The Birth of Lawn Tennis

[pollypops]

This is an interesting thread - I didn't know anything about Major Thomas Henry Gem until I read all these posts.
It is so sad that his grave has not been looked after better.
It is great that Brian, Colin and Richard have tidied it up and made it more accessible - they do so much work that benifits all of us that are interested in Birmingham history or who have relatives buried at Warstone Lane or Key Hill.
I do hope that funds can be found to restore Major Gems memorial.
Polly

 

[leslam]

Hello Bob! My name is Lesley Lambourne and I played at Edgbaston Archery for a number of years; I stopped playing tennis as it was affecting my badminton! In fact, I had been wondering how to get in touch with you to discuss this thread. You've saved me the trouble!

With regard to Perera, all the census returns we have say Spain as his place of birth, but of course there is a lot of cross-over, particularly in border areas like Badajoz. We think that he came from Spain in 1837 as we have an entry on the Port of London register from that date. Of course that might not be him, but the timing is about right. We think that we also have found his parents on an early census in the Manchester area as well + definitiely his marriage. An earlier post gives details of the children and grandchildren. I live off Ampton Road, so I have met the lady who now lives at number 8. I am due to meet with her and her husband again tomorrow. I am in the process of writing up all the information we have gathered so that it is easier to read. Threads like this are great, but after a while it is easy to forget what you have found out!

I hadn't thought about him going to the States. I'll see if I can trace the entry.

My only reason for wondering about Periera Road was that in Major Gem's obituary, Perera is refered to as Augurio Pereira.

I have a lot of details on Major Gem, his live and works - in fact I have just got back from working my way through a scrapbook about him at Birmingham library. I have a fair amount to write up again. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me using instant messaging or email on the forum as a starting point.

[Wendy, I think that Brian or Colin said that a grand-daughter came to visit the grave a few years ago and placed the tennis ball on the memorial. Hopefully someone knows how to get in touch with her. Also, I think that Aiden has been in touch with someone who is connected to Gem's family]]

 

[Robert Holland]

Wendy, There is no-one with a probable family link to the Major. Reference the memorial/headstone I'm working on a fund-raising project.

 

[Aidan]

This all sounds very positive. I have been in contact with someone who is related via their public family tree on Ancestry. Happy to pass on a message if needed, although I have passed this thread address onto them - anything to help get some memorial to the great game and its founders.

 

[lin66]

As far as I'm aware, Thomas and his wife Ellen had no children. I have the cencus returns before nad after his marriage and there is no mention of any childre, therefore a grandaughter seems unlikely.

 

[lin66]

Although very distantly, I am related to Major Thomas Gem. He was the Great Grandson of my Gt Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandparents!! I did say it was distant. I also have 3 cousins (once removed I think- we're related in some way!!) who are also related to THG. Their Gt Grandmother and my Gt Gt Grandfather were brother and sister.

 

[leslam]

How fantastic to be related to him - however distantly.
Having spent much of the morning going through the microfilm scrapbook of articles, letters and jottings, it has to be said that he was an incredibly diverse man. Racquets initially (I have some articles to post about that), tennis, cricket, athletics and of course setting up the Rifle Volunteers (I have a couple of pictures about that as well). He was also a wordsmith and heavily involved in amateur dramatics as well. There was also a letter from his Lodge in the scrapbook. All this on top of his legal work!
I wil try to add the extra pictures and information over the next couple of days.

 

[Robert Holland]

Lin, Are you related in any way to Peter Gem who lived in Jersey? He died a few years ago. I believe you are right in saying that Thomas and Ellen were childless.

 

[leslam]

I agree, there is no evidence that Thomas and Ellen had any children -I hadn't completely engaged my brain at the end of #92 :redface:. The earlier post about the visitor to the grave must refer to another visitor -was it you Lin?

 

[Di.Poppitt]

I feel we ought to have a headline banner telling members where this superb piece of history is posted.
I hadn't realised that Warstone Lane was included with the Friends of Key Hill, and after I was in Warstone Lane recently I bemoaned the fact that it was in a sad state. I now know it is in good hands, and if I lived in Birmingham it would be a pleasure to do a bit of tyding up. My gt grandmother is buried there, I have the grave number somewhere.
Thanks guys for your hard work and sleuthing to bring such a worthy tale to our notice.

 

[Di.Poppitt]

I looked in Ancestry at possible children for Augurio and Louisa Perera, and then put one of them in Family search, it came up with the answer St Chads. The records are on the spot if anyone has the time. I think you have to make an appointment.

