Richard Barnett (sport shooter)
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Whieldon Barnett (6 December 1863 – 17 October 1930) was an Irish
sport shooter who competed for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
in the 1908 Summer Olympics
, and at the age of 15 he was the Irish rifle champion.
He was also Irish Chess Champion
from 1886 to 1889. At Oxford he was president of the Oxford University Chess Club
, competing in a number of varsity matches against Cambridge in the 1880s. In 1908 he finished fourth in the 1000 yard free rifle competition
.
After the first World War
he served as a Conservative & Unionist
MP for St Pancras South West
in the House of Commons, where he was a member of the chess circle and hosted World Chess Champion José Raúl Capablanca
on a visit to the UK in 1919. His obituary was in the Belfast Newsletter
of 18 October 1930.
Richard Barnett married a lady from Devon in 1894, her name was Maud Emmeline Cawsey, daughter of William and Claudine Cawsey. After checking the census it appears they had no children, but around 1896 they took in their niece Ethel Fifield, as Maud's sister Arabella had died in 1896. Ethel stayed with Richard and Maud for at least ten years, she was in her late twenties when she married. Richard's wife died in 1920 and both her and Richard have a memorial plague in honor of them in a church in St Pancras where they lived.
The British Journal of Nursing also contained an item about his memorial.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
sport shooter who competed for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, and at the age of 15 he was the Irish rifle champion.
He was also Irish Chess Champion
Irish Chess Championship
The Irish Chess Championship is the national Championship of Ireland as run by the Irish Chess Union , the governing body for the sport and a member of FIDE since 1933. Below are the list of winners for the Men's and Women's titles. Note that women are currently admitted to the Men's tournament....
from 1886 to 1889. At Oxford he was president of the Oxford University Chess Club
Oxford University Chess Club
The Oxford University Chess Club was founded at the University of Oxford in 1869 and is the oldest university chess club in the United Kingdom. The Club meets each Tuesday evening during University term time, from 7.30pm at St John's College...
, competing in a number of varsity matches against Cambridge in the 1880s. In 1908 he finished fourth in the 1000 yard free rifle competition
Shooting at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Men's 1000 yard free rifle
The men's free rifle at 1000 yards was one of 15 events on the Shooting at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Each shooter fired 20 shots at the target 1000 yards . A bulls-eye was worth 5 points, so the maximum possible score was 100.-Results:...
.
After the first World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served as a Conservative & Unionist
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for St Pancras South West
St Pancras South West (UK Parliament constituency)
St. Pancras South West was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in the House of Commons, where he was a member of the chess circle and hosted World Chess Champion José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...
on a visit to the UK in 1919. His obituary was in the Belfast Newsletter
The News Letter
The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland's main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday. It is the oldest English language general daily newspaper still in publication in the world, having first been printed in 1737....
of 18 October 1930.
From his boyhood days he took a keen interest in markmanship, and at the age of 15 he was the Irish rifle champion. He was one of the twelve representatives of the UK at the Olympic Games of 1908, and finished fourth, winning the Diploma of Merit for shooting at 1000 yards. Just as in markmanship so in chess, Sir Richard Barnett distinguished himself in his early boyhood, achieving the remarkable record of being champion chess player of Ulster at the age of twelve, and of Ireland from 1886 to 1889.
Richard Barnett married a lady from Devon in 1894, her name was Maud Emmeline Cawsey, daughter of William and Claudine Cawsey. After checking the census it appears they had no children, but around 1896 they took in their niece Ethel Fifield, as Maud's sister Arabella had died in 1896. Ethel stayed with Richard and Maud for at least ten years, she was in her late twenties when she married. Richard's wife died in 1920 and both her and Richard have a memorial plague in honor of them in a church in St Pancras where they lived.
The British Journal of Nursing also contained an item about his memorial.