The Opening of Trent Range
Lord Wolseley was appointed to the position of Commander-in-Chief with the rank of Field Marshall in September 1895. The Trent Range was approaching completion and he agreed to open it as one of his first acts in connection with the Volunteer regiments. The Grantham Journal picked up the story and announced the date.
Grantham Journal 25 Sept 1895
Lord Wolseley, the new Commander-in-Chief, has consented to open the Robin Hood Rifles range at Trent, on Thursday, November 7th.
Closer to the date, the Nottingham Evening Post published the intended arrangements in full.
Viscount Wolseley would travel to Nottingham Midland Railway Station from London. His carriage would then be transferred to a special train to Trent, where he would open the new Volunteer Range and ceremonial shots would be fired. The return to Nottingham would be by train.
The officials would then go to the Exchange Hall in the Market Square in a carriage procession, accompanied by the Band of the Robin Hood Rifles, for a formal luncheon and speeches, after which Viscount Wolseley would return to London by train
Nottingham Evening Post, 4 November 1895
For next Thursday's ceremony at Trent, attended with such a wealth of interest as it is, the arrangements are, save in one particular, practically complete. The event will be one of the most important in the history of the Robin Hoods, and since the Corporation took in hand the work of constructing the range it has assumed a phase of more than Battalion sympathy. Details have already been published of the movements on the 7th., but they were only of a tentative character, and needed confirmation.
Viscount Wolseley's departure from St. Pancras is timed for nine o'clock, and he and his staff are to travel in a special carriage. They are expected to arrive in Nottingham at 11.32 a.m., and the carriage will then be attached to a special train for Trent Junction. This will also convey the members of the Town Council and their guests, the arrangements having been made by the municipal authorities. No formal reception will take place in Nottingham. Meanwhile, according to the regimental orders published this morning, the Robin Hoods will be paraded in Parkinson-street, opposite the Midland Railway Station, for the purpose of proceeding to Trent. The men are requested to parade at a quarter to ten, and it is particularly desired that every member of the regiment who can possibly attend will do so. The band, bugle band, the cyclists, signallers, pioneers, etc., will also take part. It has been arrange that the regiment shall reach Trent by a special train, which is timed to leave Nottingham at ten. All the men will wear full dress, except the recruits of the new letter "L" Company, who are to parade in undress uniform, and form a picquet to keep the ground.
When the train which bears the distinguished visitor reaches Trent, Lord Wolseley is to be welcomed by the Mayor of Nottingham (Councillor Joseph Bright), who will then conduct him to the lodge at the entrance to the range, which is to serve as a residence for the sergeant-instructor. The Commander-in- Chief having mounted his charger, the Robin Hoods will be drawn up in line a short distance from the lodge, and receive him with a general salute. After he has inspected the line it is proposed that the regiment shall form three sides pf a square, so that the Mayor may address Lord Wolseley within the hearing of all. His Lordship having replied, and declared the range open, the first shot on the new range will be fired by the Mayoress, and the second by Mrs. Cantrell-Hubbersty, wife of the popular commanding officer of the R.H.R., from rifles fixed on special rests. A special train leaving Trent at 1.33 p.m. is to bring back the Commander-in-Chief to Nottingham, accompanied by the Mayor, Corporation, and the band of the Robin Hoods. Arriving in Nottingham, the party will be conveyed to the Exchange Hall in carriages. If the suggestion falls in with the ideas of military etiquette, it is hoped that an escort of the South Notts. Hussars may be present. The procession to the Exchange Hall is to be formed in the following order:–
The band of the R.H.R.
Viscount Wolseley and the Mayor
The Staff Officers
Col. Cantrell-Hubbersty and the Officers of the R.H.R.
Members of the Corporation and other Guests
Luncheon will be served in the Exchange Hall, and the Commander-in-Chief returns to London by the 4.58 train. The Mayor is to accompany him to the station, where a guard of honour of the Robin Hoods will be drawn up. The members of the regiment are to be served with refreshments at the Drill Hall when they return from Trent. The Midland Railway company will, if desired, run special trains to Trent for the convenience of the general public, and a large attendance is looked for. It is a singular coincidence that whilst this function is almost the first which Lord Wolseley will be called upon to perform in his new capacity, it also practically marks the expiration of the term of office of Mr. Joseph Bright as Mayor of Nottingham. The War Office have granted a short extension to the Robin Hoods to complete their musketry, and registering practices are announced for next week. Contrary to general expectations the new range will, after all, be utilised before the close of the present year, as it has been arranged to hold the competition for the Duke of St. Alban' Challenge Vase and the last of the shoots for the aggregate prizes there on Monday week, while the annual battalion competition is fixed for the same place on the 14th and 16th inst. Thus additional interest will attach to the shooting.
