The 1885 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 60 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Sydney, Australia and ended in November in New Haven, United States.
Season summary Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships, the U.S. National Championships, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.
1885 sees a large expansion in the overall number of combined women's events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow.Berry. David (2020). A people's history of tennis. (2) Feminists. Pluto Books London . p.33. At the beginning of may the first Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament (later known as the New South Wales Championships) is held in Sydney, Australia and is won by Annie Lamb.
In late May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish ChampionshipsIrish TV Documentary (4 Jul 2016). The True Tale Of The Irish Tennis Murderer. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE). Dublin. Ireland. in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's singles final England's Maud Watson retains the title defeating Irleland's Louisa Martin. Watson also claims the doubles title with her sister Lilian Watson defeating the Irish sisters Adela Langrishe and May Langrishe. In the mixed doubles Watson retains the title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Ireland's Ernest Browne. and completes a clean sweep of all possible events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester England's Maud Watson wins her second major singles title against Edith Davies. The women's doubles title is won by Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeated Margaret Bracewell and Beatrice Langrishe. In the mixed doubles event Maud Watson wins a second title paired with William Renshaw beating England's Margaret Bracewell and America's James Dwight.
At the 1885 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats Blanche Bingley to claim a second ladies championship title. At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.
In Australasia in October the Victorian Championships held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts is won by Mabel Shaw. In November the season ended in the United States at the New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament at that was by Adeline Robinson. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, and consisted of 13 national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.
Season results Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921), in some tournaments not all.* Indicates challenge round final
Key Main events. National events Provincial/State/Regional events County events Regular events
Singles Results included:. + Tournaments (31) # Date endedTournament Location Surface Winner Finalist Score1.7-May-1885Illustrated Sydney NewsInter-Colonial Lawn Tennis TournamentSydneyGrass Annie Lamb Miss Gordon 6–5, 6–4, 6–1, 6–12.26-May-1885Irish ChampionshipsDublinGrass Maud Watson Louisa Martin 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 3.30-May-1885West of England Championships Bath Grass Gertrude Gibbs Edith Davies2–6, 6–4, 6–04.6-Jun-1885 East Gloucestershire ChampionshipsCheltenhamGrass Maud Watson Connie Butler 6–3, 6–15.13-Jun-1885Kilkenny County and City TournamentArchersfieldGrass May Langrishe Miss Neville 6–1, 6–8 6.13-Jun-1885London Championships Stamford BridgeGrass Maud Watson Lilian Watson 6–2, 6–37.17-Jun-1885Acton Vale LTC OpenEast ActonGrass Blanche Bingley Miss Day 6–0, 6–28.19-Jun-1885Waterloo TournamentLiverpoolGrass Lottie Dod Margaret Bracewell6–4, 6–2 9.20-Jun-1885 Brincliffe Lawn Tennis Club Open TournamentSheffieldGrass Beatrice Wood Florence Mardall6–1, 6–0 10.27-Jun-1885Northern Championships *ManchesterGrass Maud Watson Edith Davies 6–3, 6–311.3-Jul-1885Midland Counties Championship Cup EdgbastonGrass Margaret Bracewell Mary Steedman 6–3, 6–2 12.9-Jul-1885Ealing Lawn Tennis Tournament EalingGrass Charlotte Cooper Edith Gurney6–4, 6–4 13.9-Jul-1885Natal ChampionshipsDurbanGrass Mabel Grant L. Button 18–8 games14.17-Jul-1885Wimbledon Championships LondonGrass Maud Watson Blanche Bingley6–1, 7–515.25-Jul-1885Chiswick Park TournamentChiswick ParkGrass Edith Gurney Blanche Bingley1–6, 7–5, 6–016.25-Jul-1885Leicester Open Lawn Tennis TournamentLeicesterGrass Margaret Bracewell Agnes Watts 6–2, 8–6 17.6-Aug-1885Darlington Association TournamentDarlingtonGrass Florence Stanuell Connie Butler 6–0, 7–5 18.8-Aug-1885West of Ireland ChampionshipsSligoGrass C. McClintock Maude Scovell 0–6, 6–3, 6–2 19.14-Aug-1885East Grinstead Lawn Tennis TournamentEast GrinsteadGrass Blanche Bingley Edith Davies 6–2, 5–7, 6–3 20.17-Aug-1885Charleville Ladies' TournamentCharlevilleGrass Miss Crookbain Won21.18-Aug-1885Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club TournamentBournemouthGrass Mrs Surman Mrs Hornbydrew22.20-Aug-1885Augusta Tournament Augusta Grass Miss Haynes Katie Baldwin 3–6, 6–1, 6–423.22-Aug-1885North Yorkshire Tournament ScarboroughGrass Mabel Boulton Beatrice Wood6–2, 6–2 24.22-Aug-1885South of Scotland ChampionshipsMoffatGrass Ann Dod J. Forrest 6–0, 6–0 25.29-Aug-1885Derbyshire Championships BuxtonGrass Blanche Bingley Louisa Martin 6–3, 6–3 26.17-Sep-1885South of England ChampionshipsEastbourneGrass Blanche Bingley Ada Strapp6–1, 6–0 27.26-Sep-1885Sussex County Lawn Tennis TournamentBrightonAsphalt EF Hudson Constance Bryan 6–1, 6–4 28.26-Sep-1885Orange LTC OpenMontroseGrass Adeline Robinson Grace Roosevelt6–3, 3–6, 6–229.5-Oct-1885Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis TournamentLivingston Grass Miss Lesley Miss Austin4–6, 6–2, 6–3 30.10-Oct-1885Victorian Championships MelbourneAsphalt Mabel Shaw Miss Patterson13–7 games31.6-Nov-1885New Hampshire Tennis Association TournamentNew HavenGrass Adeline Robinson Emma Leavitt-Morgan6–2, 6–3
Tournament winners Singles This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (# and main titles in bold) Maud Watson (5) Cheltenham, Irish Championships, Northern Championships, Wimbledon Championships, Stamford Bridge. Blanche Bingley (4) Buxton, East Acton, Eastbourne, East Grinstead, Adeline Robinson (2) Montrose, New Haven May Langrishe (1) Archersfield Miss Haynes (1) Augusta Gertrude Gibbs (1) Bath Mrs Surman (1) Brighton Miss Crookbain (1) Charleville Edith Gurney (1) Chiswick Park Florence Stanuell (1) Darlington Mabel Grant (1) Durban Charlotte Cooper (1) Ealing Lottie Dod (1) Liverpool Miss Lesley (1) Livingston Mabel Shaw (1) Melbourne Ann Dod (1) Moffat Mabel Boulton (1) Scarborough Beatrice Wood (1) Sheffield C. McClintock (1) Sligo Annie Lamb (1) Sydney
Doubles This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (# and main titles in bold) Note: Ann Dod and Connie Butler won titles with two different partners.
