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The 40th Prize Meeting for Volunteers

In June 1900, Nottinghamshire Rifle Association celebrated its 40th annual prize meeting in support of the Volunteer regiments in Nottinghamshire and in particular the Robin Hood Rifles.

The two day event began on Monday, June 4th, the Spring Bank Holiday, in glorious weather but a stiff wind from the left. This led to lower scores than the previous year, when the 100 total over three ranges of seven to count was reached. The first shoot was for the Brigade Prizes open to all volunteers, sergeant instructors, and veteran volunteers of the North Midland Brigade. Volunteers from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire shot seven rounds at 200, 500 and 600 yards. Sergeant S H Page (Robin Hood Rifles) took the first place and £4 with a total score of 96. Colour-Sergeant R.S. Vickerstaff, of the 1st Derby came second on 93, having won the previous year with a score of 100, and earned £3. In all £25 was distributed in 21 prizes ranging from £4 down to 10s.

An Inter-Battalion Match for teams of 15 followed, which attracted 4 teams from 1st and 2nd Robin Hoods, 1st Derby Rifle Brigade and 4th Notts. Volunteer Brigade. The course of fire was again seven to count at 200, 500 and 600 yards. The 2nd Robin Hoods won with an aggregate of 1254 with 1st Derby second on 1231, 1st Robin Hoods on 1209, and 4th Notts on 1148.

Tuesday's programme began with the competition for the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association prizes consisting of a silver medal and 30 cash prizes from £5 for first place to 20s. for the last counted in. In addition there was a bronze medal provided by the National Rifle Association for competition between recruits. The report does not mention a separate recruit's prize and gives Sergeant J W Smith, who made the highest score of 102, both the silver and the bronze medals. Sergeant Smith was closely followed by four scores of 101 and three of 100. These were obviously ranked on count-back from the longest range.

To finish the day off, there was an All-Comers' Competition shot at 600 yards with 1 sighter and 10 to count. There were cash prizes on offer from 2 guineas down to 10s.. Quartermaster-Sergeant W Comery of the Robin Hood Rifles won with a score of 49 ex 50.

Sergeant J W Smith's silver medal was his second having also won the contest in the previous year. He would go on to win for a third time in 1902, as was mentioned in the report of the 1908 match when Captain P.M. Payne also obtained his third medal.

The Nottinghamshire Rifle Association medal won by Sergeant J W Smith in 1900

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE RIFLE ASSOCIATON.

Glorious weather favoured the fortieth prize meeting of the Notts. Rifle Association, which took place on Monday and Tuesday at Trent Range, albeit there was during the opening stages of the meeting a stiff wind from the left, which militated considerably against high scoring.

Monday was occupied with the competition for brigade prizes, and with an inter-battalion match between teams of 15, representative of the 1st and 2nd Battalions Robin Hood Rifles, 1st Derby R.B. and 4th Notts. V.B. In the former competition the sum of £25 was divided into 21 prizes, for which all volunteers, sergeant instructors, and veteran volunteers of the North Midland Brigade were eligible to compete. Sergeant S.H. Page, of the Robin Hood Rifles, gained the premier award with a total of 96, whilst Colour-Sergeant R.S. Vickerstaff, of the 1st Derby - who, by the way, won the same competition last year with a score of 100 - came second with three points fewer.

The inter-battalion match, for which is awarded a handsome silver challenge vase, presented by the officers of the North Midland Brigade, produced a keen contest, the 2nd Battalion Robin Hood Rifles eventually winning by 23 points.

On Tuesday the 30 prizes and the silver medal, offered by the Association, as well as the bronze medal provided for competition amongst the recruits by the National Rifle Association, were shot for, and there was a highly gratifying entry. Very keen indeed was the competition in each case, and Sergeant W. Smith, of the Robin Hood Rifles, who headed the list, and carried off both medals, was only one point better off than the next four marksmen. There was also an "All-Comers' Competition", in which the conditions were one sighter and 10 shots at 600 yards for 10 prizes amounting in aggregate to £8 12s. In this Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery (Robin Hood Rifles) was first, whilst Captain J. Ashworth (R.H.R.), and Lieutenant C.D. Miller (1st Derby) tied for second place. Appended are the scores made upon both days:–

