A sterling silver presentation trophy for shooting marksmanship. This stunning trophy in the form of a drinking cup has a wonderful scene of and early pair of marksmen from different eras. On the left is a traditional archer with bow and arrow, in hand. This has the dates 1300 to 1500 running parallel to him. Alongside him is a more contemporary figure complete with rifle. Next to him the date 1860 is stamped into the silver. Underneath both gentlemen is the latin phrase; "Sit Perpetuum". This translates today to; "May it last forever", and is in fact the motto of the National rifle Association.
This logo and motto is that of the National Rifle Association in England.TheNational Rifle Association(NRA) is the governing body for full bore rifle and pistol shooting sports in theUnited Kingdom. The Association was founded in 1859 with the founding aim of raising funds for an annual national rifle meeting to improve standards of marksmanship. Today the NRA continues this objective as well as organising civilian target shooting and selecting British teams to contest theICFRAWorld Championships. TheNational Shooting Centre at Bisleyis a wholly owned subsidiary of the association.
The National Rifle Association was founded in 1859, 12 years before its (unconnected)American namesake. Registered as a United Kingdom charity, its objectives are to "promote and encourage marksmanship throughout the King’s dominions in the interest of defence and the permanence of the volunteer and auxiliary forces, naval, military and air.”nIn pursuit of this, its founding aim was to raise the funds for an annual national rifle meeting (now known as theImperial Meeting).The Association was originally based onWimbledon Common, where the Imperial Meeting was held for its first 20 years.
In 1860,Queen Victoria fired the opening shot of the first Imperial Meeting. The Whitworth rifle used and the target can be seen in the Museum of the NRA at Bisley. The Queen also sponsored theQueen's Prize match with a £250 cash prize - worth around £30,000 at 2022 prices. The first winner was 17 year old Edward Ross of the 7th North Yorkshire Volunteers.
NRA Secretary Charles Robert Crosse, caricatured inVanity Fair's"Men of the Day" series in 1912
The Imperial Meeting quickly gained significance in high society. In 1878Edward Walford wrote "These annual gatherings are attended by the élite of fashion, and always include a large number of ladies, who generally evince the greatest interest in the target practice of the various competitors, whether it be for the honour of carrying off the Elcho Shield, the Queen's or the Prince of Wales's Prize, or the shield shot for by our great Public Schools, or the Annual Rifle Match between the Houses of Lords and Commons." Key matches such as the Elcho were significant social occasions on par withThe Boat Race. Shooters and officials were often household names, and featured or even caricatured in society publications such asVanity Fair.
The Association moved from Wimbledon to Bisley Camp in 1890 after encroaching housing development around Wimbledon caused concerns about the ongoing ability to safely operate the ranges. In the same year, Queen Victoria granted the National Rifle Association a royal charter of incorporation.
The NRA had a strong influence on the development of shooting sports around the world, particularly within the British Empire. The formation of the NRA of Australia in 1888 was prompted in part by the desire of regional associations to put together an Australian team to compete at Wimbledon.
As a skill-based sport, target shooting became open to women from an early point. Participation was in open competition alongside men rather than separate events, although in practice many clubs refused to accept female members. In 1891, Winifred Leale of the Guernsey Rifle Club became the first woman to compete in an NRA Competition. In 1930, Marjorie Foster became the first woman to win theSovereign's Prize.A road on Bisley Camp is named in her honour. Female participation was not restricted to the UK - in Australia, the North Queensland Rifle Association is documented as holding ladies' competitions as early as May 1899 (although Australian women were controversially excluded when the Army took control of full-bore rifle clubs in 1903).
This remarkable piece of history was won by a Mr. W. Bland, who claimed first prize in the "Gregory Comp." at Bisley in 1906. It also documents his score at the bottom. The cup was made by esteemed silversmith Elkington & Co. in Birmingham in 1906. The cup is in superb condition throughout, nearly one hundred and twenty years on. There is light scratching to the body and a slight indentation to the rim, but nothing untoward, and mentioned purely for transparency. The piece came directly from the grand daughter of the original recipient, Mr. Bland. A superb piece of both gun history and N.R.A history in the U.K, little documented today.
