| Whitby Open | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Founded | 1884; 140 years ago (1884) |
| Abolished | 1902; 122 years ago (1902) |
| Location | Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. |
| Venue | Congress Hall Grounds West Cliff Lawn Tennis Courts |
| Surface | Grass |
The Whitby Open was men's and women's grass court tournament founded in 1884 as the Whitby Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. The tournament was organsised by Whitby Lawn Tennis Club, and first played at the Congress Hall Grounds, Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. until 1902.
History
The Whitby Tournament was an outdoor grass court men's and women's tennis event established in 1884 at Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. In 1887 the Whitby Open also featured the Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Championships that year. The tournament was staged annually until 1902 when it was discontinued. The men's singles title was won by a G.W. Brook who defeated H. Anderson.
The tournament also featured some notable Wimbledon players such as Marmaduke Strickland Constable the 1883 singles quarter finalist, George Richmond Mewburn and E.W. Fletcher the 1885 Northern Championships semi finalist. Margaret Bracewell a Yorkshire born player and winner of the Yorkshire Championshships and Midland Counties Championships played mixed doubles at this event, she was also mixed doubles champion at the Irish Championships in with Ernest Wool Lewis.
Venues
The first two editions were held at the Congress Hall Grounds, the Congress Hall was a wooden building with a capacity of 2000 people it was first constructed in York by the Church of Congress, then was transferred to Whity in 1867 and opened by the Constantine Phipps, the Earl Mulgrave. The 1886 edition was played on land belonging to Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet. In 1887 and until the remainder of its run the tournament was staged at the West Cliff Lawn Tennis Courts.
Finals
Men's Singles
| Year | Winner | Finalist | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 |  Arthur Godfrey Pease |
 George E. Newby |
6-5, 4–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6-5 |
| 1885 | James Herbert Crispe |
Arthur Godfrey Pease |
3-6, 6–1, 6–3, 6-5 |
| 1886 | Philip Leslie Hirst |
George Reston Brewerton |
6-0, ret. |
| 1887 | E.W. Fletcher |
George Reston Brewerton |
6-3, 7–5, 9–7. |
| 1900 | Alexander H. Wolff |
John A. Wolff |
6-2, 6–3, 6–2. |
Men's Doubles
| Year | Winner | Finalist | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | Arthur Godfrey Pease J. Theo Richardson |
John Charles Kay Harold Stapylton Greenwell |
6-5, 6–1, 6-5 |
| 1885 | Arthur Godfrey Pease George Richmond Mewburn |
James Herbert Crispe Leonard William Greenwell |
6-5, 6–1, 6-5 |
| 1886 | Arthur Godfrey Pease W.S. Wright |
Francis Joseph Hirst Philip Leslie Hirst |
6-5, 6–1, 6-5 |
| 1887 | George Richmond Mewburn Arthur Godfrey Pease |
} James Baldwin M. Pole |
6-1, 10–12, 6–4, 7-5 |
Women's Singles
| Year | Winner | Finalist | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | L. Cheetham |
A.J. Osmond |
6-3, 6-4 |
Mixed Doubles
| Year | Winner | Finalist | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | John Charles Kay Miss D. Radcliffe |
C. Richardson Miss L. Cheetham |
6-0, 6-3 |
| 1885 | Arthur Godfrey Pease Miss Wood |
George Richmond Mewburn Miss Scott |
6-3, 6-1 |
| 1886 | Wilfrid T. Rivett-Carnac Miss Walters |
A. Herbert Miss Wood |
6-3, 6-1 |
| 1887 | Francis Joseph Hirst Miss Margaret Bracewell |
M. Pole Miss Walters |
8-6, 6-3 |
See also
References
- "LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT AT WHITBY. The annual open lawn tennis tournament commenced on the West Cliff Lawn Tennis Courts on Monday, and is expected to be concluded tomorrow". Whitby Gazette. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 31 August 1900. p. 53. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- "WHITBY OPEN LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT: The second annual will be held on the Congress Hall Grounds, Whitby, Monday, 21th August, and following days". Whitby Gazette. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 22 August 1885. p. 43. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ "Tournaments:Whitby". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- "LAWN TENNIS. THE YORKSHIRE COUNTY TOURNAMENT AT WHITBY". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 22 August 1887. p. 8. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- REED, Silvester (1878). Reed's Guide to Whitby ... With an Essay on Sea Bathing, by John Dowson ... Thirteenth Edition. Whitby: S. Reed. p. 99.
- "LAWN TENNIS. TOURNAMENT AT WHITBY. Encouraged by the success which has attended lawn teunis tournaments in other places, Sir George .Elliot, Bart, M.P., has had laid down for the purpose of tennis ground spacious piece of land his estate". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 27 August 1886. p. 8. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- "TOURNAMENT AT WHITBY". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 3 September 1900. p. 10. Retrieved 17 May 2023.