# Essex Championships

The Essex Championships also known as the Essex County Lawn Tennis Championships or Essex Grass Court Championships was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament established in 1881 at Brentwood, Essex. In 1946 it was moved to the Frinton Lawn Tennis Club, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, Great Britain until 1983 when it was discontinued.

## History

The Essex Championships were established in 1881 at Brentwood Essex, England and continued to be staged there until 1884. In 1887 the event was then staged Leyton. It changed location again in 1888 and was held in Chingford till 1889. It switched back to Leyton, Essex for one year only in 1890. From 1891 it moved to the Cambridge Grounds, Colchester where it remained until 1918. Staged briefly at Frinton-on-Sea in 1919 it then moved to Southend-on-Sea until 1922. In 1923 the championships were held at Westcliff-on-Sea till 1946. The championships returned to Frinton-on-Sea and stayed there till the tournament was abolished after eighty five editions in 1983. The event featured both men's and women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions.

## Finals

Notes: Challenge round: The final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921) in some tournaments not all.

### Men's singles

Included:
    (Incomplete roll)
| Year | Champion | Runner Up | Score |
| 1881 | Dale Womersley | Nalton Womersley | 6-0 6-4 |
| 1882 | Charles Walder Grinstead | Nalton Womersley | 6-2 6-3 |
| 1883 | Charles Walder Grinstead (2) | P. Colley | 6-1 6-3 6-4 |
| 1884 | Charles Walder Grinstead (3) | E. N. Cubitt. | 6-0 6-4 |
| 1887 | Ernest George Meers | P. M. Evans | 6-0 6-1 6-1 |
| 1888 | Charles Gladstone Eames | F. O' Shaughnessy Belli Reade | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1889 | E. H. Christy | A. R. Stephenson | w/o |
| 1890 | Ernest George Meers (2) | Edward Henry Christy | 10-12 2-6 6-2 6-3 6-3 |
| 1891 | Arthur Gore | Charles Gladstone Eames | 12–10, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 3–6 |
| 1892 | H.Knox | Cecil E. Owen. | 4-6 6-3 6-3 |
| 1893 | Herbert Ramon Yglesias | J. A. E. Hickson | 8-6 6-2 |
| 1894 | Herbert Ramon Yglesias (2) | Rupert L. Hamblin-Smith | 7-5 6-3 |
| 1895 | Reginald Doherty | Herbert Ramon Yglesias | 6-3 6-1 6-0 |
| 1896 | Reginald Doherty(2) | Roy Allen | 6-4 6-2 7-5 |
| 1897 | Herbert Roper Barrett | C. B. Sharpe | 6-1 3-0 RET |
| 1898 | Herbert Roper Barrett (2) | R. W. Wallace | 7-5 6-2 |
| 1899 | Herbert Roper Barrett (3) | A, H, Green | 6-1 6-3 |
| 1900 | Roy Allen | Laurence Joseph Petre | 6-2 6-3 |
| 1901 | Herbert Roper Barrett (4) | Roy Allen | 6-2 6-3 |
| 1902 | Herbert Roper Barrett (5) | Harry A. Parker | 6-3 6-1 |
| 1903 | Herbert Roper Barrett (6) | Roy Allen | 7-5 6-4 ret. |
| 1904 | Herbert Roper Barrett (7) | Roy Allen | 6-2 6-1 6-3 |
| 1905 | Herbert Roper Barrett (8) | H. Norman Marrett | w/o |
| 1906 | Herbert Roper Barrett (9) | H. W. Davies | 6-1 6-2 6-1 |
| 1907 | C.E. Hunter | David Marc Hawes | 6-1 6-4 7-5 |
| 1908 | Herbert Roper Barrett (10) | C. E. Hunter. | 6-2 8-6 ret. |
| 1909 | Herbert Roper Barrett (11) | Andrew Leicester Irvine | 6-3 6-1 |
| 1910 | Herbert Roper Barrett (12) | H.J. Weston | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1911 | A. L. Bentley | Xenophon Casdagli | 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 1912 | Herbert Roper Barrett (13) | Andrew Leicester Irvine | 6-3 6-3 |
| 1914 | G. M. Wilson | ?, ? | ? |
