Civilian and Volunteer Shooting in 1901

Civilian & Volunteer Shooting in 1901

Mr T Mason, after whom the competition is named, had provided a third of the prize money in prior years. It ran from May to August in four stages of ten shots at 800 yards. The competitor with the highest aggregate using his three best scores was declared the winner in August.

There were 90 competitors at the first stage which was held in good conditions. Only a few scores are recorded in the newspaper and it seems that the reporter was keen to get today's news in by the afternoon deadline.

Nottingham Evening Post 6 May 1901

SHOOTING AT TRENT

"Mason" Long Range Competition.

The first of a series of four competitions promoted in connection with the Robin Hood Rifles for twenty prizes, ranging in value from £5 to £1, took place this afternoon. The aggregate of the three highest scores of each competitor count for the prizes, and the conditions allow ten shots and two sighters at 800 yards, Bisley first-class targets being used. There were over ninety members of the regiment squadded, and those who participated in the shoot were favoured by capital weather. The light was good, and the wind was not difficult to negotiate. The principal scores at four o'clock were as follows:–

Sergeant A. Booth (J1)	47
Sergeant S.H. Page (A1)	46
Private T. Robinson (A1)	43
Lance-Corporal E. Ball (D1)	43
Sergeant T. Warsop (C1)	43
Sergeant J.W. Smith (B1)	43
Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery (B2)	42
Corporal H. Dayson (G2)	42
Corporal W.G. Richardson (G2)	42
Sergeant J.H. Lenton (A1)	41
Lance-Corporal G.F. Thompson (E1)	41
Private W. Goodley (B2)	40
Lance-Sergeant J. Brex (G2)	40
Corporal G. Smith (B1)	40

The Civilian Section of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association continued its series of Handicap Competitions at Trent Range in May. You will see below that some of them also took part for the first time in the Association Prizes competition alongside the Volunteer marksmen.

Nottingham Evening Post, 13 May 1901

CIVILIAN RIFLE CLUB.

The first competition of the season was held at the Trent Range, the climatic conditions being unfavourable, but notwithstanding these circumstances some creditable shooting was done. Three prizes were offered for competition, and the conditions were new Bisley targets, seven shots at each of the three ranges, viz. 200, 500, and 600 yards. Scores:–

	200	500	600	H'cp	Tl.
T.B. Forman	29	28	22	7	86
M.L. Preston	30	22	23	6	81
Dr. Travell	29	27	18	0	74
T.T. Littlefair	28	27	17	0	72
P.A. Birkin	27	24	15	4	70
H.F. Lancashire	28	20	18	2	68
Dr. Heelis	23	22	16	6	67
H.D. Snook	21	19	14	10	64
H.J. Messent	20	16	7	12	65
J.T. Radford	28	10	retired.

The Annual prize meeting sponsored by the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association was held over two days at the end of May. The first day was devoted to an inter-battalion match for teams of fifteen shooting two sighters and seven to count at 200, 500 and 600 yards. In prior years the lowest two scores in each team had been discounted in arriving at the result; but this year no such concession was made. The Robin Hood Rifles (1st Battalion) beat the 1st V.B. Derby, Robin Hood Rifles (2nd Battalion), the 4th V.B. Notts. and the 2nd V.B. Lincolnshire in the five way competition.

Nottingham Evening Post 27 May 1901

NOTTS. RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

The forty-first prize meeting promoted by the Notts. Rifle Association was inaugurated today with an inter-battalion match open to the volunteer regiments comprising the North Midland Brigade for the cup given by Sir Henry Wilmot. Five teams entered, and there was every prospect of an interesting shoot. The light was excellent, but a strong wind prevailed, and was extremely variable. The result was as follows, the 1st Battalion of the Robin Hood Rifles being successful:–

R.H.R. (1st Battalion)
	200	500	600	Ttl.
Colour-Sergeant St. Leo Smith	33	33	28	94
Sergeant-Major Hodgkinson	33	28	29	90
Sergeant J. Barnes	32	31	27	90
Corporal B.T. Fletcher	29	31	29	89
Sergeant S.H. Page	31	32	25	88
Private W.H. Stevenson	32	27	27	86
Corporal W. Herrick	31	27	27	85
Sergeant J.H. Duckett	32	26	27	85
Sergeant J.R. Coupe	31	30	24	85
Private P. Robinson	30	29	23	82
Sergeant A. Booth	29	33	19	81
Sergeant H. St. Leo Smith	31	25	24	80
Lance-Corporal R. Jago	24	26	27	77
Corporal J.W. Hildyard	30	24	22	76
Captain P.M. Payne	28	25	21	74
Grand Total				1262

