# 1885 women's tennis season

The 1885 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 60 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Sydney, Australia and ended in November in New Haven, United States.

## Season summary

Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships, the U.S. National Championships, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.
1885 sees a large expansion in the overall number of combined women's events being held as the tennis circuit continues to grow. At the beginning of may the first Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament (later known as the New South Wales Championships) is held in Sydney, Australia and is won by Annie Lamb.
In late May 1884 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's singles final England's Maud Watson retains the title defeating Irleland's Louisa Martin. Watson also claims the doubles title with her sister Lilian Watson defeating the Irish sisters Adela Langrishe and May Langrishe. In the mixed doubles Watson retains the title with William Renshaw against Ireland's Connie Butler and Ireland's Ernest Browne. and completes a clean sweep of all possible events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
In June 1884 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester England's Maud Watson wins her second major singles title against Edith Davies. The women's doubles title is won by Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeated Margaret Bracewell and Beatrice Langrishe. In the mixed doubles event Maud Watson wins a second title paired with William Renshaw beating England's Margaret Bracewell and America's James Dwight.
At the 1885 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament in the singles competition Maud Watson defeats Blanche Bingley to claim a second ladies championship title. At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held.
In Australasia in October the Victorian Championships held in Melbourne, Australia and played on asphalt courts is won by Mabel Shaw. In November the season ended in the United States at the New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament at that was by Adeline Robinson. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, and consisted of 13 national member associations. The ILTF through its associated members then became responsible for supervising women's tour events.

## Season results

Notes 1: 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.
Key
* Main events.
* National events
* Provincial/State/Regional events
* County events
* Regular events

### Singles

Results included:.
Tournaments (31) :
| # | Date ended | Tournament | Location | Surface | Winner | Finalist | Score |
| 1. | 7-May-1885 | Inter-Colonial Lawn Tennis Tournament | Sydney | Grass | Annie Lamb | Miss Gordon | 6–5, 6–4, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 2. | 26-May-1885 | Irish Championships | Dublin | Grass | Maud Watson | Louisa Martin | 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 3. | 30-May-1885 | West of England Championships | Bath | Grass | Gertrude Gibbs | Edith Davies | 2–6, 6–4, 6–0 |
| 4. | 6-Jun-1885 | East Gloucestershire Championships | Cheltenham | Grass | Maud Watson | Connie Butler | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 5. | 13-Jun-1885 | Kilkenny County and City Tournament | Archersfield | Grass | May Langrishe | Miss Neville | 6–1, 6–8 |
| 6. | 13-Jun-1885 | London Championships | Stamford Bridge | Grass | Maud Watson | Lilian Watson | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 7. | 17-Jun-1885 | Acton Vale LTC Open | East Acton | Grass | Blanche Bingley | Miss Day | 6–0, 6–2 |
