Lawn Tennis

Early tennis players in Winslow, probably at the Winslow Private Tennis Club

Lawn tennis became popular in the late 19th century. It needed a piece of flat ground and some equipment, so it was a sport for the middle and upper classes. It was unique in having men and women playing together; most of the early matches in Winslow seem to have been mixed doubles. Where you played also depended on whether you were an Anglican or Nonconformist.

In 1892, Mrs Newcombe of The Cottage (5 Horn Street) had two courts specially prepared for a tournament to raise funds for the Girls' Friendly Society (an Anglican organisation).

The Congregational Church had its own tennis courts by 1894. They were at Hollow Furrow, probably on land provided by G.D.E. Wigley of Sunnylawn House.
1895: Buckingham Advertiser, 20 April:   HOLLOW-FURROW TENNIS CLUB.- The opening meeting of the season took place at Hollow-furrow ground, on Monday, and was very fairly attended.  In the evening the members partook of tea in the Congregational Schoolroom, and later on a public entertainment was held, consisting of music (singing, violin, piano, fairy bells, etc.), and some amusing guessing and calculating competitions, for which prizes were awarded.

The poem below is a parody of "The Lays of Ancient Rome". Two of the Dauntless Three appear to be Wilfrid French and J.H. Turnham, but "Little Party" hasn't been identified, or the cause of the disagreement. The "tea" was probably a picnic at Finemore Hill, Botoloph Claydon, on 6 July. The poem is among W.N. Midgley's papers.

Lays of our Tennis Court at Home, Or The Dauntless Three (A long way) after Macaulay

Then out spake Wilfred roundly, This thing shall be put down! I shall make a fuss about it Though it spread to half the town. And how can I do better Than face the fearful odds And straightway resign my office For the glory of the Gods! Then out spake Captain Turnham And uncommon proud was he Lo! I will stand at thy right hand And strike a blow with thee And out spake Little Party Our Treasurer was he I too’d resign my office But there’s fifteen shillings due to me! And though I think but sadly Of the treatment given to me Yet still I rather badly Want the profits of that tea! But still the three fell planning The mode of their attack And each one gave the other A pat upon the back Then all three cried out in chorus For ourselves we do not care But ‘tis on behalf of others That we wear this injured air We are really self denying But it makes us mad to say That our dear beloved brethren Were not allowed to play There was Berry there were Midgleys There were Isobel and Mu And when all of these were playing What could the others do? But idly stand and watch them And their too “exclusive” play And vow they’d make a bother At the Ending of the day For we spare not friend or brothers Or sister, man or maid. We’d quarrel with our visitors I’m very much afraid For although they came to play us On the due appointed day Yet still we quite Expected They would not play that way Nor should they had we known it For unlike the men of Rome We’re not as friends and brothers At the Tennis Court at Home And that reminds us duly That those people didn’t pay And to think the loss we’ve suffered Makes us sadly in a way

For we really Cannot stand it There is so much to pay And you know that fifteen shillings Is a bugbear in the way Besides new nets are wanted And we can’t afford you see To extend to friends & neighbours Even common courtesy And I think said Captain Turnham And would bet a level bob, That the whole affair of playing, It was all a put up job Though for myself I tell you I am really quite resigned Yet to our other players I must say you were unkind With that we fell to wondering Who the dickens they could be And beyond our dearest Ellen Not a person could we see And so it stands revealed Plain to you and plain to me How hollow was the pretext Of the Great and Dauntless Three And these self denying people Who as benefactors pose Are, like the mighty, fallen When the truth one only knows! And we nearly died with laughing As it dawned upon our mind 'Twas for themselves they troubled Though they gassed of those behind! And in the night of winter When it begins to snow And no more upon the Tennis Court The balls pass to and fro When the goodman reads the paper And the driest log is lit And to talk the latest gossip The girls sit down to knit When the lads are playing Halma And the youngsters fall to blows And the cold of poor old Grandpa Seems to settle in the nose Then still with shrieks of laughter That shall Echo long and free Shall oft be told the story Of the Great and Dauntless Three!      W N Midgley 11th July 1899

In 1895, Northolme in Station Road was advertised for sale with "large Garden, Lawn, Greenhouse, and Asphalt Tennis Court" (Buckingham Express, 1 June). The asphalt tennis court was still there in the 1910 Valuation.

In 1899, The Old Tanyard in Horn Street was advertised for sale (Centre for Bucks Studies D/WIG/2/7/1899/11) with "Large gardens, tennis court, summerhouse..."

Tennis was available to girls at Brook Hall School in 1900. On 29 Dec 1906 the school took a 7-year lease on a half-acre site belonging to Norman McCorquodale (who bought it in 1900), paying £5 p.a. It appears to have been at the end of Little Horwood Road, on the Shipton side; a report from 1908 refers to "the school grounds in Horwood Road". At the 1907 speech day, it was reported: "Unfortunately, owing to this wet summer, the tennis season has been most disappointing, but we were able to have our annual tournament last Wednesday, when Dodie Neal and her partner Hilda Lester, walked off with the first prize, and amongst the juniors Nora Monk and Annie Fowler were the successful ones."

Brook Hall Tennis Club, 1908

The Winslow Private Tennis Club began in or before 1903 on land at the end of Hobhouchin Lane provided by Mrs Greaves. In the 1910 Valuation (TNA, IR58/2346 no.79), it is listed as a site of 3 acres 4 roods with corrugated iron and wood pavilion and tool shed. The rent was £2 10s p.a. The freehold was sold to Norman McCorquodale in 1919. The road started to be known as Tennis Lane from c.1910.

1903: Bucks Herald, 18 July
V.A.C. & A.C. v Winslow. On Thursday afternoon the Vale team journeyed to Winslow to try conclusions with the home club.  The latter proved too strong for the visitors, and won by thirteen matches to one.  Winslow were represented by the Rev. T. K. Norman and Miss Monk, Rev. F. R. B. Pinhorn and Mrs. Neal, Dr. Moberly and Miss Dodge, Mr. Wigley and Miss Ellis; and the Vale Club by Mr. G.L. De Fraine and Miss D Payne, Mr. T. Kyle and Miss K. Paine, Mr. H. G. Butler and Miss Edgington, Mr. S. E. Wilkins and Miss E. Thorne.  The members and friends of the visiting club were hospitably entertained to tea after the match.

1907: Bucks Herald, 24 Aug
On Thursday a tennis match, between the V.A.C. and A.C. and Winslow took place on the Athletic Ground.  ... The Winslow team included Mrs. Neal, Miss Hawley, and Miss Neal, Messrs. F. A. Urry, L. Hawley, and A. C. DeFraine.  The match resulted in a win for Winslow by 74 games to 72, and 10 sets to 8.  The visitors were entertained to tea in the pavilion.

Anmount Lodge, Western Lane, was advertised as having a "tennis lawn" in 1903.

Winslow Sports Club, at the end of Park Road, opened in 1924 and provided tennis courts, a croquet lawn and a bowling green. It was mainly run by Congregationalists.

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See also:

• Winslow in the 19th-20th Centuries