1st V.B. Derby
Captain G.A. Lewis	34	34	31	99
Lieutenant C.D. Miller	28	31	31	90
Sergeant C.A. Ward	29	30	29	88
Colour-Sergeant J. Harrison	31	30	26	87
Private F. South	29	26	32	87
Corporal Gibson	29	30	27	86
Sergeant T. Harrison	27	32	26	85
Private W. Adams	31	29	24	84
Colour-Sergeant J.S. Huson	28	27	28	83
Colour-Sergeant W.H. Oldknow	27	30	26	83
Sergeant Briggs	29	29	22	80
Sergeant G. Dawes	26	26	26	78
Private P. Harvey	29	30	18	77
Sergeant-Major T.M. Woodward	35	27	15	77
Sergeant H Graves	22	29	24	75
Grand total				1259

R.H.R. (2nd Battalion)
Sergeant T.E. Derrick	26	31	31	88
Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery	33	29	24	86
Sergeant T.E. Burrows	34	30	21	85
Sergeant J.H. Stagg	29	25	30	84
Quartermaster A. Poole	28	31	24	83
Colour-Sergeant T.E. Harris	26	29	27	82
Lance-Sergeant F. Alvey	29	27	26	82
Colour-Sergeant A. Sibert	25	31	25	81
Lance-Corporal W.E. Thorpe	26	31	24	81
Corporal F. Carnelly	31	30	20	81
Sergeant T. Caunt	29	28	23	80
Private F. Goodley	31	29	20	80
Sergeant G. Allsopp	30	27	22	79
Sergeant W.H. Carr	28	27	23	78
Colour-Sergeant F. Wilkinson	29	25	23	77
Grand total				1227

4th V.B. Notts.
Private Simpson	32	34	33	99
Corporal T.E. Machin	30	30	26	86
Sergeant Hargreaves	32	26	25	83
Sergeant Winfield	27	30	24	81
Sergeant Taylor	27	26	28	81
Corporal Simpson	28	32	19	79
Sergeant Willis	28	27	24	79
Private Fisher	27	31	20	78
Lance-Corporal Powell	31	25	22	78
Sergeant Fisher	24	22	25	76
Corporal Dyson	26	26	23	75
Private Bell	28	26	18	72
Colour-Sergeant Wood	27	25	18	70
Private Hague	25	23	21	69
Corporal Rawlin	27	26	8	61
Grand total				1167

2nd V.B. Lincolnshire

Here the text is uncertain and faint

Grand total				1149

The second day of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association Annual Prize Meeting consisted of one reported match for which the leading scores are given probably before the end of shooting again to meet the press deadline for the evening paper. A report of the final results has not been located so far so we do not know whether Corporal G. Smith was the eventual winner, neither is there mention of the NRA Bronze Medal and the All Comer's competition, both of which were in previous years' events.

Nottingham Evening Post 28 May 1901

NOTTS. RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Shooting in connection with the meeting of the Notts. Rifle Association was renewed at Trent Range in beautiful weather this morning. A breeze blew across the ground from the right, but otherwise the conditions were favourable. Leading scores in the competition for the association prizes are up to date as follows:–

