• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

The Birth of Lawn Tennis

Aidan

Aidan

master brummie
Now that Wimbledon has (finally) started, I think it is time to celebrate the achievements of Major T. H. "Harry" Gem and his invention of Lawn Tennis in c1859 with Augurio Perera at 8 Ampton Road, Edgbaston.

Why couldn't we be watching from the Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society grounds (next to the Botanical Gardens) rather than Wimbledon?
 
I can see my house from my bedroom window! There is a blue plaque on the wall - I've been meaning to take a phot when I walk the dog, but never seem to remember the camera! I don't know if the court is still there. On Google, there is certainly a court (not grass), but due to all the trees it's not entirely clear if it belongs to number 8. I think that the one that you can see belongs to the house in Carpenter Road. If I see the owner, I'll ask her.
 
Why are all the Headquarters for all our great sports in London.
 
leslam said:
I can see my house from my bedroom window! There is a blue plaque on the wall - I've been meaning to take a phot when I walk the dog, but never seem to remember the camera! I don't know if the court is still there. On Google, there is certainly a court (not grass), but due to all the trees it's not entirely clear if it belongs to number 8. I think that the one that you can see belongs to the house in Carpenter Road. If I see the owner, I'll ask her.
Click to expand...

It would be great if you could take a shot of the house & plaque (& ask the owner for any info) - it is too leafy around there to get a good Streetview
 
Here is the 1861/71 CEnsus for Thomas Harry Gem and the 1871C for Perera still at "Fairlight" (cant find him in 1861, can anyone else?)
 
No, I can't find them either. I have stepped through, but Fairlight doesn't appear to be there. The house is next to the cottages. I wonder if the family was away from home All the houses in Ampton Road are very big and many of them have retained the names from this time, so it should be possible to work out if someone else was living there or if the name was different at that point. Somwhere I have a detailed map that (I think) includes the names of the houses - a throwback to my daughter's local history project at school! I'll try to find it.
 
I believe one of the subscription sites allows a search on address - hopefully one of the forum members has it and can search on Fairlight or 8 Ampton Road Edgbaston in 1861...
 
Aiden - I used the address search. Fairlight isn't there (as Fairlight) and the houses in Ampton Road don't have numbers on the census. That's why I stepped through all the pages for Ampton Road. I have my suspicions about a 'cottage' where there are just two lodgers and no one else at home. To my mind there are more 'cottages' than there should be.
I will try to call at the house in the next couple of days - it's a question of catching them in.
 
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.
 
Nice map Mike thanks - they were/are massive properties - Perera must have done well out of his Spanish goods

Leslam - if the were out in Spain in 1861 I guess their staff may have occupied one of the cottages on the property?

Brian - thanks for identifying the last resting place of Gem, although it doesn't seem right that he was laid in an unmarked grave. A Major, Law worker and inventor of the fine game would have surely had the money and be celebrated enough to have an M.I.?
 
Mike, your map is the one I was going to search the house (and probably the loft) for - thank you for saving me a job!

I will print off and take with me when I walk the dog later this afternoon. I'll mark up the ones that are still there/changed. It's amazing how little has changed; the side of the road that contains Fairlight is almost identical. The other side has changed a bit as two or three houses were knocked done in 1970s. At the time, there was no conservation area, the land was/is leasehold (Calthorpe Estate) and so when the leases expired, the land reverted to Calthorpe. The old houses were ripped down so that they could build a small estate (see Google map). It affected one particular section of Ampton and Carpenter Road. My house is one of those modern houses; it adjoins a remaining Victorain house and it actually has the rhododenderen border from the Victorian house. Also a strange plant that was indentified by the Botanical Gardens as originating in the Amazon Rain Forest - goodnes knows how it survives in the border!

It would be interesting if we could track down Perera's death. I can't spot it in the index. I had wonder if he is buried in St Bartholomew's (Edgbaston Old Church), but maybe he went back to Spain.

The other thing that is niggling is the spelling of the surname - there is a Periera Road in Harborne - surely too much of a coincidence?

I do have a picture of the cottages as they were - I'll have a look throught my books a bit later.
 
I thought that Henry VIII played a form of tennis which admittingly involved bouncing the ball off the roof of the gallery in the court at Hampton. But I think a net was involved. Henry V also recieved a gift of tennis balls from the Dauphin at the time...not well recieved seemingly because it led to an ignominous defeat for the French at Agincourt...If Sakespeare is to be believed anyway.

