# Alice Pennefather

Alice Edith Wilhelmina Pennefather (née Patterson; 1903 – 1983) was a Singaporean sportwoman who excelled in various sports such as badminton, field hockey, netball, and tennis. In 2016, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, maintained by the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations.

## Early life

Alice Patterson was born in Singapore on 16 October 1903, and was of Japanese and Scottish descent. She was educated at the Raffles Girls' School and had no particular interest in sports until she met Lancelot Maurice Pennefather, an all-around sportsman in 1918. Under Lancelot's guidance, she initially took up badminton and later expanded her sporting resume to include field hockey, netball, and tennis.

## Sporting career

In 1930, Pennefather joined the Girls' Sports Club founded by Eurasian women and quickly established herself as the club's standout player. She started competing in badminton tournaments and won her first Singapore Open women's singles title in 1931. Her initial success propelled her to win three more singles titles in 1932, 1934 and 1937. In the doubles events, Pennefather secured her only Singapore Open women's doubles title in 1931, with Maude Lewis. In 1947 and 1950, she triumphed in mixed doubles with partners Quek Keng Chuan and Ong Poh Lim respectively, with the latter victory achieved at the remarkable age of 47. In addition to her success in Singapore, Pennefather also claimed victories at the inaugural Malayan Open, securing the women's singles and doubles titles alongside Ong Siew Eng in 1937. She added another women's doubles title in 1948, with Helen Heng.
Another significant milestone for Pennefather occurred in 1936 when she became Singapore's women's tennis champion. This achievement was historic as it marked the first time a non-European had won that title. She claimed the singles crown by defeating Pat Coleman in the tournament final. In the same year, she also reached the women's doubles final with her clubmate Maisey Eber, but they were defeated in straight sets by the European pair of Pat Coleman and Mrs. Taylor. In the subsequent years, Pennefather continued to sustain her high standards of play and remained actively involved in tennis where she would again, reach the finals of both the women's singles and doubles events in 1939 and 1940.
An accomplished field hockey player, Pennefather played for the Girls' Sports Club (GSC) and served as the team's captain from 1931 to 1958, except during the Japanese occupation of Singapore from 1941 to 1945. Under her leadership, the GSC hockey team achieved recognition as one of the top teams in Singapore. Additionally, she was also selected to represent Singapore in the initial editions of inter-state tournaments against Malayan states such as Perak and Selangor. The Jansenites Hockey Club, which began at her home in Jansen Road, and celebrated its 35th anniversary with a magazine in which she was said to have been described as "Physically and character wise she was a towering person, always full of love".
Pennefather was also a prominent player in netball, contributing to the success of the Girls' Sports Club as they secured two consecutive Singapore netball league titles in 1939 and 1940.
Due to her sporting success and longevity, she was commonly referred to as "The Grand Old Lady of Sport".

## Personal life

She married Lancelot Maurice Pennefather in 1919, when she was 16 years old; they had two sons, Percy and Ashton. Percy captained Singapore in Field hockey at the 1956 Summer Olympics and his daughter Annabel became the first woman on the Singapore National Olympic Council and first female president of the Singapore Hockey Federation. When Annabel was awarded Her World's "Woman of the Year" in 2004 she spoke of her grandmother as "her role model for life" and "a strong sporty woman".
Pennefather celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary in 1979, at which time she was still in employment as a section head at Shaw's Rentals. Asked about the secret of a happy marriage she said "Love, tolerance and understanding", and advised any new bride to "Give in to your husband even if he's wrong or you're angry. You'll find life more pleasant."

## Death

Pennefather died on 24 February 1983, roughly a year after her husband's death in 1982.

## Honours and awards

In 1980, at the Girls' Sports Club (GSC) 50th anniversary celebrations, Pennefather was named as "The Outstanding Playing Member of the GSC".
In 2016, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame posthumously for her significant contributions to women's sports in Singapore.

## Sporting achievements
### Badminton

Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1931 | Singapore Open | E. da Silva | 11–2, 11–6 | Winner |
| 1932 | Singapore Open | E. da Silva | | Winner |
| 1933 | Singapore Open | Ong Siew Eng | 4–11, 10–13 | Runner-up |
| 1934 | Singapore Open | Ong Siew Eng | 11–8, 11–3 | Winner |
| 1937 | Malaysia Open | Lee Chee Neo | 6–11, 11–4, 11–8 | Winner |
| 1937 | Singapore Open | Ong Siew Eng | (0–5), 11–3, 11–6 | Winner |
| 1938 | Singapore Open | Waileen Wong | 7–11, 11–12 | Runner-up |
| 1939 | Singapore Open | Waileen Wong | 12–10, 3–11, 6–11 | Runner-up |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1931 | Singapore Open | Maude Lewis | F. Horii S. Horii | 15–11, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1937 | Malaysia Open | Ong Siew Eng | Lee Chee Neo Lee Kim Neo | 14–18, 15–5, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1948 | Malaysia Open | Helen Heng | Chung Kon Yoong Ong Siew Eng | 2–15, 15–12, 15–2 | Winner |
| 1948 | Singapore Open | Eunice de Souza | Helen Heng Ong Siew Eng | 15–7, 14–18, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1949 | Singapore Open | Ong Heng Kwee | Helen Heng Mary Sim | 8–15, 8–15 | Runner-up |
| 1952 | Singapore Open | Doreen Kiong | Helen Heng Mary Sim | 5–15, 5–15 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1933 | Singapore Open | L. M. Pennefather | E. J. Vass J. de Souza | 7–21, 9–21 | Runner-up |
| 1934 | Singapore Open | Michael Tan | E. J. Vass J. de Souza | 21–12, 13–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 1935 | Singapore Open | E. J. Vass | Seah Eng Hee Aileen Wong | 14–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 1947 | Singapore Open | Quek Keng Chuan | Cheong Hock Leng Teo Tiang Seng | 15–3, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1950 | Singapore Open | Ong Poh Lim | Lau Teng Siah Mak Fong Sim | 15–11, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1952 | Singapore Open | Goh Tian Chye | Ong Poh Lim Ong Siew Yong | 17–18, 7–15 | Runner-up |
| 1953 | Singapore Open | Goh Tian Chye | Ong Poh Lim Ong Siew Yong | 6–15, 0–15 | Runner-up |

### Tennis

Women's singles
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 1936 | Singapore Championships | Grass | Pat Coleman | 8–6, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1939 | Singapore Championships | Grass | Maisey Eber | 2–6, 6–4, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1940 | Singapore Championships | Grass | Mrs. N. M. Levien | 6–4, 1–6, 4–6 |
Women's doubles
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 1936 | Singapore Championships | Grass | Maisey Eber | Pat Coleman Mrs. Taylor | 5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1939 | Singapore Championships | Grass | Maisey Eber | Mrs. Nassim Mrs. P. Sewell | 1–6, 6–8 |
| Loss | 1940 | Singapore Championships | Grass | Mrs. P. Sewell | Mrs. Nassim Mrs. Warden | 2–6, 7–5 |

### Netball
#### Girls' Sports Club

* Singapore Netball League
** Winners: 1939, 1940