Sir Henry Halford

[ResearchPress]

On this day 1897 (4 January) Sir Henry Halford died at Wistow Hall, Leicester.

The following has been collated from various sources on my Research Vault web site.

He was born on 9 August 1828, and was educated at Eton and at Merton College, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1849. He took a keen interest in the Volunteer movement, was well known for his delight in rifle-shooting and for scientific and practical knowledge of the weapon which he loved so well.

The 1865 Cambridge Cup match in Great Britain, which comprised two days shooting at 1,000 and 1,100 yards, fifteen shots at each range each day, was won by Sir Henry Halford using the then new Gibbs-Metford muzzle-loading match rifle. In the first rifle match between England and Scotland for the Elcho shield in 1862, Sir Henry shot for England, and made the highest score. He subsequently shot in 1863, 1865, 1871, 1872, 1874, 1877–84, 1886–1890, and 1893. In 1872, when England won, he again made the highest score. His principal individual successes at the National Rifle Association meetings at Wimbledon and Bisley were the Albert prize in 1862 and 1893, the Duke of Cambridge prize and the Association cup in 1871, and the Dudley in 1893, besides a vast number of less important prizes. He Captained Great Britain teams to America in 1877 and 1882 to shoot at Creedmoor.

In 1880 Halford was appointed a member of the government small arms committee. The introduction of the Lee-Metford rifle as the British service arm was due to the report of that committee. Halford had great knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of gunnery and gunmaking; he was intimate with William Ellis Metford, and constantly co-operated with him in his experiments. In 1888 Halford published ‘The Art of Shooting with the Rifle.’

The Times wrote in his obituary: “The country owes to him the debt which is due to a man who made the science of rifles, as well as the practice of rifle-shooting the main pursuit of his life, who, without thought of pecuniary advantage, laboured without ceasing to discover all that could be discovered about the infantry weapon and to bring that weapon to a state of perfection.”

Read more; Sir Henry Halford (1828-1897)


David

[MrWolf]

Interesting read, thanks.

[John Boy]

Art of Shooting with the Rifle ... expensive but a a great read for those that want to better their marksmanship!

[Gunlaker]

I've been thinking of buying a copy of that book. I believe that BACO has a few copies. Recently I've been reading a few of the old books and find them fascinating.

I recently finished Irish Riflemen in America, which was quite good. It had good coverage of the first international Creedmoor match, but had a lot of other non-shooting related stuff that was really interesting. Th Irish team did a fair bi of sight seeing and covered it all in the book. That part was interesting all on it's own.

Chris.

[John Boy]

I've been thinking of buying a copy of that book.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=461533944