Adrienne Louisa Perera
Pedigree Female

Event(s):

Birth: 27 FEB 1852

Christening: 21 MAY 1852 St Chad, Birmingham, Warwick,:

Parents: Father: Joannis Bapt Augurii Perera Family Mother: Charlotte L. ODonnell :

Source Information:

Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:

C009373 1721 - 1779 0918365 Film 6909734 Film

Sheet:

 

[Thylacine]

I've just read through this thread from start to (temporary) finish. What a wonderful example of the power of the BHF and the collective research skills of its members. Following the gradual unfolding of the facts is like reading a detective story! Congratulations to all concerned.

 

[leslam]

Thanks for the info Di. You are correct that the central library only has the recoreds up to about 1830ish - and they are in Latin :confused2:
One of my earlier entries gave the registration details, but as I'm not sure how much they would add to the story (and it would cost!), I decided not to fetch them. If I get a chance I will make an appt to go to St Chad's

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to walking over to Fairlight in about an hour to see what information the owner has and share our findings

I'll report back later.....

 

[lin66]

Not that I know of, but who knows when you start digging. Do you know any more about Peter Gem?

 

[Robert Holland]

Lin, Peter was a teacher at a school in/near Shrewsbury and he retired to Jersey. Wife and two children. When I spoke to him he told me that he had not been able to establish an unquestionable link to TH Gem. Apparently his son was working on the family history. I think I have still the contact details for his daughter and will try to get in touch with her.

Not that I know of, but who knows when you start digging. Do you know any more about Peter Gem?

 

[Robert Holland]

Just to correct this reference to Gem's rackets club being in Bath Row (which is repeated in other places such as Wikipedia) the club was actually in Bath Street, most of which was buried under the Queensway by St Chad's Cathedral. A small section of the street remains in which the Gunmakers pub may be found. Rackets clubs in Birmingham were often attached to pubs and I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Bath Street club was no exception. I'll have to start a trawl of my files to find the answer.

Harry Gem is of course in Warstone Lane!

Because early tennis was complex, He & Augurio Perera ceased playing at Bath Row Raquets club and started playing on Perera's croquet lawn at 8 Ampton Rd! They basically wrote the rulebook for modern lawn tennis, but regretably both moved to leamington Spa in 1872 and formed a club with 2 local doctors. Leamington had/has therefore the worlds first lawn tennis club on the lawns of the Manor House hotel opposite Perera's ne hom
I understand the Gemsfgrave is currently unmarked. The Tourist Info (Mary) in Vyse St has the location on a map in her kiosk.

 

[leslam]

I have an article from Gem's scrapbook (on microfilm at Archives) that talks about the demise of the Bath Street club. And yes, it was associated with a drinking establishment.
I will scan in and add to this thread this afternoon.
BTW did anyone spot that there is a pack of 6 old postcards of Leamington on eBay that includes the back lawn of the hotel?

 

[lin66]

With refernce to THG's DOB, the only record I can find is in the Oxford Dictionary National Biography, however as it is so precise, you would assume there must be a record somewhere. I have also tried checking the references used in the aforementioned book, but to no availe.A copy of the entry is attached, sorry its a bit mish mash as I had trouble with the original copy, however it is complete.View attachment 53614

 

[Robert Holland]

Gem was born 21st May 1819.

With refernce to THG's DOB, the only record I can find is in the Oxford Dictionary National Biography, however as it is so precise, you would assume there must be a record somewhere. I have also tried checking the references used in the aforementioned book, but to no availe.A copy of the entry is attached, sorry its a bit mish mash as I had trouble with the original copy, however it is complete.View attachment 53614

 

[dek carr]

Back in the late 50s-early 60s i worked in Bath St right opposite the Gun Makers Arms there was a story that there was a large room below ground that was used for Gun Testing maybe this was just a rumour maybe it was used for tennis at one time. i have never seen this room so i am not quoting fact. Dek

 

[Robert Holland]

There's sure to have been some gun testing facility in the area. I think they tended to be long rooms with low ceiling height probably suited to below ground construction which would, in turn, provide some sound deadening? Indoor racquets would require high ceilings so more likely to be an above ground structure?

Back in the late 50s-early 60s i worked in Bath St right opposite the Gun Makers Arms there was a story that there was a large room below ground that was used for Gun Testing maybe this was just a rumour maybe it was used for tennis at one time. i have never seen this room so i am not quoting fact. Dek

 

[Robert Holland]

View attachment 53617

This the postcard?

The pub in Bath Street might have been the Racquet Court?

I have an article from Gem's scrapbook (on microfilm at Archives) that talks about the demise of the Bath Street club. And yes, it was associated with a drinking establishment.
I will scan in and add to this thread this afternoon.
BTW did anyone spot that there is a pack of 6 old postcards of Leamington on eBay that includes the back lawn of the hotel?