Neither the modern game obviously...but a form of it. Don't think that I would want to have been an umpire at one of Henry 8s games...er...no your grace...you could not have served a fault of any kind ...let alone a double one.
 
:) I think you are referring to Royal/Real/Court Tennis which is still played but is decidedly an indoor game, and what is more important difficult to get spectators at and certainly no strawberries and cream....

Also wasn't invented in Brum!
 
That was/is called Real Tennis. I don't know if they are still there, but when I was a child in Cambridge, there was still a building that had Real Tennis courts in regular use - road was (of course) Tennis Court Road! A question to ask on the Cambridge FH forum!
 
leslam said:
Mike, your map is the one I was going to search the house (and probably the loft) for - thank you for saving me a job! I will print off and take with me when I walk the dog later this afternoon. I'll mark up the ones that are still there/changed...

The other thing that is niggling is the spelling of the surname - there is a Periera Road in Harborne - surely too much of a coincidence?

I do have a picture of the cottages as they were - I'll have a look throught my books a bit later.
Click to expand...

Les - I can't wait, the anticipation is killing me (thankfully the emoticons are down or I would have had a chance finally to use a dancing banana) - lovely afternoon, your dog & the Forum will be appreciative and don't forget your camera!!

I also thought of Pereira Rd as a possibility but it is a couple of miles away and different spelling. There are various Alien Registrations, passenger lists etc for Perera and the spelling is constant
 
I have just spoken to the very nice owner of Fairlight and arranged to ring her to go round to chat about the house and take some pictures. She does have some information about the history of the house - newcuttings etc. I will try to follow this up in the next day or so. She did tell me that the court is no longer there. It was destroyed during the war when the Anderson shelter for the whole road was built on top of it!
I have found one or two other pictures of other houses in the road, so I'll sort those out as well. I have also found a picture of Gem. Perhaps we should start a separate thred for him as he is in Warstone Lane.

I agree about Perara - just can't find any likely deaths! Still, maybe one of the newcuttings will shed some more light on him.
 
That'd be really cool, thanks Les (still no bananas....)

I think this Thread would benefit from info & pics about them both and keeps all the info together - only my opinion
 
Attached (if I remember!) is a composite and annotated map. The red numbers are the house numbers in Ampton Road and indicate where the original houses are still there.
Number 12 is in beautiful repair - I have a photo somewhere.
Number 11 was restored a couple of years ago, although I'm not sure to what style internally.
Number 10 was spilt into flats, but is ungoing a complete restoration back to (I think) a single restoration
Number 9 is currentky split up, but up for sale as family residence
Number 8 ' Fairlight' is gorgeous. The current owners have spent a lot of money on it and restored it beautifully. I'm looking forward to meeting up with the owner again and hearing all about it.
Numbers 7, 6 and 5 are beautiful cottages. I have information on these I think. Photos to follow of these.

Number 16 has been beustifully maintained.
Walker Hall is in fantastic nick.
Number 17 has been restored over the years. Another beautiful property.

I'll add the photos as I come across/take them. I feel very privileged to live in such a rich area - if a little guilty that my house is built on the ground previously occupied by one of the magnificient houses. Looking at the map, I can see why my garden had so many rockery stones buried in it!
 
leslam said:
... I feel very privileged to live in such a rich area - if a little guilty that my house is built on the ground previously occupied by one of the magnificient houses. Looking at the map, I can see why my garden had so many rockery stones buried in it!
Click to expand...

Les - I should think that you do - Zoopla suggests that those houses go for an average of £1.3M

Upmystreet has a breakdown of the likely inhabitants:

Here is an overview of the likely preferences and features of your neighbourhood:

Family income Very high
Interest in current affairs High
Housing - with mortgage Medium
Educated - to degree level High
Couples with children Medium
Have satellite TV Medium

Often, many of the people who live in this sort of postcode will be wealthy commuters living in villages. These are known as type 3 in the ACORN classification and 2.7% of the UK's population live in this type.

Most residents are affluent, well educated professional people employed in senior managerial positions. There is also more working from home in this type.

Residents tend to be older, aged 45+, with fewer children and more retired people. Housing is spacious, with four or more bedrooms, mostly detached and at the upper end of the property price ladder. Reflecting the older age profile, more properties are owned outright than being bought on a mortgage.