| 8. | 19-Jun-1885 | Waterloo Tournament | Liverpool | Grass | Lottie Dod | Margaret Bracewell | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 9. | 20-Jun-1885 | Brincliffe Lawn Tennis Club Open Tournament | Sheffield | Grass | Beatrice Wood | Florence Mardall | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 10. | 27-Jun-1885 | Northern Championships * | Manchester | Grass | Maud Watson | Edith Davies | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 11. | 3-Jul-1885 | Midland Counties Championship Cup | Edgbaston | Grass | Margaret Bracewell | Mary Steedman | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 12. | 9-Jul-1885 | Ealing Lawn Tennis Tournament | Ealing | Grass | Charlotte Cooper | Edith Gurney | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 13. | 9-Jul-1885 | Natal Championships | Durban | Grass | Mabel Grant | L. Button | 18–8 games |
| 14. | 17-Jul-1885 | Wimbledon Championships | London | Grass | Maud Watson | Blanche Bingley | 6–1, 7–5 |
| 15. | 25-Jul-1885 | Chiswick Park Tournament | Chiswick Park | Grass | Edith Gurney | Blanche Bingley | 1–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
| 16. | 25-Jul-1885 | Leicester Open Lawn Tennis Tournament | Leicester | Grass | Margaret Bracewell | Agnes Watts | 6–2, 8–6 |
| 17. | 6-Aug-1885 | Darlington Association Tournament | Darlington | Grass | Florence Stanuell | Connie Butler | 6–0, 7–5 |
| 18. | 8-Aug-1885 | West of Ireland Championships | Sligo | Grass | C. McClintock | Maude Scovell | 0–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 19. | 14-Aug-1885 | East Grinstead Lawn Tennis Tournament | East Grinstead | Grass | Blanche Bingley | Edith Davies | 6–2, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 20. | 17-Aug-1885 | Charleville Ladies' Tournament | Charleville | Grass | Miss Crookbain | | Won |
| 21. | 18-Aug-1885 | Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament | Bournemouth | Grass | Mrs Surman | Mrs Hornby | drew |
| 22. | 20-Aug-1885 | Augusta Tournament | Augusta | Grass | Miss Haynes | Katie Baldwin | 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 23. | 22-Aug-1885 | North Yorkshire Tournament | Scarborough | Grass | Mabel Boulton | Beatrice Wood | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 24. | 22-Aug-1885 | South of Scotland Championships | Moffat | Grass | Ann Dod | J. Forrest | 6–0, 6–0 |
| 25. | 29-Aug-1885 | Derbyshire Championships | Buxton | Grass | Blanche Bingley | Louisa Martin | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 26. | 17-Sep-1885 | South of England Championships | Eastbourne | Grass | Blanche Bingley | Ada Strapp | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 27. | 26-Sep-1885 | Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament | Brighton | Asphalt | EF Hudson | Constance Bryan | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 28. | 26-Sep-1885 | Orange LTC Open | Montrose | Grass | Adeline Robinson | Grace Roosevelt | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 29. | 5-Oct-1885 | Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament | Livingston | Grass | Miss Lesley | Miss Austin | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 30. | 10-Oct-1885 | Victorian Championships | Melbourne | Asphalt | Mabel Shaw | Miss Patterson | 13–7 games |
| 31. | 6-Nov-1885 | New Hampshire Tennis Association Tournament | New Haven | Grass | Adeline Robinson | Emma Leavitt-Morgan | 6–2, 6–3 |