| 1915–1918 | Not held (due to world war one) | Not held (due to world war one) | Not held (due to world war one) |
| 1919 | Frank Fisher | Bunny Ireland | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1920 | H.N. Marrett | Neville Wilford | 6-4 6-8 6-4 0-6 6-2 |
| 1921 | Athar-Ali Fyzee | Neville Wilford | 6-8 6-2 2-6 6-3 6-2 |
| 1922 | Jack Weakley | G. W. Todd | 2-6 11-9 5-7 6-3 6-1 |
| 1923 | C. E. St John Evers | W. E. Cooke | 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-1 |
| 1924 | Jack Weakley (2) | C. E. St John Evers | 5 7-5 2-6 8-6 |
| 1925 | John Pennycuick | C. V. L. Prowse | 6-1 6-4 6-3 |
| 1926 | Pat Hughes | John Pennycuick | 8-6 6-0 6-3 |
| 1927 | Henry Standring | Pat Hughes | 6-2 6-3 6-0 |
| 1928 | John Shales | K. A. Latter. | 3-6 6-1 6-4 |
| 1929 | W. E. Turner Cole | G. S. Best | 6-3 6-2 6-2 |
| 1930 | Donald Leahong | Jack C. Warboys | 2-6 6-0 6-2 6-4 |
| 1931 | A. M. Dudley Pitt | R. W. H. Grey | 6-0 6-2 6-3 |
| 1932 | David Williams | John Shales | 7-5 6-2 |
| 1933 | Jimmy Jones | David Williams | 6-0 6-1 6-4 |
| 1934 | George Lyttleton Rogers | Jimmy Jones | 6-4 6-8 6-4 |
| 1935 | Jimmy Jones (2) | Uberto De Morpurgo | 6-4 5-7 6-2 |
| 1936 | Laurie Shaffi | Jimmy Jones | 6-3 5-7 7-5 |
| 1937 | Jimmy Jones (3) | Laurie Shaffi | 6-3 6-1 6-3 |
| 1939 | Ghaus M. Khan | John Olliff | 3-6 7-5 6-0 |
| 1940–1945 | Not held (and due to world war two) | Not held (and due to world war two) | Not held (and due to world war two) |
| 1946 | Brian Kenton Burnett | R. C. F. Nichols | 6-1 6-2 |
| 1947 | Iftikhar Ahmed Khan | Choy Wai-Chuen | 6-1 3-6 7-5 |
| 1948 | Franjo Kukuljević | Derek Bull | 6-1 6-1 |
| 1949 | Geoff Brown | Choy Wai-Chuen | 6-4 6-1 |
| 1950 | Bill Sidwell | Geoff Brown | 6-4 4-6 6-2 |
| 1951 | Don Candy | Kurt Nielsen | 6-1 6-4 |
| 1952 | Bryan Woodroffe | Armando Vieira | 6-2 11-9 |
| 1953 | Tony Mottram | Jack Arkinstall | 6-4 6-1 |
| 1954 | Jeff Robson | John Barry | 6-2 6-2 |
| 1955 | Bob Howe | George Worthington | 3-6 6-3 6-4 |
| 1956 | Ian Clyde Vermaak | Gordon Forbes | 6-4 5-7 6-3 |
| 1957 | Naresh Kumar | Ramanathan Krishnan | 3-6 6-3 9-7 |
| 1958 | Mal Anderson | Carlos Alberto Fernandes | 6-1 7-5 |
| 1959 | Mark Otway | Lew Gerrard | 6-2 6-2 |
| 1960 | Neale Fraser | Brian Woolf | 6-4 6-2 |
| 1961 | Lew Gerrard | Ian Crookenden | 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-2 |
| 1962 | Roger Taylor | Warren Woodcock | 6-3 6-4 |
| 1963 | John Fraser | Jaidip Mukerjea | 6-3 6-2 |
| 1964 | Ken Fletcher | Roger Taylor | 6-8 7-5 6-1 |
| 1965 | Owen Davidson | Tony Roche | 6-4 8-6 |
| 1966 | Brian Fairlie | Mark Cox | 6-4 10-8 |
| 1967 | Bobby Wilson | Paul Hutchins | 5-7 6-4 6-3 |
| Open era ||||
| 1968 | Dick Crealy | Keith Woolridge | 6-3 4-6 6-4 |
| 1969 | Graham Primrose | Keith Woolridge | 6-4 6-3 |
| 1970 | Keith Diepraam | Roger Dowdeswell | 6-4 6-1 |
| 1971 | Gerald Battrick | Anand Amritraj | 6-3 6-2 |
| 1972 | Torben Ulrich | J. D. Edmond | 7-5 6-4 |
| 1973 | Philip Siviter | Geoffrey Newton | 6-4 6-4 |
| 1974 | David Schneider | Willem Prinsloo | 3-6 6-4 6-4 |
| 1975 | Hugh Thomson | Roger Webb | 7-9 9-7 9-7 |
| 1976 | Mark Farrell | Noel Phillips | 6-3 6-4 |
| 1977 | Willie Davies | Colin McHugo | 6-3 6-2 |
| 1978 | Robert Booth | Chris Wells | 6-3 6-4 |
| 1979 | Willie Davies (2) | Neil Rayner | 6-3 6-4 |
| 1980 | Martin Guntrip | David Crichton-Miller | 6-4 1-6 7-5 |
| 1981 | Rohun Beven | R. Coull | 6-2 6-1 |
| 1982 | Leighton Alfred | Martin Robinson | 6-4 7-6 |