The Sheffield Daily Telegraph carried an article about the range opening on the day before the event. It gave a brief summary of the events leading up to the opening and some financial back-ground.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph 6 Nov 1895
The Commander-in-Chief (Field-Marshal Lord Wolseley) will to-morrow perform his first official act in connection with the Volunteer force as Commander-in-Chief by opening the extensive rifle ranges which have been provided for the 1st Nottingham (Robin Hood) Rifles near Trent Railway Station by the Corporation of Nottingham as a total cost of £16,000. Since 1891 this strong battalion has been without a rifle range, and it has only been by renting ranges belonging to other corps at great distances from the town that the class-firing has been accomplished.
In 1894 the Town Council of Nottingham, recognising the fact that the very existence of the corps was in peril, decided to provide a range, repayment of the cost with interest being spread over a period of 30 years. The freehold site, consisting of nearly 100 acres, was purchased for £12,600, and the cost of constructing the ranges and the erection of all necessary buildings has been £7,500 or there–abouts. This is the first instance on record of a corporate body advancing money on loan for such a purpose. The ranges will rank among the best and safest in the kingdom, and every modern improvement has been adopted in laying them out, the system of marking being precisely similar to that of the National Rifle Association at Bisley.
The Derby Telegraph rushed a report into its paper on the day of the opening giving a brief account of the proceedings.
Derby Telegraph 7 Nov 1895
OPENING OF TRENT RIFLE RANGE.
Lord Wolseley to-day visited Nottingham and, performing his first official act as Commander-in-Chief in connection with the Volunteer forces, opened the extensive rifle ranges provided by the Corporation near Trent railway station. His Lordship was received at Trent by the Mayor, who subsequently in an address explained the construction of the range which the Commander-in-Chief opened. In the course of some remarks Lord Wolseley spoke in complementary terms of the way in which the Robin Hoods had maintained their numbers and efficiency. He went on to regret the difficulty which was experienced by other Volunteer regiments in getting suitable officers. He spoke in high terms of the public spirit of Nottingham in providing this range, and expressed a hope that the example would be followed elsewhere. Notwithstanding the rain, a large number of spectators assembled, and Lord Wolseley was enthusiastically received.
Sadly for us the Nottingham Evening Post's full and thorough account of the days events which occupied some six and a half columns over two pages of that day's edition are poorly reproduced and much of the text is difficult to read.
In consequence the transcription can only hint at the extent of the reporting and of the day's arrangements for receiving Lord Wolseley at the Midland Station, on the new range, and at the luncheon held in Exchange Hall.
The Mayor, after proposing the loyal toast, spoke first to welcome Lord Wolseley to Nottingham and to thank him for opening the new range. Lord Wolseley replied to the Mayor and his speech judging from the insertions of (Cheers), (Applause) and (Laughter) was very cordially received. Sir John Turner then proposed the toast of "The Robin Hoods" which was responded to by Colonel Hubbersty, Commanding Officer. There were a further two speeches, one of which was by the Mayor responding to Col. Hubbersty's thanks to the Town Council for their support for the Robin Hoods. Lord Wolseley left the Exchange Hall to the cheers of a crowd of several thousand people and departed from the Midland Station for London.
Reports of the day's events were carried in local papers from all parts of the country and it is hoped to get further details from them if possible.
Nottingham Evening Post 7 November 1895
THE NEW RANGE AT TRENT.
VISIT OF LORD WOLSELEY
OPENING CEREMONY
LUNCHEON AT THE EXCHANGE HALL
In the history of the Robin Hood Rifles no more striking event has been witnessed than that which took place today, when the new range provided for the use of the battalion at Trent was opened by Lord Wolseley, and the first shot now fired......
The train by which Lord Wolseley travelled on the Midland Railway arrived in Nottingham punctually at 11.30. There had been some effort to decorate the station, the main entrance being festooned with material of red, white and blue. A large crowd had assembled on the arrival platform,.....
The Robin Hoods paraded at a quarter to two o'clock in Parliament-street .....
At the luncheon, which was given by the Mayor of Nottingham at the Exchange Hall, in honour of Lord Wolseley's visit .....
The Mayor proposed the toast of "The Queen", which was cordially honoured. .....
Transcripts from the Grantham Journal 25/09/1895,
the Sheffield Daily Telegraph 06/11/1895,
the Derby Telegraph 07/11/1895
and the Nottingham Evening Post 07/11/1895.
British Library Newspaper Archive