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Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

Providing support for smallbore, fullbore, and black powder shooting clubs in the county

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The 1898 Annual Volunteer Match

The much expanded facilities available at Trent compared to Coppice Road are now proving their worth in the larger number of shooters that can be accommodated on the range.

The annual match included individual competitions for 21 Brigade Prizes which were open to volunteers and veteran volunteers from the North Midland Brigade. There was also a match for Battalion teams of 15 which attracted six entries from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, and resulted in a win for the Robin Hood Rifles.

This match also produced probably the first score over 100 ex 105 on the course of fire of one sighter and seven to count at 200, 500 and 600 yards. Colour-Sergeant Harrison of 1st Derbyshire battalion made 31, 35, 35 for a total of 101.

On the second day of shooting the prizes were sponsored by the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association and included the Association Bronze Medal (presumably still giving the winner a free entry to the Prince of Wales' Prize at the Bisley Imperial Meeting) which went to Colour-Sergeant W.H. Aldam with the highest score of those who had not previously won the medal.

The top scorer of the day was Colour-Sergeant William Comery, the Secretary of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association with a score of 98, made up of a poor 200 yard total of 29 followed by 34 and 35 at 500 and 600 yards. The weather was reported as being somewhat inferior to the previous day.

There were also sweepstake shoots at 600 yards with it appears ten to count and a recruits shoot over the main course of fire.

Volunteer Intelligence

Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

On Monday several interesting competitions under the auspices of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association were decided on the Trent Range amid generally favourable conditions. Under the heading of "Brigade Prizes" 21 awards were offered, and all volunteers, sergeant-instructors, and veteran volunteers of the North Midland Brigade were eligible to compete. Sergeant-Instructor Stocker, of the 1st Lincoln, scored 91, but was disqualified for light pull of trigger. Success was achieved by the under-mentioned in the order named:-

    200  500  600  Tl.
Lance-Sergeant C.A. Ward 31 33 33 97
Sergeant G. Allsop 34 34 29 97
Lance-Corporal W.E. Sawyer 30 33 33 96
Sergeant Milner 30 33 32 96
Sergeant T Loach 31 32 32 95
Private J. Leavesley 33 33 29 95
Private C.T. Smith 32 35 28 96
Private S. Coles 32 32 30 94
Corporal J. Woolley 31 32 30 93
Sergeant C.H. Jackson 31 31 30 92
Sergeant E. Dracott 31 31 30 92
Lance-Corporal W. Ashby 28 35 29 92
Sergeant H.W. Davis 31 34 27 92
Corporal W.H. Stevenson 27 33 31 91
Corporal Suggitt 31 33 26 90
Captain T. Lee 27 34 28 89
Captain J. Ashworth 28 33 28 89
Sergeant-Major Woodward 29 31 28 88
Colour-Sergeant W. Comery 33 28 27 88
Private E Jago 29 30 28 87
Sergant-Instructor Prattinton 29 30 28 87

Following an inter-battalion match was decided between the Robin Hoods, 1st. Lincoln, 4th. Notts., 1st. Derby, 2nd. Lincoln, and 2nd. Derby, each team being comprised of fifteen members. The race for premier position lay between the Robin Hoods and the 1st. Lincoln - old and evenly matched rivals - and finally honours lay with the first named by the majority of 27 points. The scoring of the winners was very even and of high average, which would have been better still but for the fine rain which fell during the closing stages of the competition. Colour-Sergt. Harrison, of the 1st. Derby, had the honour of registering the best score of the day, with 101 - one of the best things accomplished on the range - which included "possibles" at 500 and 600 yards. The officers of the respective battalions mustered in strong force, and evinced much interest in the day's proceedings, which were expeditiously carried out under the super-intendance of Colour-Sergeant Wm. Comery, secretary to the Rifle Association. The details of the firing are appended:-

ROBIN HOODS  200  500  600  Tl.
Sergeant G.E. Allsop 32 33 33 98
Sergeant H.W. Davis 32 33 29 94
Private T. Coles 31 32 30 93
Private J. Leavesley 32 33 28 93
Colour-Sergeant W. Comery 31 29 31 91
Private T.E. Burrows 29 33 29 91
Sergeant Draycott 32 34 24 90
Private E. Marriott 29 32 28 89
Colour-Sergeant W.H. Aldam 31 30 27 88
Captain H. Tomkins 27 33 28 88
Sergeant T. Loach 30 28 29 87
Colour-Sergeant St. Leo Smith 33 30 24 87
Sergeant S.H. Page 28 25 33 86
Lance-Corporal W. Ashby 30 32 24 85
Sergeant-Instructor E. Hawkridge 30 34 21 85
 457 471 417 1,346

1ST. LINCOLN  200  500  600  Tl.
Colonel Elwood 30 33 33 96
Private Grove 31 30 33 94
Private Atkinson 30 30 31 91
Major Riggall 29 33 29 91
Private Herring 31 31 28 90
Sergeant Townend 30 33 26 89
Sergeant-Major Sheward 29 32 27 88
Colour-Sergeant Stocker           29 33 26 88
Private Smith 31 27 29 87
Private Webb 30 29 27 86
Corporal Sawyer 31 23 32 86
Colour-Sergeant Rowe 31 30 24 85
Sergeant Jackson 30 28 27 85
Bugler Lewis 29 28 27 84
Corporal Suggett 30 31 18 79
 451 451 417 1,319

