History Of The National Rifle Association During Its First 50 Years 1859 - 1909

The Book is in Very Good+ condition. With colored frontis, showing Wimbledon Camp; 495 pages. Gilt decoration on front cover of an archer standing next to a rifleman (standing over the words Sit Perpetuum, which means "forever"). Written in chronological form with chapter sequence by year, with some account of progress on guns and ammunition. The National Rifle Association is a registered United Kingdom charity founded in 1859, 12 years before its better known American namesake. The National Rifle Association was founded in 1859, based on Putney Heath & Wimbledon Common. In 1890 Queen Victoria granted the National Rifle Association a royal charter of incorporation. Its founding aim was to raise the funds for an annual national rifle meeting (now known as the Imperial Meeting) "for the promotion of marksmanship in the interests of Defense of the Realm and permanence of the Volunteer Forces, Navy, Military and Air". Thomas Francis Fremantle, 3rd Baron Cottesloe, 4th Baron Fremantle (1862 ? 1956) was a British peer and sportsman who competed in the 1000 yard free rifle event at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Fremantle had a lifelong devotion to the armed forces, and as well as commanding the Territorial Army he was also an Honorary Colonel of the Buckinghamshire battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry. He was an expert shot using the rifle and published three books on the subject. He was also on the War Office Small Arms Committee. He shot in the English Eight for 27 years and was its Captain from 1920 until his death. A scarce title.…