Author: HollandRMC

Concerning early lawn tennis in Royal Leamington Spa and Edgbaston, Birmingham. It has been some time now since Bob Everitt established that Gem and Perera, the Birmingham Victorian lawn tennis pioneers, formed their Leamington Lawn Tennis Club in 1874 not 1872. Bob and Richard Hillway then went on to publish, in 2018, ‘The Birth of…

It is a very great pleasure to announce that the conservation work has been completed and the scrapbook is now back home in the Archives at The Library of Birmingham. Many thanks once again to all who contributed to the fund which financed this important work Our thanks also go to Arthur Green, Green’s Books,…

Dr. Frederic Haynes reminiscesabout the early days of lawn tennis. In this newspaper article from 1934 Dr. Frederic H. Haynes reminisces about the early days of lawn tennis. Along with T.H. Gem, J.B.L.A. Perera and Dr. Arthur W. Tomkins, Haynes founded the world’s first lawn tennis club in the grounds of the Manor House Hotel,…

On Wednesday 16th October 2019 blue plaques were unveiled in honour of Harry Gem and Augurio Perera in Leamington Spa. We are pleased to have cooperated in this project with Robert Nash, Town Clerk of Royal Leamington Spa and Margaret Rushton, Secretary of the Leamington History Group. Harry Gem’s blue plaque, at 8 Hamilton Terrace,…

Founders of Lawn Tennis A particularly interesting description of the development of lawn tennis through to 1877 and the first Championships at the All England Club, Wimbledon. This by George Alexander in his 1974 book ‘Lawn Tennis, Its Founders & Its Early Days’. The second paragraph is of particular interest dealing as it does with…

Here’s an article from the Birmingham Post of 3rd June 2000 telling the story of Gem and Perera. Since then it has been established that Gem and Perera’s game dates from as early as 1859, not 1865 and their Leamington Club was formed in 1874 not 1872.