4TH NOTTS.  200  500  600  Tl.
Corporal Hargreaves 27 32 33 92
Major Edge 32 33 26 91
Sergeant Wood 29 30 31 91
Sergeant-Instructor Prattington 34 30 25 89
Major Mellish 27 32 28 87
Sergeant Balloy 30 27 26 83
Corporal Fisher 30 26 26 82
Sergeant Brown 27 33 21 81
Sergeant Pritchard 25 28 27 80
Corporal Dyson 29 27 24 80
Lance-Corporal Mackie 31 26 22 79
Sergeant Allsopp 31 24 23 78
Sergeant Dickinson 31 25 21 77
Private Cocker 26 25 25 76
Corporal Winfield 27 22 21 70
 436 419 380 1,235

1ST. DERBY.  200  500  600  Tl.
Colour-Sergeant Harrison 31 35 35 101
Captain Hunter 29 31 30 90
Colour-Sergeant Vickerstaffe 28 29 32 89
Sergeant Dawes 31 31 27 89
Sergeant Jessop 31 30 21 82
Corporal Bestwick 26 27 28 81
Sergeant Ward 29 25 27 81
Sergeant Briggs 28 22 29 79
Sergeant-Instructor Lattimore 31 33 15 79
Sergeant-Major Woodward 27 30 17 74
Quartermaster-Sergeant Allen 24 22 25 71
Corporal Allen 30 29 19 78
Private South 25 26 27 78
Lance-Corporal Mayer 25 31 21 77
Sergeant Harrison 28 33 20 81
 423 434 373 1,230

2ND. LINCOLN.  200  500  600  Tl.
Corporal Gooch 30 29 31 90
Sergeant Dolby 32 30 26 88
Private J.C. Clarke 28 30 27 85
Sergeant Culley 30 27 26 83
Col-Sergeant Bird 30 30 22 82
Sergeant Feueley 24 31 26 81
Corporal Collishaw 27 25 27 79
Private W.H. Harton 29 21 28 78
Sergeant-Instructor G. Pinner 22 30 25 77
Col-Sergeant Bonner 29 33 15 77
Sergeant Christopher 25 26 24 76
Sergeant Redman 26 23 22 71
 * 416 419 374 1,209

* Details of these scores not to hand.

2ND. DERBY.  200  500  600  Tl.
Sergeant Fletcher 30 32 29 91
Corporal Wetters 29 30 28 87
Sergeant Milner 29 29 29 87
Pioneer Smith 29 28 28 85
Sergeant Burnett 30 25 29 84
Lance-Corporal Fidler 28 24 29 81
Sergeant Clay 31 30 20 81
Private Marriott 27 33 19 79
Col-Sergeant Wilbraham 30 23 25 78
Private Brough 24 27 23 74
Quartermaster-Sergeant Unwin 25 32 17 74
Sergeant Whitworth 27 28 18 73
Private Ormshaw 27 28 15 70
Private Reader 26 27 11 64
Private Pearson 28 16 18 62
 420 412 337 1,170

For the second day of their Whitsuntide competition the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association were not favoured with particularly promising atmospherical conditions. Details are appended:-

ASSOOCIATION PRIZES  200  500  600  Tl.
Col-Sergt Comery 29 34 35 98
Sergt. J.H. Duckett 31 31 33 95
Sergt. R.T. Savage 31 33 31 95
Lance-Corporal W. Ashby 31 29 33 93
* Col-Sergt. W.H. Aldam 29 35 28 92
Sergt. O. Allsop 31 28 32 91
Corporal J. Woolley 29 33 29 91
Private T. Coles 33 32 26 91
Captain J. Ashworth 28 32 31 91
Private J. Leavesley 25 33 32 90
Sergt. H.W. Davis 28 31 31 90
Private J.W. Hildyard 28 32 30 90
Sergt.-Instructor E. Hawkridge 32 32 26 90
Private J.E. Burrows 29 30 30 89
Sergt. E. Dracott 30 29 30 89
Corporal F. Hargreaves 31 29 29 89
Sergt. C. Wood 33 34 28 87
Private E. Marriott 30 34 24 88
Col.-Sergt. G. Carder 31 28 29 88
Major A.W. Brewill 32 29 27 88
Sergt. J.W. Smith 31 33 24 88
Corporal J.W. Hall 28 31 28 87
Private J. Seymour 28 30 29 87
Corporal H. Tompkins 28 31 28 87
Corporal W.H. Stevenson 30 30 27 87
Sergt. S.H. Page 32 26 28 86
Sergt. F. Dominic 31 27 27 85
Captain T. Lee 31 28 27 84
Private H. Hargreaves 29 28 27 84
Col.-Sergt. H. Davis 28 28 26 82
Col.-Sergt. Smith 33 25 24 82
Sergt. T. Loach 29 31 22 82
Private W.A. Brown 30 29 21 80
Lieut. E.G. Moore 29 26 25 80

* Winner of the Association Bronze Medal

SWEEPSTAKES AT 600 YARDS  
Corporal J. Woolley 46
Corporal J.W. Hall 46
Sergeant S.H. Page 45
Colour-Sergeant W. Comery 44
Lance-Corporal W. Ashby 44
Private W. Perkins 43
Major Mellish 42
Sergeant E. Dracott 42
Sergeant-Instructor Prattington 41
Private E. Jago 39
Captain T. Lee 39
Corporal H. Tomkins 38
Private W. Perkins 38

RECRUITS PRIZE  200  500  600  Tl.
Private G. Smith 30 22 22 74
Private G.E. Smith 26 27 18 71
Surgeon-Lieutenant Shearer 25 22 21 68
Private Wiggins 26 22 20 68
Private W. Harrison 26 17 16 59

Transcript from Nottinghamshire Guardian 04/06/1898
British Library Newspaper Archive