ASSOCIATION PRIZES
	200	500	600	Tl.
Corporal G Smith	33	27	31	94
Corporal R F Fletcher	32	31	30	93
Sergeant W Page	33	34	25	92
Colour-Sergeant H W Davis	31	32	29	90
Corporal W Ashby	27	32	30	89
Quartermaster A Poole	33	29	27	89
Sergeant-Major G Hodgkinson	31	30	27	88
Sergeant J H Duckett	34	27	27	88
Corporal J Leavesley	30	27	29	86
Private W H Stevenson	31	25	29	85
Colour-Sergeant W H Aldam	32	23	30	85
Colour-Sergeant C Wood	31	29	25	85
Private C F Histon	29	23	32	84
Sergeant J H Stagg	26	29	29	84
Corporal W Herrick	31	25	29	84
Sergeant T Caunt	30	31	23	84
Lieut.-Col. H Mellish (4th Notts)	29	26	28	83
Sergeant T Warsop	30	25	28	83
Sergeant J W Hall	29	27	27	83
Corporal E Simpson	26	31	26	83
Sergeant J R Coupe	32	25	26	83
Lance-Corporal O Jago	31	28	24	83
Mr T T Littlefair	32	27	24	83
Corporal T E Mackie	30	28	24	82
Colour-Sergeant A Sibert	30	29	23	82
Sergeant O Thompson	29	29	23	81
Corporal H E Warsop	30	28	23	81
Private J C Hanyard	24	28	28	80
Lance-Corporal W Broughton	30	25	25	80
Sergeant A Booth	28	30	21	79
Colour-Sergeant F Wilkinson	30	23	25	78
Lieutenant T A Coneli	26	26	26	78
Dr R Heelis	27	28	22	77
Private H J Towlson	26	24	26	76
Colour-Sergeant G Conder	30	19	26	75
Sergeant E T Derrick	28	24	21	73
Dr J W Travell	25	24	23	72
Private W E Simpson	23	22	24	69
Lance-Corporal W Ostrich	27	18	24	69
Colour-Sergeant J Rose	25	21	23	69
Sergeant G Taylor	28	23	16	67
Sergeant J Seymour	28	19	16	63

Here is a report from July of a further handicap match for the Civilian Section of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association. Judging from the scores recorded it was a day of variable wind and difficult conditions.

Nottingham Evening Post 25 July 1901

NOTTS. CIVILIAN RIFLE CLUB

The monthly competition was held at the Trent Range. There was a fair attendance of members, but several cards were not returned. The weather was bright and fine, but the scoring was considerably affected by the variable breeze. Three prizes were offered for competition, and a very evenly-contested match resulted in Messrs. Radford, Stewart, and Dr. Heelis obtaining the three premier places as winners of the competition. The contest took place under Bisley (1901) conditions and targets, with seven shots at each range, viz. 200, 500, and 600 yards:–

	200	500	600	Hcp.	Tl.
J T Radford	25	22	21	12	80
N C Stewart	23	25	19	12	79
Dr. Heelis	26	28	19	4	77
T T Littlefair	30	27	19	0	76
Dr. Travell	24	29	19	2	74
H Smith	22	19	13	14	68
R H Partington	23	12	11	14	60

In August there took place the final stage of the "Mason" Long Range Competition with a remarkable performance from Private G.W. Comery, the son of Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery and a comparative new-comer to target shooting. The Quartermaster Sergeant's name has been mentioned in connection with good scoring many times before and doubtless there was some competitive edge to their shooting alongside one another.

The final result of the four match series is not mentioned in this article.

Nottingham Evening Post 26 August 1901

SHOOTING AT TRENT
"MASON" LONG RANGE COMPETITION

The last in the series of "Mason" Long Range Competitions, arranged under the auspices of the Robin Hood Rifles, took place at Trent to-day. The conditions allow ten shots and two sighters at 800 yards, and another capital entry was attracted. The light was favourable during the greater part of the day, but the wind was variable, and occasionally very difficult to negotiate. In consequence the scoring early in the day was not very high with one or two exceptions. Lance-Corporal W Ashby put on 46, starting with an outer and finishing with eight bull's eyes and an inner, and later in the morning Private G W Comery, a son of Quartermaster-sergeant W Comery, obtained a similar total. He has only been in the regiment about two months, but his performance quite equalled that of a most experienced shot, including as it did seven bull's eyes, two inners, and a magpie. The principal scores at half-past three o'clock were as follows:–

Private G W Comery (G1)	46
Lance-Corporal W Ashby (A1)	46
Lance-Sergeant J G Brez (G2)	44
Sergeant-Major G Hodgkinson (C1)	42
Sergeant S H Page (A1)	40
Quartermaster-Sergeant W Comery (B2)	39
Lance-Corporal A S Benillo (H1)	39
Sergeant H St Leo Smith (A1)	38
Sergeant J H Legion (A1)	37
Sergeant I W Smith (H1)	37

Shot for shot Private Comery's score was obtained as follows:–

Transcripts from Nottingham Evening Post 06/05/1901, 13/05/1901,
27/05/1901, 28/05/1901, 25/07/1901 & 26/08/1901
British Library Newspaper Archive

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