Rifle presented by Titus Salt in 1861 is now owned by American, Eugene Tucceri.

1 July 2017. Saltaire Historian, Colin Coates, writes: I have been contacted recently (through the Saltaire Village website) by Eugene Tucceri, a gentleman from small town in central Massachusetts, USA. Eugene owns a rifle that was presented by Titus Salt in 1861 to the winner of a rifle shooting competition for the Bradford Volunteer Corps. Eugene had been looking for years for the name of the person who won the rifle and I was able to provide this information for him. Many thanks to Eugene for taking the trouble to contact us and share these photographs. It is greatly appreciated.

Colin Coates
Email: colincoates@saltairevillage.info

Please see below:

• Photographs of the rifle, with extract from Bradford Observer report, 1861
• Contents of an email I received from Eugene
• Newspaper report with regards to the presentation: Leeds Mercury, 14 October, 1861
• Newspaper report with regards to the presentation: Bradford Observer, 17 October, 1861

For the prizes for third class shots there were eleven competitors. The first prize was a superior Enfield rifle, value seven guineas, made by Edge, of Manchester, and presented by Titus Salt, Esq.; second prize, a superior aneroid barometer, value £3 3s., presented by the Board of the Bradford Infirmary. Armour-sergeant Jessop won the first prize with eight points, and Sergeant Lyons, No 4 Company, with seven points, firing five rounds each, at 200 and 300 yards.

Click on images to magnify

Photos, courtesy of Eugene Tucceri. Many thanks.

Contact from Eugene Tucceri, Massachusetts, USA, to Saltaire Historian, Colin Coates, regarding the rifle, presented by Titus Salt Esq.

On his mothers’ side Eugene is a descendent of Thomas Gardener who was one of the founders of Salem in Massachusetts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gardner_(planter)  

Dear Colin,

You do not know how long I have been looking for this information. Now that I have it, I wish to thank you very much.

I got interested in Black Powder about 40 years ago while doing American Civil War re-enacting. After about 20 years of that I needed a change so, I joined the North-South Skirmish Association, a group that shoots Civil era weapons. I shoot musket, carbine, smoothbore, henry rifle, and my unit has a 2 ¼  inch rifled cannon. It was during one of the National shoots in Virginia, about 15 years ago, I meet Kevin, now deceased, who sold me the musket. He told me he purchased it from an estate sale. Kevin could not tell me much about the musket, only that he was told it was a World War Two bring back by a soldier. I have always prized the Enfield over the Springfield. I have never fired the musket although one could see it has been well used.     

It will take a couple of days for me to get a camera and take the pictures, but it is the lease I can do after all you have done for me. Should you need any additional information please feel free to ask.

Best regards,

Eugene

 

Leeds Mercury - Monday 14 October 1861

TRANSCRIPTION:

PRIZE SHOOTING OF THE THIRD WEST YORK (BRADFORD) RIFLE CORPS. SECOND DAY’S PRIZE SHOOTING.

The annual prize-shooting of the Bradford Rifle Volunteer Corps, which began on Friday, as stated in our last publication, was continued on Saturday, on Baildon Moor. The weather was again very unfavourable, there being a boisterous wind and occasionally heavy showers of rain.

Several sweepstakes were shot for, and produced some fair average shooting, considering the state of the weather. On the whole, taking the atmospheric disadvantages into consideration, the shooting was considered extremely good. When Corporal Mitton won the first prize in the second class the band of the regiment struck up, “See the conquering hero comes.”

Twenty-six competitors shot for the prizes for second class shots, viz., 1st prize, a silver cup, value £10, presented by Mrs. Lister, wife of Lieut.-Col. Lister, Manningham Hall; 2nd prize, a superior long Enfield rifle, made by Edge, of Manchester, of the value of seven guineas, presented by the Bradford Peel Park Committee, Corporal Mitton, No. 1 Company, and Private Atkinson, No. 4 Company tied with seven points, firing five rounds each at 400 and 500 yards, they each made one point; and on shooting a third round Corporal Mitton made one, and Private Atkinson nothing. The silver cup, therefore, fell to Corporate Mitton, and the Enfield rifle to Private Atkinson.

For the prizes for third class shots there were eleven competitors. The first prize was a superior Enfield rifle, value seven guineas, made by Edge, of Manchester, and presented by Titus Salt, Esq.; second prize, a superior aneroid barometer, value £3 3s., presented by the Board of the Bradford Infirmary. Armour-sergeant Jessop won the first prize with eight points, and Sergeant Lyons, No 4 Company, with seven points, firing five rounds each, at 200 and 300 yards.

Captain Horsfall and Lieutenant Shepherd were the captain and subaltern of the day on Friday, and Captain S. M. Smith and Ensign Barraclough on Saturday, assisted by Captain Hirst. The adjutant of the corps (Captain Lepper) superintended the firing on both days. The proceedings throughout gave great satisfaction.

We understand that Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Companies will go through their file and volley firing next Saturday the 19the inst., and nos. 4, 5, and 6 Companies on Satuday, the 26th inst. The prizes for file and volley firing will be shot for on the first Saturday in November, by one section from each company.

 

Bradford Observer - Thursday 17 October 1861