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 | |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Abolished | 1927 |
| Location | Maidstone, Kent, England |
| Venue | Maidstone Athletic Ground |
| Surface | Grass |
History
editIn 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
editMen'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- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Reynolds's Newspaper
- ^ 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.
- ^ Reynolds's Newspaper. British Newspaper Archive. 4 July 1926. p.22.
- ^ "Brig Oscar Jameson (Daily Telegraph, 6th April 1989)" (PDF). Standford, United States: Stanford University. Retrieved 23 February 2023.