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Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

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The Closing Matches for 1904

Here is the full report of the match between the volunteer sergeants and Ilkeston Miniature Rifle Club previewed on our previous page covering August reports.

The conditions have been changed from teams of eight to teams of ten with the two lowest scores counted out, from one sighter and seven to count to one and ten, and from two positions to one.

The result was a sound win by the Ilkeston team, which consisted of a mix of volunteers and civilians. The reporter was lead to believe that the sergeants team were handicapped by inferior rifles.

Derby Daily Telegraph, Monday, 5 September 1904

Volunteer Sergeants at Ilkeston. — A team of the Derby Volunteer sergeants visited Ilkeston on Saturday last to shoot a rifle match with a team of the Ilkeston Volunteer and Civilian Rifle Club. Teams consisted of ten men each, and the lowest scores to be counted out in each; ten shots and one sighter were allowed at a miniature Bisley target, the distance being 25 yards, and the position lying. A member of each team shot together, and for some time there were not many points difference, but eventually Ilkeston drew away and won rather easily by 50 points. As far as I can make out the Derby team were handicapped in the matter of rifles, the general opinion being that they were not as accurate as they might have been. Still, that does not detract from the Ilkeston victory. The Ilkeston club is a most flourishing one , having a membership of nearly 100 to select teams from, and that good rifle shot, Colour-Sergeant MacKenzie, is the skipper. MacKenzie expressed the pleasure it gave him to welcome the Derby sergeants to their range. Colour-Sergeant Oldknow acknowledged the welcome, and hoped at no distant date the defeat of that afternoon would be revenged. The scores were:—

ILKESTON
Sergeant F. MacKenzie 45
W.B. Shorthose 45
Lance-Corporal D. Cox 44
S. Henson 42
A. Shorthose 42
Colour-Sergeant H. MacKenzie 42
A. Cawthorne 41
W.C. Wilkinson 41
Total 342
Two scores of 37 and 36 counted out.
  
DERBY SERGEANTS 
Colour-Sergeant Oldknow 40
Sergeant D. Holland 39
Sergeant Gibson 39
Sergeant Chester 36
Sergeant Tinker 35
Armourer-Sergeant Oldknow 35
Sergeant Caunt 34
Sergeant Huggins 34
Total 292
Two scores of 32 and 30 counted out.

The Derby Daily Telegraph also reported on the Robin Hood's final shoot of the Mason Long Range Competition, which was won by Sergeant-Instructor M. Watts, giving him third place on aggregate counted out behind Corporal J. Lane in second place on the same score, the winner being Corporal G.F. Blakeley by one point at 137 ex 150.

The report also gave the results of the Duke of St. Alban's Cup, the winner being Captain P.M. Payne, and the Jesse Boot Challenge Bowl for teams of twelve.

Derby Daily Telegraph, Monday, 5 September 1904

Robin Hood Rifles. — The Mason Long Range Competition was shot for on the Trent Range on 29th August. This formed the 4th and last competition of the series, consisting of two sighters and ten shots at 800 yards, the aggregate of the three best shots out of the four counting for the prizes, the first three being £5, £3, and £2. The winner of the fourth shoot was Sergeant-Instructor M. Watts, with a total of 48. The winners of the prizes were Corporal G.F. Blakeley 137, Corporal J. Lane 136, Sergeant-Instructor M. Watts 136.

The Duke of St. Alban's Cup and gold championship jewel, awarded for the highest grand aggregate in the Battalion Aggregate Competition, was won by Captain P.M. Payne, the Robin Hoods' instructor of musketry, his scores at 200, 500, and 600 yards being 95, 94, and 99, and 92 at 200 and 500 yards 67, at 800 yards with 10 shots and four competitions 38, 40, 48, and 45; grand total 618. Major J. Ashworth's, last year's winner, total was 615, and Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery 614.

In the Jesse Boot Challenge Bowl Competition, for teams of 12, and the 10 highest scores to count, an old Derby Volunteer, Sergt. J.G. Briggs, made thing very lively by putting on a "possible" at 200 yards and 33 and 31 at 500 and 600 yards, giving the grand total of 99, thus tieing with Capt. P.M. Payne with 99.

The Lowdham and District R.C. went shooting on Thursday 8th September to settle the award of the National Rifle Association's bronze badge with a three range shoot at Epperstone range. The woinner was J.D. Pearson with 119 ex 150.

Nottingham Evening Post, Friday, 9 September 1904

RIFLE SHOOTING AT LOWDHAM

Some of the members of the Lowdham and District Rifle Club competed at the Epperstone Range yesterday for the National Rifle Association's bronze badge. Conditions, ten shots at each distance, 200, 500, 600 yards. The leading scores were as follows:—

  200 500 600 Total.
J.D. Pearson 43 41 35 119
C.C. Reed 38 38 39 115
J.C. Belton 45 45 23 113
C.E. Brookes 36 46 21 103

The match on September 24th between the Robin Hoods and the Queen's Westminster Rifles was reported in the Nottingham Evening Post; but the content of the report rather makes it sound like it has been written by another paper's reporter, especially with the complete absence of the Robin Hoods' scores.

Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 26 September 1904

RIFLE SHOOTING
LONDON v. ROBIN HOOD RIFLES

The annual match between the Queen's Westminster Rifles (13th Middlesex) and the Robin Hoods (1st V.B. Notts.) took place on Saturday, on the ranges of the last-named regiment near Trent Junction. The teams were 20 strong , representing the shooting strength of each regiment, and the number of rounds, distances, and targets were in accordance with the King's Prize, Part I. Colonel Stevenson was in command of the London team, and the Nottingham men were under Captain Payne. The result of the match was a victory for the Queen's Westminster Rifles by 32 points, their total being 1,810 against 1,778 made by the Robin Hoods. After the match the teams dined together at the Nottingham Masonic Hall. The scores of the winning team were:—

Bugler Halls 102
Armourer-Sergeant Fulton 96
Private Price 96
Private Hamm 96
Private Jackman 95
Private Shepperd 92
Sergeant Goble 92
Private Mansfield 91
Sergeant Tyrrell 91
Lieutenant Whitcombe 91
Private Smyth 89
Cyclist Fulton 88
Private Stocker 88
Sergeant Poole 88
Private Gill 87
Sergeant Davis 86
Sergeant Church 86
Quartermaster-Sergeant Pridmore 86
Sergeant-Major Phillips 86
Private Templer 84
Total 1,810

The last report of shooting for the season comes from the Notts. Civilian R.C. meeting at Trent Range. Mr. W. Ashby came out with the best gun-score; but was placed second by a handicap adjustment of 25 in favour of Mr. M.I. Preston.

Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday, 26 October 1904

NOTTS. CIVILIAN RIFLE CLUB

The final competition for this season of this club took place on the Trent range. The weather conditions were only moderate. The following cards were returned:—

  200 500 600 H'cp.    Tl.
Mr. M.I. Preston 22 27 22 22 93
Mr. W. Ashby 33 27 32 owes 3 89
Mr. A.E. Sutton 32 29 28 0 89
Dr. R. Heelis 25 23 21 17 86
Dr. J.W. Travell 27 27 21 7 82
Mr. J.T. Radford 25 28 Retired.

Transcripts from Derby Daily Telegraph 05/09/1904 and
Nottingham Evening Post 09/09/1904, 26/09/1904 and 26/10/1904
British Library Newspaper Archive