NOTTNGHAMSHIRE RIFLE ASSOCIATION

 BRIGADE PRIZES200 500 600 Tl.
£4Sergeant S. H. Page (RHR) 34 31 31 96
£3Colour-Sergt. R.S. Vickerstaff (1st Derby) 26 34 33 93
£2Quartermaster-Sergt. W. Comery (RHR) 29 28 34 91
30s.Sergt. A. Milner (2nd Derby) 27 29 34 90
30s.Sergt-Instructor E. Hawkridge (RHR) 29 28 33 90
30s.Col-Sergt. A. Poole (RHR) 29 30 31 90
30s.Sergt. H. St. Leo Smith (RHR) 32 29 29 90
20s.Lieut. C. D. Miller (1st Derby) 28 29 32 89
20s.Col-Sergt St. Leo Smith (RHR) 27 29 32 88
20s.Col-Sergt. H. Tomkins (RHR) 24 35 28 87
20s.Sergt. G. Allsopp (RHR) 28 33 26 87
20s.Armourer-Sergt. T. Loach (RHR) 27 26 33 86
20s.Col-Sergt. H.W. Davis (RHR) 26 29 31 86
10s.Captain J. Ashworth (RHR) 25 31 30 86
10s.Col-Sergt. W.H. Aldam (RHR) 31 25 30 86
10s.Col-Sergt Harrison (1st Derby) 29 29 28 86
10s.Private W.H. Stevenson (RHR) 28 27 30 85
10s.Private J.G. Briggs (1st Derby) 24 29 31 84
10s.Sergt-Instructor W. Shaw (2nd Derby) 27 30 27 84
10s.Private J. Barnes (RHR) 25 27 31 83
10s.Sergt. T.E. Burrows (RHR) 23 30 30 83
 Two 83's counted out

INTER-BATTALION MATCH

2ND BATTALION R.H.R.200500600Ttl.
Quartermaster-Sergant W. Comery 26 35 32 93
Lance-Corporal F. Alvey 26 33 33 92
Sergeant G. Allsopp 30 32 29 91
Colour-Sergeant H.W. Davis 27 29 33 89
Armourer-Sergeant T. Loach 28 29 29 86
Sergeant T.E. Burrows 27 25 32 84
Sergeant T.E. Harris 30 26 28 84
Lance-Corporal J. Leavesley 24 28 30 82
Sergeant J.H. Stagg 26 28 28 82
Private J. Barnes 25 30 27 82
Sergeant R.J. Savage 18 31 32 81
Sergeant-Instructor E. Hawkridge 24 28 28 80
Sergeant-Major J. Crew 22 31 25 78
Colour-Sergeant G. Carder 28 23 25 76
Lance-Corporal W.E. Thorpe 27 18 29 74
 388 426 440 1254
 
1ST BATTALION DERBY
Sergeant Huson 29 31 30 90
Sergeant Dawes 27 30 32 89
Lieutenant Miller 29 26 33 88
Colour-Sergeant J. Harrison 28 29 30 87
Sergeant Sutton 30 28 25 83
Sergeant-Instructor Lattimore 26 24 32 82
Colour-Sergeant Vickerstaffe 29 23 30 82
Private Adams 23 24 34 81
Sergeant Briggs 23 26 32 81
Sergeant Marshall 20 32 29 81
Sergeant T. Harrison 19 32 29 80
Captain Hunter 24 24 31 79
Sergeant-Major Woodward 23 29 27 79
Sergeant Ward 21 24 31 76
Sergeant-Instructor Donoghue 20 23 30 73
 371 405 455 1231
 
