Plotting the Old Range Firing Points - UPDATED

[CRUSADER]

Some of you may remember when I discovered the earliest firing range in the area. 800 yards. When researching this I found a local researcher/historian who did talks about local ranges. He had an £8000 grant to do this study & had not discovered the earliest range until I rang him up. He was mainly focused on the middle period & latest range. A 500 yard range in the woods dating from 1885 - 1905 & the lastest range of 1905-1970s. The range I discovered has no supporting documents for when it started but it was roughly 1860-1890s.

I had promised to help find the firing points in a very overgrown wood. We discovered using GPS/Old Maps with modern where the 500 yards, 400 yards, 300 yards, & 200 yards lay on the ground but was unable to find any evidence that they shot from the 100 yards.

We found the Martini-henry cartridges at 500,400,300,200.
Lee metford 3o3 cartridges at the 200

This was the first time anyone had found these firing points & plotted the direction of the firing line. Most local dog walkers don't even know there is a range in the woods. So our efforts will help to inform everyone that this guy speaks to when doing tours & displays. Kept nothing but the memories. 8)

The engineers cleared a funnel of trees in the firing line. They left the rest to slow stray bullets. They dug a huge ditch & used the soil to make the butts (back stop), also a small square pond to draw water in case of fires & to water the horses.

Below are pictures of:
Square Pond
Front right of the Butts
View at the top of the butt looking back at the ditch.
View of the ditch & back of the butts.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

Finds:

Pictures only include half of the finds as I took them at our lunch break.

Martini Henry Rifle cartridges cica 1885.
Martini Henry Bullets
Lee Metford 3o3 rounds & cartridges (not all pictured)
Pistol round
Lots of 12 ball shotgun cartridges
Georgian medalion

 

[Colonial KirkPA]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

You have to find that Roman firing range now. :P

Nice work, my friend.

BDD...Kirk

 

[WhiteHunter]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

Cool thats cooler than my firering rage

 

[tinpan]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

Hi Crusader,Looks to me you have found a range where the British tested rifles,at a time when they changed from Martini to the later enfield.As early as 1878 there is clear evidence that british tested numerous rifles .British used standard 45 cal Martini carbine when changed to 303 cal martini when 303 Lee metford and finally the 303 Lee Enfeild. If you can find some 303 Martini shells or Martini cadet shells .I would say, you found your self a secret rifle testing ground.More info about can be found at the Enfeild or Martini web sites.

tinpan

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

That's great stuff Crusader! Good to see you helping to save some history. Wish I could get more involved working with Historians and Archies. HH, Mike

 

[tymcmurray]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

Nice photos.
Way to use you skills.

 

[Merf]

Re: Plotting the Old Range Firing Points

Great Pics and a great post Crusader.

Congrats on all those nice finds.

 

[CRUSADER]

UPDATE ON MEDALLION;

Admiral Edward Boscawen at the battle of Porto Bello 1737,37.27mm dia (according to the Colchester Site)
His career in the Royal Navy covered many sea battles, particularly against the French.
Edward Boscawen's first ship was the Superbe (60 guns) on 3 April 1726. He was only 12 then, but this was "normal" for boys who were embarking on a naval career - it gave them seniority. He was appointed a midshipman 19 months later while serving in the West Indies and promoted to lieutenant in 1732. His first command was the 20-gun Leopard on 12 March 1737. He was commanding the Shoreham (20 guns) in the West Indies when the War of the Austrian Succession (1740—1748) began. And he was involved in the siege of Porto Bello (Portobello, Panama) and Cartagena (Colombia) when he was promoted to the command of the 64-gun Prince Frederick. In March 1741, he led a party of seamen to take a battery at Porto Bello of fifteen 24-pound cannon, while exposed to the fire of another fort. He returned to England in May 1742, the Prince Frederick anchoring at St. Helen's after a passage of nine weeks from Jamaica.
On his return to England in 1742 he married Frances Evelyn-Glanville. and entered Parliament as member for Truro. Bit strange to the modern eye, entering parliament in the middle of a war and commanding naval warships.

However: From the Hunt Museum in Limerick Ireland there is an Admiral Vernon ladle with a medallion and the description says:

a medallion commemorating the taking of Porto Bello (Gulf of Mexico) by Admiral Edward Vernon on 22 November 1739. The medallion shows a male figure in 18th century dress, with sword in hand, behind him is a canon and ship. The reverse has an image of six ships. The medallion is inscribed: He took Portobello with six ships only.

He achieved fame by commanding a squadron of 6 ships which captured the Spanish colonial possession of Porto Bello (now in Panama) during the War of Jenkins' Ear on 22 Nov 1739. Vernon's greatest claim to fame, was his 1740 order that his crew's rum rations should be diluted with water and have lemon juice added to prevent scurvy. The rest of the Navy rapidly followed, calling the new drink 'grog' after Vernon's nickname
It was one of the most notable naval victories of the time England having declared war on both France and Spain.