### Women's singles

(Incomplete roll)
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1887 | Brenda James | May Jacks | 6-8, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1888 | Miss Triscott | Brenda James | 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 |
| 1889 | Miss Norman | Helen Kersey | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1890 | Brenda James (2) | Miss Swift | 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 1890 | Winifred Kersey | Agnes Morton | 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1891 | Womens event not held | Womens event not held | Womens event not held |
| 1892 | Miss. C. Day | Miss. E. Brown | 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 1893/1894 | Womens event handicap only | Womens event handicap only | Womens event handicap only |
| 1895 | Agatha Templeman | Agnes Morton | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1896 | Ruth Pennington-Legh | Agatha Templeman | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1897 | Henrietta Horncastle | Ursula Templeman | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1898 | Beryl Tulloch | Henrietta Horncastle | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1899 | Beryl Tulloch (2) | Agnes Morton | 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 |
| 1900 | Ruth Winch (2) | Beryl Tulloch | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1901 | Dorothea Douglass | Agnes Morton | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1902 | Winifred Longhurst | Dorothea Douglass | 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1903 | Edith Austin Greville | Agnes Morton | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1904 | Agnes Morton | Miss Tootell | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1905 | Agnes Morton (2) | Miss Tootell | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1906 | Agnes Morton (3) | Miss Tootell | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1907 | Agnes Morton (4) | Mrs C.E. Hunter | walkover |
| 1908 | Agnes Morton (5) | Miss. E. White | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1909 | Agnes Morton (6) | Mildred Brooksmith | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 1910 | Mildred Brooksmith | Madeline Fisher O'Neill | 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 1911 | Agnes Morton (7) | Mrs C.E. Hunter | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1912 | Elizabeth Ryan | Jessie Coles | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1913 | Womens event not held | Womens event not held | Womens event not held |
| 1914 | Mrs Leigh-Day | Miss Daniell | 6-,1 3-6, 6-3 |
| 1915/1919 | Womens event not held due to World War I | Womens event not held due to World War I | Womens event not held due to World War I |
| 1920 | Irene Bowder Peacock | Mrs Malleson | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1921 | Irene Bowder Peacock (2) | Geraldine Beamish | 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 |
| 1922 | Irene Bowder Peacock (3) | Eleanor Rose | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1923 | Miss. M. Best | Mrs. P. Wilkin | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1924 | Mrs P. Wilkin | Davina Gordon | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1925 | Joan Ridley | Mrs B.H. Wilkin | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1926 | Joan Ridley (2) | Mary Cambridge | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1927 | Eleanor Rose | Joan Ridley | 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 |
| 1928 | Eleanor Rose (2) | Sybil Johnson | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1929 | Eleanor Rose (3) | Joan Marshall | 11-9, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 1930 | Billie Yorke | D. Sloane-Stanley | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1931 | Billie Yorke (2) | Miss. E. Weakley | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1932 | Jean Saunders | Billie Yorke | 7-5, 6-8, 6-4 |
| 1933 | Patricia Brazier | Gladys Southwell | 3-6, 6-4, 9-7 |
| 1934 | Sheila Chuter | Joan Marshall | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1935 | Gladys Southwell | Sheila Chuter | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 1936 | Gladys Southwell (2) | Nina Brown | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1937 | Gladys Southwell | Nina Brown | 6-2, 8-6 |
