The County Astor Trophy Competition 1907
The Astor County Challenge cup had started in 1904 as a long range trophy, the final being shot over 200 and 500 yards. As the popularity of miniature rifle shooting spread and new clubs were formed the majority of civilian shooting was at 25 and 50 yards on Bisley type targets, one sighter and seven to count. The Nottinghamshire county heat was shot at short range; but as most clubs were using miniature rifles, no Nottinghamshire club was represented in the final at Bisley.
The number of clubs in Nottinghamshire had increased and fifteen were this year expected to take part at the Radcliffe-on-Trent range on Saturday, June 15th. This report, written on the day before the match took place, lists the competing teams. There is also interesting information on the formation of the Nottinghamshire League of Civilian Rifle Clubs and its President, the Duke of Portland.
Nottingham Evening Post, Friday, 14 June 1907, p5
TO-MORROW'S MEETING AT RADCLIFFE.
NEW COUNTY ASSOCIATION.
The number of rifle clubs in and around Nottingham has increased so much of late that more than usual interest attaches to the annual contest for te possession of the Astor County Challenge Cup, to be held on the Radcliffe Club's range tomorrow. The entry is a record one, no less than 15 clubs having expressed their intention of attending, as against seven last year.
The Astor Cup is put up for competition in a county by the National Rifle Association, as soon as there are two or more clubs affiliated to it. It is shot for annually, on a long range for preference, but as the only object is the promotion of marksmanship, it may be shot for on a miniature range, if desired, rather than not at all. This is what is done in Notts. where the bulk of the competing clubs are miniature rifle clubs.
The conditions in Notts. this year are 25 yards and 50 yards range, seven shots and a sighter, eight men in a team, all of whose scores count. Captain and Adjutant Murray, Captain Ashworth, and Lieutenant Stubbington, of the Robin Hood Rifles, and Mr. J. T. Radford, have promised to act as range officers. The holders are Stanley Works (Newark), who have won it on each of the three years it has been shot for.
The holders are entitled to compete at Bisley for the Astor County Championship Challenge Cup, but as yet Notts. have been unrepresented there.
The Spade Work.
It may not be known that the Nottinghamshire League of Civilian Rifle Clubs came into being as the direct result of the offering of this cup. While the various club representatives were making the arrangements in 1903 for the first competition, they decided to form themselves into a league. This League, of which Mr. J. R. Starkey, M.P., is the active president, has done a great deal of spade work in the cause of rifle shooting, which has undoubtedly borne fruit. At the outset only seven clubs competed, namely, Stanley Works, Castle Brewery (Newark), Newark Town, Nottingham Miniature R.C., Beeston, Notts. Civilians, and Lowdham, the last two being the only long range clubs.
Now there are 15, the new-comers being Carrington, Jardine's, Southwell, Mapperley, Burton Joyce, Radcliffe, Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and Retford, the Nottingham Miniature having wound up.
Recently Lord Roberts, who is devoting his time to the promotion of a love for shooting, has appealed to the Lords-Lieutenant to form an influencial county association in their repective counties, these associations being perhaps more particularly intended for miniature rifle clubs.
The Duke of Portland Support.
The Duke of Portland readily took the matter up, expressing himself as strongly interested in the movement. On his behalf, Colonel Whittaker, of Retford, called the clubs together and a county association has now been formed with the Duke of Portland as president, Mr. Starkey and Colonel Whittaker, vice-presidents, Mr. J. T. Radford, hon. secretary, and Captain D. J. Jardine, organising secretary.
The new association has had a most promising start. It is not intended, however, to supersede the old organisation; rather it is hoped to consolidate the movement in the county. Probably the old league will extend its borders to include the new clubs, and this course, besides securing continuity, will satisfy both the new and old members.
The county association should be in a strong position for it will probably include all clubs whether affiliated to the N.R.A. or the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, or neither. It will in practice have the control of all civilian shooting in the county. This cannot fail to help the cause.
After the weekend this short report of the Astor match mainly refers to the terrible weather conditions in which it was shot; but there was more to come as in the same edition of the Nottingham Evening Post a letter of compaint was published as reported below.
Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 17 June 1907
Editorial article, p4.
MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1907.
THE ASTOR CUP.
Although the weather conditions were wretched and prevented the competition being completed, the shooting for the Astor Cup on Saturday affords a good indication of the quality of marksmanship which the miniature rifle club movement is capable of producing. A nation of riflemen could easily be manufactured through miniature rifle clubs at no great cost to the State, and it is impossible to deny the immense moral and material advantage this would be to the country at a period of crisis or when war broke out, which it is fervently to be hoped will be in the remote future if at all. Marksmanship among the people would prove a powerful deterrent to hostile action by a foreign Power.
Mr J.W. Whitaker of Newark wrote to the Nottingham Evening Post to complain of the arrangements for the Astor Match at Radcliffe-on-Trent. Nothing is said about bad weather, indeed it was fine at the start; but nevertheless the range was not ready for use at the stipulated time. In consequence some teams were unable to finish their shoot. The marking of targets was altered (during the shoot? because of shortage of time?) so that not all shots could be counted accurately.
In the previous three years the match had been won by Stanley Works (Newark). They were in the 2.30 p.m. detail for this match. The last detail included Burton Joyce, Radcliffe, Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and Retford, and presumably these suffered most from the poor marking and shortage of time. However, the next report says that Retford, Mansfield and Burton Joyce retired due to bad weather.
This protest was to be taken further as is reported later on.
Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 17 June 1907, p5
ASTOR CUP COMPETITION.
Sir. I wish to call to your readers' attention to the way in which this competition was conducted on the Radcliffe-on-Trent range last Saturday. Shooting was to commence at 2.30. The teams booked for this time were on the range and ready to start. The weather was fine, but it was considerably after three o'clock before the targets were fixed up and firing commenced. Very valuable time was therefore lost. Owing to this three teams could not complete their shooting. I don't know upon whose authority the marking of the targets was altered, but It was not done according to the rules and regulations governing the competition. A man fired his sighter and it was signalled to him. He was then ordered to fire the seven counting shots independently.
Now it has been proved dozens of times in the Newark and District Rifle League that unless each shot is marked off as it reaches the target and the tissue paper behind same is moved, a man shooting well on the bull's eye, and getting his shots close together, some of them will go through the same holes, and it is therefore impossible at the end of his shoot to say how many points he has made. On the style of marking last Saturday men were undoubtedly given misses for shots which should have counted as bulls. Certain captains of teams asked to see the targets after their team had finished firing, but were refused permission. Others saw theirs, and had their scores increased after their first totals had been posted up. If future competitions are carried on in this style, rifle shooting will soon be killed instead of being encouraged as desired. Other points could be raised, but I will not write further. I am, sir, etc.,
J. W. WHITAKER.
66, Bowbridge-road, Newark.
The winners of the Astor County Trophy were Mapperley, who were to shoot in the second detail. Second came Jardine's with a tie for third place between Radcliffe and the previous winners, Stanley Works (Newark).
Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 17 June 1907, p7
A record entry was received tor the competition for the Astor Cup, which was decided at the Radcliffe-on-Trent miniature rifle range on Saturday. The trophy was presented some three years ago, and on each occasion previously has been won by Stanley Works (Newark).
The shoot, which is open to the civilian and miniature rifle clubs of Notts. affiliated to the N.R.A., consisted of seven shots and a sighter each at 25 yards and 50 yards.
Retford, Mansfield and Burton Joyce withdrew in consequence of the wretched weather, but ten teams took part, Mapperley achieving a highly creditable victory with an excellent aggregate of 457. In 1906 the winning total was 443. and 1905, 466.
Jardines, for whom Mr. W. Ashby, an old Robin Hood made the highest individual score of the day, were second with 432, while Radcliffe and Stanley Works, the holders, tied for third place with totals of 428.
Mr. J. R. Starkey, M.P., the president of the Notts. League of Civilian Rife Clubs, was present but had to leave early, and the cup was handed to the winners by Captain Ashworth.