Car ownership is high with more people commuting by car than by rail. Two or more cars per household is common, with high value cars being the norm.

These are financially astute householders, with high levels of ownership of stocks and shares, unit trusts and guaranteed income bonds. The Internet is used to research and purchase financial products as well as cars, holidays and other products.

Leisure interests include walking, bird watching, the fine arts, antiques, classical music and the opera. Membership of the National Trust is also popular.

Favoured newspapers tend to be the Telegraph, The Times and Financial Times.


Not sure if you fit any of these categories (don't think I tick too many) but if not forewarned is forearmed!
 
Presumably Perera eventually died in Leamington and stayed there?
I am unsure if harry Gems grave has a 'buried' headstone. Mary in the Vyse St Tourist Info told me it was unmarked after she struggled to find it originally. Will have to investigate further.......
 
We haven't found Perera's death yet - he was Spanish and the baptism that I have found so far is at St Chad's, so he's would have been Catholic I think.
 
Aiden, I hadn’t used the pilot site before, so I found it interesting to have a play around with it. I must say that some of the transcriptions are a bit suspect though!
Right, here goes…..

1841 census entry: I found the 1841 census entry: Augurio Perera was 15 (1841 census rounds down), a merchant, lodging in Hagley Road

Marriage: The marriage you found is correct; I found a baptism for a daughter that appears on the 1871 census and the mother’s maiden name was O’Donnell, So the marriage details are:
Groom's Name: John Baptist Luis Augurio Perera
Bride's Name: Charlott Louisa O'Donnell
Marriage Date: 01 Jun 1847
Marriage Place: St. Peter, Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Groom's Father's Name: Augurio Perera
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name: John O'Donnell

Children: The 1871 census lists three girls. I have found the birth registrations for these and also one for a son.
Perera, Fanny Elizabeth, Q2 1848, Birmingham 16 386. She is down as Francesa on the census. Fanny married in Q2 1871 (after the census)
Perera Joseph Cortes Augurio, Q1 1850 Birmingham 16 316 . Not on 1871 census at Edgbaston because he married Q2 1870
Perera, Adrienne Lousia, Q1 1852 Kings Norton 6c 387. Born 27 Feb 1852 Baptised 21 May 1852 at St. Chad, Birmingham,. Adrienne appears on the 1871 census, but doesn’t ever seem to marry.
Perera, Carmen Mariana, Q1 1856 Kings Norton 6c 420. On 1871 census, but doesn’t appear to be

Grandchildren: There are two other births that I think are Augurio and Charlotte Lousia’s grandchildren: Maud Hildegard Perera (b Q1 1871) and Adrienne Clara Perera (b Q3 1875). The reason is that Joseph Cortes Augurio Perera married is Clara Maud Thorn, on 17th May 1870. They obviously they gave one of the mother’s names to each of the children. (Wife’s name shown as Maud on 1881 census.

Census: 1841, 1851, 1871: By my reckoning, we have 1841, 1851, 1871 census for Augurio and Louisa.

1881 and 1891 census: I can’t find Augurio or the female members of his family, only Joseph Cortes Augurio(son) , Clara and family. I wonder if they went back to Spain – or even South America, as their son gives “Merchant South America” as his profession in 1881.

Deaths: I can’t see the death registrations of any of Augurio or his family.
 
That's great investigative work Les, thank you very much for sharing it.

I spent some of my precious 90mins of free access on Findmypast to the subject. I think I found the 1851C when they are living in 7 Summer Hill Terrace, Ladywood (with Francesco & Joseph) and perhaps the 1841C of his father and brother in Manchester(?). I'd be interested to see JBLA Perera's 1841C in Hagley Road if you could upload it.

We ought to do a similar study of Major Gem too as if Perera went off to LatAm fairly early then Gem must have continued to develop the beautiful game (bet he didn't count on unfinished matches of 10 hours or more!
 
It would appear that Harry Gem had a headstone which was later laid down and covered over - more nice frass to mow - As Warstone Lane is C of E - you have have the special permission from the Bishop to unearth the grave - even if only relocating the stone buried in the top foot or so! which includes a goodly fee with no guarentee of what you find! His granddaughter has been to se the grave in the last few years - and I understand the are has been slightly cleared and a tennis ball placed there - somewhere behind the remians of the Mint.
Pherhaps we should mark his grave outline with white lines???????? That's if anyone has the energy after yesterdays unfinished marathon..
 
