Mid-Kent Open Championships

The Mid-Kent Open Championships[1] was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1881, as a men only event called the Maidstone Lawn Tennis Tournament.[2] The first staging of this event was at the Maidstone Athletic Ground, Sandling Place, Maidstone, Kent, England before it was discontinued after only one season. In 1894 a new Maidstone Open lawn tennis tournament was revived that featured the Mid-Kent Championships, this event ran until 1927.

Mid-Kent Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1881; 143 years ago (1881)
Abolished1927; 97 years ago (1927)
LocationMaidstone, Kent, England
VenueMaidstone Athletic Ground
SurfaceGrass

History

edit

In 1881, a Maidstone Lawn Tennis Tournament was first staged at the Maidstone, Athletic Ground, Maidstone, Kent, England. The first winner of the men's singles was Britain's Richard Mercer. In 1894, a Maidstone Open tournament was revived, that featured the Mid-Kent Championships that was sanctioned by the Lawn Tennis Association.[3] The championship and ran until 1927.[4]

Finals

edit

Men's singles

edit

(incomplete roll) included:[5]

Year Winner Runner-up Score
Maidstone Tournament
1881   Richard Mercer   Mr. Stited w.o.[5]
1883   Randall Mercer (2)   Harold Sweetenham 6–3, 6–5, 6–4
Mid-Kent Championships
1897   Hugh Marley   Charles Gladstone Allen 6-4, 6–2, 2–6, 1–6, 6-3[5]
1900   Roy Allen   Reginald Arthur Gamble 6-4, 6–2, 6-1[5]
1904   Roy Allen (2)   George Lawrence Orme 6-2 6-4[5]
1905   Harry Alabaster Parker   Charles Gladstone Allen w.o.[5]
1906   Edward Lyell Bristow   Ernest Taylor Annett 6-4, 6–0, 7-5[5]
1907   Alfred Ernest Beamish   Roy Allen 6-3, 4–6, 8-6[5]
1908   Otto Froitzheim   Robert Powell 4-6, 6–1, 6-4[5]
1909   Alfred Ernest Beamish (2)   Ernest Taylor Annett 6-2, 6-2[5]
1910   Alfred Ernest Beamish (3)   Allan Campbell Pearson 6-1, 6-1[5]
1915/1918 Not held (due to world war one)
Mid-Kent Open Championships
1919   John Cecil Masterman   G.N. Thompson 2-6, 6-0, 7-5[5]
1920   Lawrence Francis Davin   John Cecil Masterman 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4[5]
1925.[1]   Wilfrid Hay MacDowall Aitken ? ?
1926.[6]   Wilfrid Hay MacDowall Aitken (2)   Guy Oscar Jameson[7] 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.

Womens Singles

edit
Incomplete Roll
Year Winner Runner-up Score
Mid-Kent Championships
1895   Nora Hreen   Mrs Blackett 7-5, 5-3 retired
1897   M. Stonham   Miss Rennick 6-1, 6-2
1898   Hilda Lane   M. Stonham 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
1899   Hilda Lane (2)   Alice Greene 6-4, 7-5
1900   Hilda Lane (3)   Connie Wilson 9-7, 6-3
1901   Connie Wilson   Alice Greene 6-4, 6-3
1902   Edith Jane Bromfield   Mildred Coles 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
1903   Mildred Coles   Miss Tootell 7-5, 6-3
1904   Mildred Coles (2)   Mabel Bramwell Squire 4-6, 4-0 retired.
1905   Miss Tootell   Mildred Coles 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
1906   Ruth Pennington-Legh Winch   Hilda Lane 6-3, 6-0
1907   Agnes Morton   Helen Harper 6-0, 6-0
1908   Agnes Morton (2)   E.L. Bosworth 6-1, 6-1
1909   Rosamund Salusbury   Geraldine Ramsey 6-4, 6-3
1910   Rosamund Salusbury (2)   Helen Harper 2-6, 6-0, 6-0
1911   Mildred Coles (3)   Orea Moustaka Beatty 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
1912   Vera Spofforth   Mrs A.A. Hall 7-5. 6-4
1913   Phyllis Carr Satterthwaite   Norah Lattey 6-0, 6-0
1914   Mildred Coles (4)   Orea Moustaka Beatty w.o.
1915/1918 Not held (due to world war one)
Mid-Kent Open Championships
1919   Madeline Fisher O'Neill   Lavinia Radeglia 6-8, 7–5, 6-4
1920   Lucy Scott Harker   M. Towler 7-5, 8-6
1921   Miss Belchamber   M. Scott ?
1922   L. Toller   M. Scott 6-3, 8-6
1923   Winifred MacClellan   D. Keays def
1924   Phoebe Holcroft   Mrs Wilkin 6-3, 6-1
1926   Ruth Foulger Landale   Madie Pearson 6-1, 6-2
1927   Cecily Hartley Marriott   Mrs E.M. MacLeod 6-4, 6-3

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "MAIDSTONE TOURNAMENT. In the lawn tennis tournament at Maidstone. the Mid-Ken Open Championships was won by the Rev. Wilfrid Hay MacDowall Aitken the holder of the Cup. who beat Guy Oscar Jameson, 6-4. 6-1. 6-1. while the ladies' singles championship was won by Ruth Foulger Landale" (Subscription). Reynolds's Newspaper. London, England: British Newspaper Archive. 4 July 1926. p. 22. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  2. ^ "MAIDSTONE LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT. The Maidstone Lawn Tennis Tournament took place at Sandling Place Place, Maidstone yesterday" (Subscription). The Field. London, England: British Newspaper Archive. 3 September 1881. p. 36. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Advertisements: MAIDSTONE OPEN LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT MID KENT CHAMPIONSHIPS SANCTIONED BY THE LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION. THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THE MAIDSTONE ATHLETIC GROUND" (Subscription). The Bystander. London, England: British Newspaper Archive. 22 June 1910. p. 68. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  4. ^ Reynolds's Newspaper
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Tournament – Mid-Kent Championships - Maidstone". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  6. ^ Reynolds's Newspaper. British Newspaper Archive. 4 July 1926. p.22.
  7. ^ "Brig Oscar Jameson (Daily Telegraph, 6th April 1989)" (PDF). Standford, United States: Stanford University. Retrieved 23 February 2023.