.Total.    £
Sergeant Carder 23 21 20 64 7
Private Roe 20 23 20 63 5
Private Kemp 25 23 14 62 5
Col. Sergeant Brookhouse 19 22 20 61 4
Corporal Mince 21 21 17 59 4
Sergeant Hollis 23 23 13 59 3
Hon. Corporal Mayfield 22 20 16 58 3
Sergeant Warsop 20 18 19 57 3
Private Mallet 22 18 17 573
Private Brown 18 19 19 56 3
Private Slim 22 19 15 56 3
Corporal Walker 21 21 14 56 2
Corporal Freeman 23 15 17 55 2
Corporal Ashford 23 15 16 54 2
Surgeon Wright 24 19 11 54 2
Corporal McLennan 16 18 19 53 2
Private N McLeod 20 15 19 53 1
Corporal Baker 23 13 17 53 1
Captain Lambert 20 18 15 53 1
Quarter-Master Sheppard 23 20 10 53 1
Sergeant Toplis 18 17 17 52 1
Sergeant Webster 19 19 14 52 1
Corporal Derrick 20 21 11 52 1
Corporal Lee 22 19 11 52 1
Private Lambert 16 22 13 51 1
Private F Cuckson 20 18 13 51 1
Private TN Coles 18 21 12 51-
Sergeant Moore 20 19 12 51-
Corporal Ward 23 17 11 51-
Private Curtis 23 17 11 51-

 

SECOND DAY, WEDNESDAY.
B. £75. For Sniders. Entrance 5s.
Open to members of the Association
who have paid their subscription for the current year.
Ranges 200, 500, and 600 yards, 5 shots.
Any position. 1st prize, £7, and N.R.A. bronze medal.
    Grand
 Total.Total.Total.Total.
Corporal T N Coles 24 21 21 66
Sergeant G Carder 23 21 21 65
Private A Slim 24 19 20 63
Colour-Sergeant Hodgson 18 20 23 61
Private Mallet 22 17 22 61
Private Kerry 55 17 22 61
Hon. Corporal Mayfield 22 20 19 61
Corporal Walker 21 23 16 60
Corporal Ashford 22 22 16 60
Colour-Sergeant Wilson 20 21 17 58
Private Marshall 18 22 17 57
Corporal Lucas 20 20 17 57
Corporal Sergeant Birks 22 22 13 57
Private Kemp 22 23 11 56
Colour-Sergeant Brookhouse 16 22 17 55
Sergeant Webster 21 18 16 55
Sergeant Hollis 19 21 15 55
Colour-Sergeant Cumberland 19 22 14 55
Corporal Derrick 20 17 17 54
Quarter-Master Cuckson 21 20 13 54
Sergeant Sibley 22 22 10 54
Sergeant David 21 19 13 53
Sergeant Cook 20 14 18 52
Private Grundy 18 22 12 52
Corporal Mince 22 18 12 52
Private Dalles 16 18 17 51
Captain Lambert 21 16 14 51
Corporal Newman 19 21 11 51
Private Cooper 22 19 10 51
Sergeant Moore 17 21 12 50
Private Roe 22 16 12 50
Private F Cuckson 20 19 11 50
Private Caunt 20 19 11 50
Private Wilson 23 18 9 50
Sergeant Turnbull 20 16 13 49
Sergeant Toplis 22 16 11 49
Corporal Freeman 22 18 9 49

 

C. £10. Yeomanry Cavalry of Notts. 200 yards,
7 shots. Any position.
Entrance, 2s 6d. First prize, £3. Second, £2.
Third, £2. Fourth, £1. Fifth, £1. Sixth, £1.
 Grand total.
Sergeant Burnaby, SNYC 26
Corporal Slater, SNYC 26
Sergeant Moss, SNYC 25
Sergeant Lowe, SNYC 24
Corporal Easton , SNYC 24
Corporal Morris, SNYC 24
Private Kirkby, SNYC 24
Private North, SR 24

A week later, the Robin Hoods were back at the Town Butts to shoot the third monthly contest towards the battalion aggregate prizes. The shoot consisted of the usual three ranges, 200, 500 and 600 yards, with five shots at each range. There is no mention of sighting shots.

At 200 yards, Corporal G C Liberty and Private W Kerry lead the way with 24's; but could not keep the scores up at the longer ranges.

At 500 yards Sergeant H Davis made a possible 25 and followed this with an unbeaten 21 at 600 yards. His total of 67 points was well in front of the next highest scorer, Private R Brown on 62. Sergeant G Carder came in fourth with 20, 22 and 17, totalling 59.

The Nottinghamshire Guardian, Friday, 30 June, 1876.

ROBIN HOOD RIFLES.

The third monthly contest for battalion prizes took place at the Town Butts on Monday, the 26th instant; ranges, 200, 500, and 600 yards, 5 shots at each distance. The following are the seventeen highest scores:–

Co. Name. 200 500 600 Total.
3 Sergeant H Davis 21 25 21 67
5 Private R Brown 22 20 20 62
1 Corporal T Thompson 21 21 17 59
9 Sergeant G Carder 20 22 17 59
7 Corporal T Vickers 22 21 16 59
1 Corporal GC Liberty 24 19 15 58
7 Sergeant E Cartwright 20 21 16 57
10 Private S Pool 22 16 19 57
2 Corporal WH Baker 20 18 18 56
10 Lance-corporal J Mayfield 21 20 15 56
5 Sergeant R Hollis 21 16 18 55
4 Lance-Corporal T Gilliver 17 18 20 55
3 Private J Lee 23 20 12 55
4 Private E Wilson 22 16 17 55
9 Private W Kerry 24 20 10 54
5 Private T Lambert 22 14 18 54
4 Private St. Leo Smith 21 18 15 54

Transcripts from the Nottinghamshire Guardian 23 & 30 June 1876
British Library Newspaper Archive

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