| 1938 | Elsie Goldsack Pittman | Alexandra Ostrich McKelvie | 9-7, 2-6, 6-1 |
| 1939 | Valerie Scott | Kay Stammers | 6-0, 5-7, 7-5 |
| 1940/1945 | Womens event not held due to World War II | Womens event not held due to World War II | Womens event not held due to World War II |
| 1946 | Jean-Nicoll-Bostock | Kay Stammers Menzies | 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1947 | Jean-Nicoll-Bostock (2) | Gem Hoahing | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1948 | Jean-Nicoll-Bostock (3) | Natalia Zinovieff | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1949 | Patricia Canning Todd | Molly Blair | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1950 | Patricia Canning Todd (2) | Betty Wilford | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 1951 | Althea Gibson | Arvilla McGuire | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1952 | Jean Walker-Smith | Jean Rinkel-Quertier | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 1953 | Joan Scott | Betty Wilford Dawes | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1954 | Anne Shilcock | Judy Burke | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1955 | Beryl Penrose | Mary Carter | 8-6, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 1956 | Anne Shilcock (2) | Margaret H. O'Donnell | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1957 | Ruia Morrison | Heather Redwood Robson | 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 |
| 1958 | Christine Truman | Anne Shilcock | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1959 | Shirley Bloomer Brasher | Patricia Hird | 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 |
| 1960 | Deidre Catt | Patricia Hird | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1961 | Patricia Hird | Caroline Yates-Bell | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1962 | Jan Lehane | Robyn Ebbern | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1963 | Deidre Catt (2) | Christine Truman | 7-5, 7-5 |
| 1964 | Deidre Catt (3) | Carole Rosser | 8-6, 6-4 |
| 1965 | Lesley Turner | Robin Blakelock-Lloyd | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1966 | Judy Tegart | Nell Truman | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1967 | Ann Haydon Jones | Gail Sherriff | 6-0, 6-2 |
| Open era ||||
| 1968 | Robin Blakelock-Lloyd | Nell Truman | 6-3, 8-6 |
| 1969 | Margaret Smith Court | Patricia Walkden | 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 |
| 1970 | Margaret Smith Court (2) | Ann Haydon Jones | 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 |
| 1971 | Kerry Harris | Helen Gourlay | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1972 | Lindsay Beaven | Cherry Panton | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1973 | Corinne Molesworth | Greer Stevens | 7-5, 8-6 |
| 1974 | Corinne Molesworth (2) | Beverley Vercoe | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1975 | Annette Coe | Belinda Thompson | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1976 | Corinne Molesworth (3) | Jo Durie | 6-4, 9-8 |
| 1977 | Ann Haydon Jones (2) | Debra Parker | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1978 | Corinne Molesworth (4) | Ann Haydon Jones | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 1979 | Corinne Molesworth (5) | Annette Coe | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1980 | Denise Taylor | Ellinore Lightbody | divided title |
| 1981 | Joy Tacon | Debbie Stewart | walkover |
| 1982 | Rina Einy | Lorrayne Gracie | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1983 | Bernadette Randall | Vicki Marle | 6-2, 6-3 |

## Locations

The tournament was staged at different locations during its run the longest at Frinton-on-Sea.
| Locations | Dates |
| Brentwood | (1881-1884) |
| Leyton | (1887, 1890) |
| Chingford | (1888-1889, 1891, 1892) |
| Colchester | (1891, 1893-1914) |
| Frinton-on-Sea | (1919, 1946-1983) |
| Southend-on-Sea | (1920-1922) |
| Westcliff-on-Sea | (1923-1937) |

## Tournament records

* Most men's singles titles: Herbert Roper Barrett (13)
* Most women's singles titles: Agnes Morton (7)