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Wimbledon & The Volunteersby David Minshall |
INDEX |
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Volunteers
& The NRA |
National Rifle Meeting The Association was promoted widely with local secretaries in the principal towns, adverts in the press, and circulars sent to all officers commanding Volunteer Rifle Corps. In a letter to The Times in December 1859, Lord Elcho set out the nature and objects of the Association. There was no intent to aid in the formation of Rifle Corps, nor to draw up any rules for their guidance. All such matters were addressed to the War Office. The purpose of the Association was fostering an interest in rifle shooting. Reference was made to Switzerland and their national rifle meeting, the Tir Fédéral, which had resulted in a taste for rifle shooting being thoroughly nationalised and a country garrisoned by a people trained in arms. The NRA planned its own great annual national meeting for rifle shooting. The principal prizes were to be open to Volunteers, thereby encouraging the Movement, and, with a view to the wider promotion of rifle shooting as a national pastime, additional prizes open to all-comers were to be established. In 1860 practical steps were implemented to establish the National Rifle Meeting for that summer. Finding a suitable site to hold the meeting was naturally a difficult matter to decide, and many places were considered, including Woolwich, Epsom, Aldershot and Chobham. It was Captain Mildmay, Secretary of the NRA, who suggested Wimbledon Common as a suitable location for the first NRA prize meeting. Lord Spencer, as lord of the manor, placed it at the disposal of the NRA Council. Colonel Clark Kennedy inspected the site and declared it suitable provided "the most stringent regulations should be framed and carried out for the prevention of trespassing across the lines of fire." The original intent had been for the prize meeting to be held at different locations of the country each year. This idea was 'shelved' as impracticable due to the costs and work involved in preparing the range. So, the NRA prize meeting remained on Wimbledon Common until 1890, when it moved to the new ranges at Bisley. | |
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©2005 DBMinshall |
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