 

[leslam]

Yes Bob, that was the postcard I saw on eBay

Thanks for the date of birth. Although we had the date of birth, I've been trying to find the baptism. As there were no birth certificates in 1819, I am interested to know where the accurate date has come from as it’s not on the (buried) memorial at Warstone Lane. It's possible it has just been handed down through the family (in which case strictly it can't be considered as reliable), but as THG's step-siblings were baptised locally and the census returns always say Handsworth as place of birth, it is intriguing to know where the baptism is recorded, particularly as that is likely to be the source of the date of birth. I've searched St Mary's, so I need to look at adjoining parishes.

According to the article that I am just about to post (just trying to straighten up the scan), the racquet court was at the back of the Racquet Court Tavern (obvious really isn’t it? J). I will dig out an old map and see if we can pinpoint it,

 

[Robert Holland]

I got the date from Thomas Todd's book 'The Tennis Players'.

The tavern was owned by Samuel Young who also owned the largest glass button making business in Birmingham.

Yes Bob, that was the postcard I saw on eBay

Thanks for the date of birth. Although we had the date of birth, I've been trying to find the baptism. As there were no birth certificates in 1819, I am interested to know where the accurate date has come from as it’s not on the (buried) memorial at Warstone Lane. It's possible it has just been handed down through the family (in which case strictly it can't be considered as reliable), but as THG's step-siblings were baptised locally and the census returns always say Handsworth as place of birth, it is intriguing to know where the baptism is recorded, particularly as that is likely to be the source of the date of birth. I've searched St Mary's, so I need to look at adjoining parishes.

According to the article that I am just about to post (just trying to straighten up the scan), the racquet court was at the back of the Racquet Court Tavern (obvious really isn’t it? J). I will dig out an old map and see if we can pinpoint it,

 

[leslam]

Attaching three pages from the original article, a supplementary article that was run a few days later + a copy of a Bath Street Racket Club letter, dated April 1859.
Enjoy.....

 

[mikejee]

In 1855 and -1858 there is listed a pub called the Welsh Harper at 32 Bath St. Also at 32 is “Raquets Court”.. In 1855 the Welsh Harper pub , no 32 bath St was run by Miss Mary Ann Pugh and the proprietor of the Raquets Court (no 32) was Francis Erwood. In 1862 Samuel Walker is listed as a victualer at 32 Bath (Miss Pugh having gone to run a pub in harborne) . The raquets court is not listed in 1867 when Thomas Evans is running the Welsh Harper, and the Raquets court seems to have disappeared for good. It is still the Welsh Harper in 1890 and can find no mention at all the racquets court other than those two mentions. Possibly for most of its life it was a members club and kept a low profile. Anyway no 32 (whether it be the Welsh Harper or Raquets Court or both) is in red on the 1890 map below
mike

 

[Robert Holland]

Mike, Am I right in saying that No 32 between the junctions with Weaman Street and Whittal Street? The Bath Street Racquets Club was formed in 1859 so maybe the name of the tavern was changed then? The Major was its first secretary and the club may have waned when he took less of an organising role.

In 1855 and -1858 there is listed a pub called the Welsh Harper at 32 Bath St. Also at 32 is “Raquets Court”.. In 1855 the Welsh Harper pub , no 32 bath St was run by Miss Mary Ann Pugh and the proprietor of the Raquets Court (no 32) was Francis Erwood. In 1862 Samuel Walker is listed as a victualer at 32 Bath (Miss Pugh having gone to run a pub in harborne) . The raquets court is not listed in 1867 when Thomas Evans is running the Welsh Harper, and the Raquets court seems to have disappeared for good. It is still the Welsh Harper in 1890 and can find no mention at all the racquets court other than those two mentions. Possibly for most of its life it was a members club and kept a low profile. Anyway no 32 (whether it be the Welsh Harper or Raquets Court or both) is in red on the 1890 map below
mike

 

[mikejee]

Robert
That seems very likely, but it looks as if they changed the name back by 1867, or maybe the main pub separated from the club by 1867, and was not listed. Directories are not always very complete , and sometimes palces just drop out while still being there.
Mike

 

[leslam]

It seems odd that Bath Racquets club had such a short life. Gem became involved in the Volunteers in Nov 1859 (just noticed that my earlier post on that had a typo). The supplementary page that is attached to #115 indicates that club declined once Gem had other interests, so that would suggest that it was only in existence for quite a short time?

 

[Robert Holland]

Everything I've read suggests a short life for this racquets club. Never mind, its most important role was to bring Gem and Perera together with the common aim of developing an outdoor rackets game.

It seems odd that Bath Racquets club had such a short life. Gem became involved in the Volunteers in Nov 1859 (just noticed that my earlier post on that had a typo). The supplementary page that is attached to #115 indicates that club declined once Gem had other interests, so that would suggest that it was only in existence for quite a short time?