The details of the scores for the Astor were not provided by the Nottingham paper; but the Sheffield Daily Telegraph did give them.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Monday, 17 June 1907, p11
THE ASTOR CUP COMPETITION.
The annual competition for the Astor Cup, in connection with the Notts. County Rifle Association, was decided on the range at Radcliffe-on-Trent, near Nottingham, on Saturday, but, unfortunately, the weather was just about as bad as it well could be. When the rain was not falling, the wind made good shooting very difficult and scoring generally was low. Fourteen teams of eight men each took part in the competition, which was decided at 25 and 50 yards' ranges, and the winners were the Mapperley Rifle Club, Nottingham, with Jardines second, and the Stanley Club (Newark) who had won the cup in each of the three years it had been shot for previously, only equal third with Radcliffe. The winners are entitled to shoot for the Astor Cup at Bisley. The total scores are appended:–
MAPPERLEY: P. Rogers 54, A.E. Mee 61, B. Winfield 62, J. Siggie 50, G.H. Laber 58, F. Caunt 58, Grundy 56, Olivant 58; total 457.
JARDINE'S: T. Young 46, W. Ashby 65, H. Montgomery 56, W.J. Young 56, Rostance 55, H. Guest 55, R. Shepperd 51, H. Watchorne 48; total 432.
STANLEY WORKS, NEWARK: Tarney 49,Andreson 55, Jones 56, Whitsley 55, Monkhouse 58, Fawcett 52, Drewery 54, Holland 49; total 428
RADCLIFFE: F.P. Holmes 49, J. Dyson 58, E. Roskley 58, A.E. Rushton 53, Upton 47, E. Howard 49, Walter Dyson 57, Wm. Dyson 57; total 428
CARRINGTON: R. Bevin 46, A.C.G. Sinclair 54, Houseley 57, G. Gunn 53, Sherritt 51, C. Potts 45, W.J. Hogson 57, Whitehead 53: total 426
LOWDHAM: S. Cowmack 50, Simpson 54, J.C. Belton 55, S.R. Cowmack 53, Wiston 55, Wyett 56, F. Clarke 53, G. Clarke 48: total 424
BEESTON: R.A. Wakefield 53, C. Walker 42, G.R. Wilford 57, C. Rowe 59, A. Lowe 47, G.H. Collins 39, F. Burnham 56, B. Walton 58; total 411
NEWARK TOWN: L. Smith 44, F. Brownlow 57, F Stuffins 48, F.J. Trout 50, A. Davey 40, E. Glazebrook 47, G.W. Whitaker 56, F. Smith 61; total 403
SOUTHWELL: G.W. Kirk 55, A. Brown 37, E.A. Merryweather 50, W. Harvey 48, J. Keetley 61, G. Stafford 42, W.O. Lee 36, J. Beeson 49; total 398
NOTTS CIVILIANS (seven men): T.E. Burrows 60, A.E. Sutton 59, Elbourne 50, Rolscher 48, Noble 33, W. Stevenson 56, Radford 53: total 359.
The protest in the letter from Mr. J.W. Whitaker published on 17th June, was also sent to the Notts. League of Civilian Rifle Clubs, the organiser of the Astor match. The League held a special meeting to consider the matter and decided to refer it to the National Rifle Association.
Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 24 June 1907
A special meeting of the Notts. League of Civilian Rifle Clubs has been held to consider the protest, and it has been decided to refer the whole matter to the National Rifle Association.
A short while afterwards the decision of the National Rifle Association was received and we learn that the protest was disallowed. The Mapperley club were declared the winners and were eligible to go to the final at Bisley in July.
Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 1 July 1907
The honorary secretary of the Notts. League of Civilian Rifle Clubs has received the decision of the National Rifle Association with regard to the recent protest by the Retford Club. This is disallowed, and the Mapperley club are declared the winners of the cup for 1907. The winners are eligible to compete for the Astor Championship Cup, which will be shot for at Bisley, on Wednesday, July 10th, teams to consist of six men, and to fire at 200 and 500 yards.
Transcripts from Nottingham Evening Post 1907
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