Wemyss Bay Tennis Tournament Explained

Wemyss Bay Tournament
Type:defunct
Tour:Scottish LTA Circuit
Event Name:Inverkip Rovers LTC Tournament (1882-1886)
Inverkip Rovers Closed Championships (1882-1888)
Inverkip Rovers Open (1885-1889)
Castle Wemyss Open (1890-1905)
Editions:23
Location:Wemyss Bay, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Surface:Grass

The Wemyss Bay Tennis Tournament[1] was a men's and women's tennis that featured a series of four tennis events all usually played in August each year at the same venue The tournament/s were all organised by the Inverkip Rovers Lawn Tennis Club, that was staged them annually on the tennis courts at Castle Wemyss, Wemyss Bay, Wemyss Bay, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

The events played during the month were Inverkip Rovers LTC Tournament (1882-1886),[2] the Inverkip Rovers Open (1885-1889)[3] the Castle Wemyss Open. (1890-1905)[4] and the Inverkip Rovers Closed Championships (1882-1888).

History

Castle Wemyss was a large mansion in Wemyss Bay, Scotland. It stood on the southern shore of the Firth of Clyde at Wemyss Point, where the firth turns southwards. In August 1882 the Inverkip Rovers Lawn Tennis club began to organise a series of tennis events staged the event annually on the Castle Wemyss Courts at Castle Wemyss, Wemyss Bay, Renfrewshire, Scotland as part of the Wemyss Bay Tennis Tournament.

These tournament were all played during the month of August. That year it established the Inverkip Rovers LTC Tournament.[5] The same year the club also organised a closed championship event called the Inverkip Rovers Closed Championships that was only open to club members only.

In 1885 it create a new open tournament the Inverkip Rovers Open that was staged the event annually on the Castle Wemyss Courts until 1889.[6] In 1890 the club established another new tournament for men Castle Wemyss Open - Castle Wemyss Cup.[7] That event was also open featuring mixed doubles for women. In 1905 the Wemyss Bay Tennis Tournament was discontinued after 23 years.

Finals

Inverkip Rovers Closed Championships

(Open to club members only).[8]

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1882 Horatio Renaud Babington Peile??.
1883 George Arbuthnot Burns Horatio R. Babington Peile5-6 3-6 6-3 6-5 6-5.
1884 Horatio R. Babington Peile (2) D.M. Hannay3 sets to 2.
1885 Charles H. J. Higginbotham D.M. Hannay2 sets to 1.
1886 Charles H. J. Higginbotham (2) G.H. Aitken7-5 6-4 0-6 6-4.
1887 Archibald Thomson Henry Guy Nadinw.o.
1888 Horatio R. Babington Peile (3) J.C. Burns4-6 6-3 6-3.

Inverkip Rovers LTC Tournament

Men's singles.[9]

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1882 Horatio Renaud Babington Peile George Nelson Stenhouse6-1, 6-2 .
1883 George Arbuthnot Burns James Locke3-6 6-3 9-7 6-2.
1884 Horatio Renaud Babington Peile (2) Richard Millar Watson6-0, 6-3, 6-8. 6-8, 6-3.
1886 Richard Millar Watson Forrester John Thomson7-5 6-1 6-3

Inverkip Rovers Open

Men's singles.[10]

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1885 Charles H. J. Higginbotham??.
1886 Charles H. J. Higginbotham (2) Edward Mortimer Shand7–5, 6–4, 0–6, 6-4 .
1887 Archibald Thomson Henry Guy Nadinw.o..
1888 Richard Millar Watson Henry Guy Nadin0-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
1889 Louis J. Grant[11] w.o.

Men's Doubles(Incomplete roll)

Mixed Doubles(Incomplete roll)

Castle Wemyss Open

Castle Wemyss Cup.[12]

YearWinnerRunner-upScore
1890 G. Scott-Jackson??.
1891 Richard Millar Watson Edward Mortimer Shand7–5, 6–4, 0–6, 6-4 .
1892 Henry Guy Nadin Howard Augustus Taylor?.
1893 Gerald Peacocke Arthur Knox Cronin6–2, 6–4, 9-7.
1894 Gerald Peacocke (2)4–6, 10–8, 6–0, 6-3 .
1895 Kenneth Ramsden Marley Gerald Peacocke (3)6–4, 7–5, 7-5 .
1898 Gerald Peacocke (4) George Lawrence Ormew.o.
1899 Gerald Peacocke (5) James Anthony Traill6–4, 0–6, 6–2.
1905 James Anthony Traill6–2, 6–3, 5–7, 6-3.[13]

Notes and References

  1. News: Sports News Tennis: Wemyss Bay Tennis Tournament. . 15 May 2023 . Glasgow Evening Post . British Newspaper Archive . 12 August 1895 . Lanarkshire, Scotland . 4. subscription.
  2. News: Lawn Tennis Fixtures: August . 13 March 2023 . Athletic News . British Newspaper Archive . 26 July 1882 . Lancashire, England . 5. subscription.
  3. News: INVERKIP ROVERS L.T. CLUB. TWELFTH ANNUAL OPEN TOURNAMENT Takes place at WEMYSS BAY, On 4TH, 5TH, and 6TH AUGUST. ENTRIES CLOSE ON 31sT JULY.. 13 March 2023 . Scottish Referee . British Newspaper Archive . 23 July 1897 . Lanarkshire, Scotland . 3. subscription.
  4. News: LAWN TENNIS: Castle Wemyss Open tournament. In weather even lesser for playing than on tuesday, the final stages in the annual open tournament at Castle Wemyss Courts of the Inverkip Rovers Lawn Tennis Club, were entered upon yesterday. . 15 May 2023 . Glasgow Herald . British Newspaper Archive . 7 August 1897 . Lanarkshire, Scotland . 8. subscription.
  5. News: Lawn Tennis Fixtures: August . 13 March 2023 . Athletic News . British Newspaper Archive . 26 July 1882 . Lancashire, England . 5. subscription.
  6. Book: American Lawn Tennis . 1899 . USNLTA . New York . 243 . en . Inverkip Rovers (Wemyss Bay) Report.
  7. News: LAWN TENNIS. FIXTURES OF OPEN TOURNAMENTS. . 13 March 2023 . Sporting Gazette . British Newspaper Archive . 2 August 1890 . London, England. . 25. subscription.
  8. Web site: Tournaments: Castle Wemyss Closed Championships . The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . 15 May 2023 . Madrid. subscription.
  9. Web site: Tournaments:Inverkip Rovers LTC Tournament . The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . 15 May 2023 . Madrid. subscription.
  10. Web site: Tournaments:Inverkip Rovers Open . The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . 15 May 2023 . Madrid. subscription.
  11. News: AMERICAN PRIZE FOR SCOTS.; Louis J. Grant Will Give Cup to North of Scotland Tennis Players. . 15 May 2023 . The New York Times . 20 February 1905 . 8.
  12. Web site: Tournaments:Castle Wemyss Open - Castle Wemyss Cup . The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . 15 May 2023 . Madrid. subscription.
  13. Book: Navy and Army Illustrated . 1905 . George Newnes . London . 344 . en.