Constance Mary Luard (née Wilson; 2 September 1881 – 17 December 1955) also known as Connie Wilson was an English tennis player. She was a two time All-Comers finalist at the
Wimbledon Championships
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pl ...
in
1905
As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony is ...
and
1907
Events
January
* January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000.
February
* February 11 – The French warship French cruiser Jean Bart ( ...
. She was active from 1889 to 1913 and won 24 career singles titles.
Tennis career
Connie Wilson as she was known played and won her first tournament at the Mid-Kent Championships in
Maidstone, Kent
Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with ...
against
Alice Greene
Alice Norah Gertrude Greene (15 October 1879 – 26 October 1956) was a female English tennis player from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal playing tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Sometimes referred to as Angela Greene in ...
in 1901. Later that year she won the
East of England Championships
The East of England Championships also called the East of England Lawn Tennis Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1885 as the Felixstowe Open Lawn Tennis Tournament. In 1889 the event had by this time beco ...
held in
Felixstowe
Felixstowe ( ) is a port town in Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northeast of London.
H ...
defeating Hilda Lane in the final. In 1902 she took part in two tournaments that season, she was a losing finalist at the Welsh Championships and at
Saxmundham
Saxmundham ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England, set in the valley of the River Fromus about north-east of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the main A12 road between London and Lowestoft. The town is serve ...
she won the
Suffolk Championships
The Suffolk Championships was an open tennis tournament for both men and women held at Saxmundham, Suffolk, England from 1883 to 1968. History
On 12 August 1883 an annual open ''Saxmundham Lawn Tennis Tournament'' was established at Hurts Hall Park ...
against
Agnes Morton
Agnes Morton (6 March 1872 – 5 April 1952) was a British female tennis player. She twice reached the Ladies Singles finals at the 1908 and 1909 Wimbledon Championships and claimed victory in 1914 in Ladies Doubles with partner Elizabeth Rya ...
.
During the 1903 lawn tennis season she won five singles titles including the
Welsh Championships
The Welsh Championships (Welsh: Pencampwriaethau Cymru) its original name until 1970 was also known as the Championship of Wales (1951), the Welsh Open (Welsh: Cymraeg Agored) (1947–50) the Greenshields Welsh Championships and Greenshields Wel ...
in
Penarth
Penarth (, ) is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.
Penarth is a wealthy seaside resort ...
against
Winifred Longhurst
Winifred Mary Arden Longhurst (1873 – 24 November 1958 ) was a British tennis player. She was a four time quarter finalist in singles in the Wimbledon Championships in 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1912. She was active from 1892 until 1921 and won 29 ...
. At the
Kent Championships
The Kent Championships also known as the Kent All-Comers' Championships was a tennis tournament held in Foxgrove Road, Beckenham, Kent, England between 1886 and 1996 and was held in the first half of June. From 1887 until 1910 the tournament wa ...
in
Beckenham
Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, in Greater London. Until 1965 it was part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south-east of Charing Cross, situated north of Elmers End and ...
she defeated Dorothea Douglass in three sets to take the title. She finished the season by winning the
South of England Championships
The South of England Championships, also known as the South of England Open Championships, was an outdoor tennis event held on grass courts at the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club in Eastbourne, United Kingdom from 1881 until 1972.
History
Th ...
title at
Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the l ...
defeating Dorothea Douglass in straight sets for the second time. She also took the Suffolk title for the second time against
Edith Austin Greville
Edith Lucy Austin Greville (15 December 1867 – 27 July 1953) was a Welsh tennis player who was active from the 1890s until around 1920. She was married to fellow player George Greville.
Career
Austin was born in Hawarden, Flintshire, Nort ...
. At the
Bournemouth Open Tournament
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the English ...
she won that event against
Ellen Mary Stawell-Brown
Ellen Mary Stawell-Brown (married name Ellen Hemsted) (1878–1958) was a British female badminton and tennis player. She has notably competed mainly in the All England Open Badminton Championships and Wimbledon Championships. Ellen Mary is the ...
.
In 1904 Wilson won five singles events that year, in
Penarth
Penarth (, ) is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.
Penarth is a wealthy seaside resort ...
she retained her
Welsh Championships
The Welsh Championships (Welsh: Pencampwriaethau Cymru) its original name until 1970 was also known as the Championship of Wales (1951), the Welsh Open (Welsh: Cymraeg Agored) (1947–50) the Greenshields Welsh Championships and Greenshields Wel ...
title, beating
Maude Garfit
Helen Maude "Maudie" Garfit (15 February 1874 – 23 August 1948) was an English tennis player active in the late 19th century and early 20th century. She was a semi finalist at the 1909 Wimbledon Championships, and winner of the prestigious Iris ...
in the final. She then played at the
Midland Counties Championships
The Midland Counties Championships also known as the Midland International was a grass court tennis tournament held at Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, Edgbaston, Great Britain from 1881 to 1977.
History
The first unofficial championsh ...
held at
Edgbaston
Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre.
In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family ...
and won the title against
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
Blanche Bingley Hillyard (née Bingley; 3 November 1863 – 6 August 1946) was an English tennis player. She won six singles Wimbledon championships (1886, 1889, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1900) and was runner up seven times, having also competed in the ...