:) Very good Brian.

It explains the Gravestone too.

Here is some more info on Gem - Marriage in Aston in 1852 to Ellen Maria Willcox, 1881C in Leamington where his death was registered later that year.

Some more question occur:
- I believe his baptism & death may be at the same Handsworth church on 21May1819 - 04Nov1881, does anyone have access to the registers to confirm?
- I assume that he is not in the 1841/1851C as may be in the military (guess he did 12 years and became Major) - can anyone find his records?
- If Gem died in 1881 & Perera left for LatAm, how did the Lawn Tennis take off - it'd be interesting to see something on its development
 
On the last question, the website states the following but how did it occur?

"In the summer of 1872, the two friends together with local doctors Frederic Haynes and Arthur Tompkins, formed the world’s first club specifically for the playing of tennis, in Leamington Spa. Play was on the lawns of the Manor House Hotel – located opposite Perera’s new home (also called “Fairlight”) in Avenue Road, Leamington Spa. Harry Gem also moved to Leamington Spa in 1872.

The Leamington Club did not survive for very long, although there is today a Leamington Tennis and Squash Club but in a different location in the town. After Leamington, the first club to take up the game of Lawn Tennis appears to have been Edgbaston Archery and Croquet Society (based since 1867 in grounds next to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and in 1877 renamed Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society). Evidence supports that with the demise of the original Leamington club, the Society is the oldest surviving tennis playing club in the country and therefore, by implication, in the world."
 
A very good book by English Heritage is 'Played in Birmingham' - a history of all the sports in brum - absolutely fascinating.

Re Tennis. origially real/royal tennis - played in the long gallery of houses., bouncing balls of walls, window sills, etc. later proper courts were built. Oldest known survivor Falkland palace, Scotland 1539, Hampton Court 1625. Both still in use.
Original balls handmade using bound cloth & stuffing. At our level played in streets and entys until banned in public in 1420.
The victorian invention of lawn mowers made decent lawns possible, especially in big houses. Croquet took off - first mixed sex outdoor sport afetr archery. Raquets was by this time tennis played against a wall (now called squash). Archery became dangerous, Croquet became boring (unless played like Alice in Wonderland with Flamingos, etc - when it became dangerous - especially if you were a flamingo, or you beat the queen (off with your head!), Enter Gem & perewra. Harry Gem, well known local solicitor, sportsman. JBA perera, 3 years his junior, prosperous merchant, constructed 'fairlight' and just happened to have a redundant croquet lawn to his rear (says still there!).
After playing their own version over a net against each othe for 15 years, They discovered a new boxed game for people bored by croquet called sphairistike (greek for ball game). Over 1,000 sets sold in first year! 1873). This was sold by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield (Country house set, mate of Prince of Wales). It had a solid ball, but Gem & Perera experimented with an air filled rubber ball from germany, invented following the vulcanisation of rubber by Charles Goodyear in 1839. This ball bounced on grass - big improvement.
They set up their official Lawn Tennis club in 1872 in Leamington followed weeks later by the Solihull Tennis Society. In 1875 tennis waas first played at the Marylebone Cricket Club & at the All England Croquet Club at Wimbledon. as well as Edgbaston priory Club (nearly 3,000 members now. B'hams largest private club - 12 all weather, 10 grass, 4 clay, 3 indoor courts) + 10 squash, indoor/outdoor pools, bars etc).
The Edgbaston Archery & Croquet Club founded 1860 for archery, introduced croquet 1860, & tennis 1873. By 1877 it became Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis club (RIP Croquet) - Actually Archery passed away in 1925 but the name lingers on....
Within 2 decades Lawn tennis swept the nation. No respectable house in Edgnaston was without a tennis lawn. Courts were laid out in public parks from 1883, and tennis was in all suburbs by the 1920's. Until the 1950's Dunlop in Erdinmgton made millions of balls.
In 2006 46 indoor & outdoor clubs and centres were active in the region.

Now - back to the telly to see if they have managed to get up this morniong to continue the saga.......
 
I'll have to look out for that book - thanks for sharing the relevant info. Did Gem & Perera start the Leamington, Solihull & Edgbaston Tennis clubs or did it just ripple out from Leamington through unnamed members & visitors ie word of mouth? I would imagine they were members of the Edgbaston croquet/archery/tennis club
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top