1ST BATTALION R.H.R.
Private J.W. Hildyard 30 32 31 93
Sergeant A. Sibert 27 29 33 89
Colour-Sergeant H. Tomkins 29 28 31 88
Sergeant S.H. Page 28 31 28 87
Captain J. Ashworth 30 25 31 86
Sergeant J.H. Duckett 25 20 20 85
Sergeant-Major G. Hodgkinson 23 27 32 82
Colour-Sergeant St Leo Smith 27 24 31 82
Sergeant H. St. Leo Smith 24 27 30 81
Sergeant J.W. Smith 27 24 27 78
Sergeant T.G.Sewell 25 25 26 76
Private E. Jago 14 30 30 74
Lance-Corporal W. Ashby 28 21 23 72
Colour-Sergeant F. Dominic 21 24 26 71
Private W.H. Stevenson 21 17 27 65
 379 394 436 1209
4TH NOTTS
Colour-Sergeant Wood 24 28 32 84
Sergeant Bailey 22 29 32 83
Sergeant Allsopp 26 28 29 83
Sergeant Hargreaves 28 24 30 82
Lance-Corporal Broadberry 23 29 29 81
Corporal E. Simpson 22 27 29 78
Corporal Bell 27 18 32 77
Private White 26 22 29 77
Lieutenant-Colonel H. Mellish 23 26 28 77
Sergeant Pritchard 24 25 28 77
Major Edge 21 24 31 76
Private T. Simpson 25 26 22 71
Sergeant Winfield 27 22 22 71
Lance-Corporal Clayton 22 26 22 70
Corporal Parr 19 17 24 60
 358 371 419 1148

The annual meeting of the Notts. Rifle Association was continued at Trent Range on Tuesday. The scores in the various competitions are appended:–

 ASSOCIATION PRIZES200 500 600 Tl.
Silver Medal
NRA Bronze
Medal & £5		Sergt J.W. Smith RHR 35 35 32 102
£3Sergt G. Allsopp RHR 32 35 34 101
£2Col-Sergt H. Tomkins RHR 33 35 33 101
£2Quartermaster-Sergt W. Comery RHR 34 34 33 101
£2Captain J. Ashworth RHR 34 35 32 101
30s.Sergt T.E. Burrows RHR 34 35 31 100
30s.Colour-Sergt St. Leo Smith RHR 35 34 31 100
30s.Private W. H. Stevenson RHR 35 35 30 100
30s.Corporal E. Simpson 4th Notts 33 34 32 99
30s.Private J Barnes RHR 34 34 31 99
20s.Colour-Sergt H.W. Davis RHR 33 31 34 98
20s.Lance-Corporal W. Ashby RHR 33 35 30 98
20s.Sergeant A. Sibert RHR 32 33 32 97
20s.Sergt-Instructor E. Hawkridge RHR 34 35 28 97
20s.Colour-Sergeant F. Wilkinson RHR 32 30 34 96
20s.Sergeant S.H. Page RHR 32 32 32 96
20s.Sergeant J.H. Stagg RHR 32 33 31 96
20s.Sergeant R.J. Savage RHR 35 35 26 96
20s.Private W. Herrick RHR 29 34 32 95
20s.Sergeant A. Willis 4th Notts 31 32 32 95
20s.Colour-Sergt W.H. Aldam late RHR 31 32 32 95
20s.Sergeant J.H. Duckett RHR 32 33 30 95
20s.Private E. Jago RHR 34 31 30 95
20s.Sergt-Major G. Hodgkinson RHR 30 31 33 94
20s.Lance-Corporal B.T. Fletcher RHR 33 30 31 94
20s.Armourer-Sergeant T. Loach RHR 32 32 30 94
20s.Sergeant Hargreaves 4th Notts 33 32 29 94
20s.Sergeant H Bailey 4th Notts 32 29 32 93
20s.Sergeant T.F. Revell RHR 32 29 32 93
20s.Sergeant J.W. Hall RHR 29 33 31 93
 One 93 counted out.

Shot for shot, the scores of the first eight prize-winners were as follows:–

 ALL COMERS 
£2 2s.Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery RHR 49
30s.Captain J. Ashworth RHR 48
20s.Lieutenant C.D. Miller 1st Derby 48
15s.Corporal E. Simpson 4th Notts 47
15s.Sergeant T.E. Burrows RHR 47
10s.Sergeant S.H. Page RHR 46
10s.Private W. Herrick RHR 46
10s.Private W.H. Stevenson RHR 46
10s.Private J.G.Briggs 1st Derby 46
10s.Lance-Corporal W. Ashby RHR 46
 One 46 counted out. 

Transcripts from Nottinghamshire Guardian, Saturday, 09/06/1900
British Library Newspaper Archive

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