Ann Dod & Lottie Dod/ Miss Cornelius (3) Northern Championships, Liverpool, Moffat Connie Butler & Louisa Martin/ Miss Marley (3) Cheltenham, Darlington, Newcastle Lilian Watson & Maud Watson (2) Irish Championships, Stamford Bridge. Lottie Dod & Ann Dod (2) Northern Championships, Liverpool. Miss Marley & Connie Butler (2) Darlington, Newcastle Blanche Bingley & Beatrice Langrishe/ Edith Gurney (2) Brighton, East Grinstead May Langrishe & Miss Neville (1) Archersfield. Gertrude Gibbs & Edith Davies (1) Bath. Edith Gurney & Blanche Bingley (1) Brighton. Margaret Bracewell & Agnes Watts (1) Buxton. Louisa Martin & Connie Butler (1) Cheltenham. Beatrice Langrishe & Blanche Bingley (1) East Grinstead. Bertha Steedman & Mary Steedman (1) Edgbaston. Miss Lesley & Miss Miller (1) Livingston Miss Cornelius & Ann Dod (1) Moffat. Miss Lydiard & Miss Wilson (1) Melbourne
Mixed doubles This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (# and main titles in bold) Margaret Bracewell & William Renshaw/ Walter Chamberlain (5) Buxton, Cheltenham, Edgbaston, Leicester, Scarborough. Maud Watson & /Erskine Watson Harry Grove/ William Renshaw (4) Irish Championships, Northern Championships, Stamford Bridge, Teignmouth. Connie Butler & C Liddel/ Patrick Bowes-Lyon (3) Darlington, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Blanche Bingley & Harry Grove (2) Chiswick Park, East Grinstead. Miss Binney & A.D. Hensley (1) Abingdon. Mabel Cahill & Francis R. Swayne (1) Archersfield. Miss Cuppage & George Archibald Tisdall (1) Athboy Miss Carpenter & Donald Stewart (1) Bath. Miss Hodsdon & Frank Noon/Lady Evershed & Sir Sydney Evershed (1) Burton-upon-Trent (title shared). Miss T.H. Lewis & T. Lewis (1) Charmouth. Constance Bryan & Charles Ross (1) Brighton. Mrs Ravenhill & Captain H.T. Ravenhill (1) Denbigh. Edith Gurney & William C. Taylor (1) Eastbourne. Katherine J. Hole & Captain M.R. Bethune (1) Eggesford. Rose Tanner & J. W. Begg (1) Farndon Park. Miss Goddard & A.E. Wood (1) Fylde. Miss Stewart & Richard Millar Watson (1) Harwick. Miss Palmer & R.H. Pickering (1) Langley Marish. Mrs Clarke & John Charles Kay (1) Leamington. Miss Salaman & D. Fitzgerald (1) Les Diablerets. Lottie Dod & John Edmondson (1) Liverpool. Kitty Smith & Robert Livingston Beeckman (1) Livingston. Miss L. Murray & William Ferguson (1) Moffat. Miss Cornish-Bowden & T.P. Whateley (1) Newton Abbot. Miss Henstock & T.M. Draper (1) Pensarn. Miss Henry & A.D. Johns (1) Portrush. Miss Soltau-Symons & Saint John Halford Coventry (1) Plymouth. Miss Campbell & Anderson Steele (1) Rothesay. C. McClintock & Willoughby Hamilton (1) Sligo. Lottie Paterson & John Galbraith Horn (1) St. Andrews. Miss Smee & James Herbert Crispe (1) Stoke Newington. Annie Lamb & Charles Cropper (1) Sydney. Miss Marriott & William Bolding Monement (1) Tasburgh. Miss Henry & James Baldwin (1) Tenby. Miss Wood & Arthur Godfrey Pease (1) Whitby. Miss Brook & Richard Montague Ainslie (1) Windamere.
Statistical summary Singles Total Tournaments (32) Most Titles: Maud Watson (5) Most Finals: Blanche Bingley (6) Most Matches Played: Maud Watson (19) Most Matches Won: Maud Watson (19) Match Winning %: Maud Watson (100%) Most Tournaments Played: Blanche Bingley (8)
Doubles Total Tournaments: (15) Most Titles: Ann Dod & Connie Butler (3) Most Finals: Connie Butler (5)
Mix Doubles Total Tournaments: (45) Most Titles: Margaret Bracewell (5) Most Finals: Margaret Bracewell (7)
References