The Wemyss Bay Tennis Tournament 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), the Inverkip Rovers Open (1885-1889) the Castle Wemyss Open. (1890-1905) 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. 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. In 1890 the club established another new tournament for men Castle Wemyss Open - Castle Wemyss Cup. 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). YearWinnerRunner-upScore1882 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. YearWinnerRunner-upScore1882 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. YearWinnerRunner-upScore1885 Charles H. J. Higginbotham??.1886 Charles H. J. Higginbotham (2) Edward Mortimer Shand 7–5, 6–4, 0–6, 6-4 .1887 Archibald Thomson Henry Guy Nadin w.o..1888 Richard Millar Watson Henry Guy Nadin0-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-11889 Louis J. Grant Richard Millar Watson w.o. Men's Doubles (Incomplete roll) YearWinnerRunner-upScore1886 Charles H. J. Higginbotham D.M. Hannay Walter R. Baines Latham T.F. Donald5-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-5, 6-4.
Mixed Doubles (Incomplete roll) YearWinnerRunner-upScore1886 G.H. Aitken Miss Macquisten D.M. Hannay Mrs Macquisten3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Castle Wemyss Open Castle Wemyss Cup. YearWinnerRunner-upScore1890 G. Scott-Jackson??.1891 Richard Millar Watson Edward Mortimer Shand 7–5, 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) Henry Guy Nadin 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 Reginald Doherty James Anthony Traill 6–2, 6–3, 5–7, 6-3.
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