. At the
Kent Coast Championships
The Kent Coast Championships or Kent Coast Open Tennis Championships or Kent Coast Open Lawn Tennis Championship was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament first established in 1903. It was first held at the Hotel Imperial tennis courts ...
in
Hythe
Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to:
Places Australia
* Hythe, Tasmania
Canada
*Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada
England
* T ...
she won the title against
Winifred Longhurst
Winifred Mary Arden Longhurst (1873 – 24 November 1958 ) was a British tennis player. She was a four time quarter finalist in singles in the Wimbledon Championships in 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1912. She was active from 1892 until 1921 and won 29 ...
. She picked up a third consecutive
Suffolk Championships
The Suffolk Championships was an open tennis tournament for both men and women held at Saxmundham, Suffolk, England from 1883 to 1968. History
On 12 August 1883 an annual open ''Saxmundham Lawn Tennis Tournament'' was established at Hurts Hall Park ...
title beating
Alice Greene
Alice Norah Gertrude Greene (15 October 1879 – 26 October 1956) was a female English tennis player from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal playing tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Sometimes referred to as Angela Greene in ...
the final. She collected a second consecutive Bournemouth Open against a 'Miss Britain' a (pseudonym).
1905 was a big year for Wilson where she won eight singles titles during this season. She played at the
Derbyshire Championships
The Derbyshire Championships originally known as the Championship of Derbyshire was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament held at the Buxton Lawn Tennis Club, Buxton, Derbyshire, Great Britain from 1883 to 1953
History
A tennis tourn ...
Surbiton
Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it h ...
against
Winifred Longhurst
Winifred Mary Arden Longhurst (1873 – 24 November 1958 ) was a British tennis player. She was a four time quarter finalist in singles in the Wimbledon Championships in 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1912. She was active from 1892 until 1921 and won 29 ...
. She travelled to France to play at the
South of France Championships
The South of France Championships its original name or Championnats du Sud de la France also known as the Championships of the South of France and the Championship of Southern France was a tennis event held from 1895 through 1971 it was originall ...
in Nice, where she won her only clay court title against the German player
Clara von der Schulenburg
Countess Clara von der Schulenburg (1874 – 10 February 1951), was a female German tennis player who was active in the final years of the 19th century and the early 20th century. During that period she was considered the best German female player ...
. She won the Kent Championships for the second time against
Alice Greene
Alice Norah Gertrude Greene (15 October 1879 – 26 October 1956) was a female English tennis player from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal playing tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Sometimes referred to as Angela Greene in ...
1905 Wimbledon Championships
The 1905 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 26 June until 8 July.2010 Wimbledon ...
she advanced to the All Comers final where she pushed the great American player
May Sutton
May Godfrey Sutton (September 25, 1886 – October 4, 1975) was an American tennis player who was active during the first decades of the 20th century. At age 16 she won the singles title at the U.S. National Championships and in 1905 she became ...
and reigning U.S. National Champion in two tightly fought sets. She finished the season by taking the Kent Coast title for the second time against Winfred Longhurst in three close sets, and she divided the prizes and
Sussex Championships
The Sussex Championships or Sussex County Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament that were first staged in 1889. By 1972 it was known as the Sussex Tennis Open Championships. The championships were first held in Bright ...
title with
Winifred Longhurst
Winifred Mary Arden Longhurst (1873 – 24 November 1958 ) was a British tennis player. She was a four time quarter finalist in singles in the Wimbledon Championships in 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1912. She was active from 1892 until 1921 and won 29 ...
.
In 1906 she won her third
Midland Counties Championships
The Midland Counties Championships also known as the Midland International was a grass court tennis tournament held at Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, Edgbaston, Great Britain from 1881 to 1977.
History
The first unofficial championsh ...
title against
Alice Greene
Alice Norah Gertrude Greene (15 October 1879 – 26 October 1956) was a female English tennis player from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal playing tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Sometimes referred to as Angela Greene in ...
. In Hythe she collected her third Kent Coast title beating Mildred Coles in two sets. In 1907 she competed at Wimbledon Championships where she reach the All Comers final for the second time but was beaten by US international
May Sutton
May Godfrey Sutton (September 25, 1886 – October 4, 1975) was an American tennis player who was active during the first decades of the 20th century. At age 16 she won the singles title at the U.S. National Championships and in 1905 she became ...
in straight sets. She played her final singles tournament at the East East Surrey Championships held in
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extens ...
, where she won that title in three sets against
Gladys Eastlake-Smith
Gladys Shirley Eastlake Smith (14 August 1883 – 18 September 1941), also known as Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith and Gladys Lamplough (after her marriage), was a British tennis player. She won an Olympic gold medal at the 1908 Summer Olymp ...
Royal Aquarium
The Royal Aquarium and Winter Garden was a place of amusement in Westminster, London. It opened in 1876, and the building was demolished in 1903. The attraction was located northwest of Westminster Abbey on Tothill Street. The building was design ...
, London in 1902.
Family
Constance Mary Wilson was born on 2 September 1881, in Oatlands, Surrey, England. She was the daughter of John Walter Wilson, a wine merchant (b. 1837 in Wirksworth, Derbyshire) and Ellen Marie Wilson (née Baker; b. 1844 in Hanley, Staffordshire).
On 21 July 1907 at
Hove, Sussex
Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th ce ...
Richard Luard
Lieutenant-General Richard George Amherst Luard (29 July 1827 – 24 July 1891) was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada.
Military career
Born the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Luard ...