## Tournament winners
### Singles

    This is list of winners sorted by number of singles titles (# and main titles in bold)
* Maud Watson (5) Cheltenham, Irish Championships, Northern Championships, Wimbledon Championships, Stamford Bridge.
* Blanche Bingley (4) Buxton, East Acton, Eastbourne, East Grinstead,
* Adeline Robinson (2) Montrose, New Haven
* May Langrishe (1) Archersfield
* Miss Haynes (1) Augusta
* Gertrude Gibbs (1) Bath
* Mrs Surman (1) Brighton
* Miss Crookbain (1) Charleville
* Edith Gurney (1) Chiswick Park
* Florence Stanuell (1) Darlington
* Mabel Grant (1) Durban
* Charlotte Cooper (1) Ealing
* Lottie Dod (1) Liverpool
* Miss Lesley (1) Livingston
* Mabel Shaw (1) Melbourne
* Ann Dod (1) Moffat
* Mabel Boulton (1) Scarborough
* Beatrice Wood (1) Sheffield
* C. McClintock (1) Sligo
* Annie Lamb (1) Sydney

### Doubles

    This is list of winners sorted by number of doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)
    Note: Ann Dod and Connie Butler won titles with two different partners.
* Ann Dod & Lottie Dod/ Miss Cornelius (3) Northern Championships, Liverpool, Moffat
* Connie Butler & Louisa Martin/ Miss Marley (3) Cheltenham, Darlington, Newcastle
* Lilian Watson & Maud Watson (2) Irish Championships, Stamford Bridge.
* Lottie Dod & Ann Dod (2) Northern Championships, Liverpool.
* Miss Marley & Connie Butler (2) Darlington, Newcastle
* Blanche Bingley & Beatrice Langrishe/ Edith Gurney (2) Brighton, East Grinstead
* May Langrishe & Miss Neville (1) Archersfield.
* Gertrude Gibbs & Edith Davies (1) Bath.
* Edith Gurney & Blanche Bingley (1) Brighton.
* Margaret Bracewell & Agnes Watts (1) Buxton.
* Louisa Martin & Connie Butler (1) Cheltenham.
* Beatrice Langrishe & Blanche Bingley (1) East Grinstead.
* Bertha Steedman & Mary Steedman (1) Edgbaston.
* Miss Lesley & Miss Miller (1) Livingston
* Miss Cornelius & Ann Dod (1) Moffat.
* Miss Lydiard & Miss Wilson (1) Melbourne

### Mixed doubles

    This is list of winners sorted by number of mixed doubles titles (# and main titles in bold)
* Margaret Bracewell & William Renshaw/ Walter Chamberlain (5) Buxton, Cheltenham, Edgbaston, Leicester, Scarborough.
* Maud Watson & /Erskine Watson Harry Grove/ William Renshaw (4) Irish Championships, Northern Championships, Stamford Bridge, Teignmouth.
* Connie Butler & C Liddel/ Patrick Bowes-Lyon (3) Darlington, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
* Blanche Bingley & Harry Grove (2) Chiswick Park, East Grinstead.
* Miss Binney & A.D. Hensley (1) Abingdon.
* Mabel Cahill & Francis R. Swayne (1) Archersfield.
* Miss Cuppage & George Archibald Tisdall (1) Athboy
* Miss Carpenter & Donald Stewart (1) Bath.
* Miss Hodsdon & Frank Noon/Lady Evershed & Sir Sydney Evershed (1) Burton-upon-Trent (title shared).
* Miss T.H. Lewis & T. Lewis (1) Charmouth.
* Constance Bryan & Charles Ross (1) Brighton.
* Mrs Ravenhill & Captain H.T. Ravenhill (1) Denbigh.
* Edith Gurney & William C. Taylor (1) Eastbourne.
* Katherine J. Hole & Captain M.R. Bethune (1) Eggesford.
* Rose Tanner & J. W. Begg (1) Farndon Park.
* Miss Goddard & A.E. Wood (1) Fylde.
* Miss Stewart & Richard Millar Watson (1) Harwick.
* Miss Palmer & R.H. Pickering (1) Langley Marish.
* Mrs Clarke & John Charles Kay (1) Leamington.
* Miss Salaman & D. Fitzgerald (1) Les Diablerets.
* Lottie Dod & John Edmondson (1) Liverpool.
* Kitty Smith & Robert Livingston Beeckman (1) Livingston.
* Miss L. Murray & William Ferguson (1) Moffat.
* Miss Cornish-Bowden & T.P. Whateley (1) Newton Abbot.
* Miss Henstock & T.M. Draper (1) Pensarn.
* Miss Henry & A.D. Johns (1) Portrush.
* Miss Soltau-Symons & Saint John Halford Coventry (1) Plymouth.
* Miss Campbell & Anderson Steele (1) Rothesay.
* C. McClintock & Willoughby Hamilton (1) Sligo.
* Lottie Paterson & John Galbraith Horn (1) St. Andrews.
* Miss Smee & James Herbert Crispe (1) Stoke Newington.
* Annie Lamb & Charles Cropper (1) Sydney.
* Miss Marriott & William Bolding Monement (1) Tasburgh.
* Miss Henry & James Baldwin (1) Tenby.
* Miss Wood & Arthur Godfrey Pease (1) Whitby.
* Miss Brook & Richard Montague Ainslie (1) Windamere.

## Statistical summary
### Singles

* Total Tournaments (32)
* Most Titles: Maud Watson (5)
* Most Finals: Blanche Bingley (6)
* Most Matches Played: Maud Watson (19)
* Most Matches Won: Maud Watson (19)
* Match Winning %: Maud Watson (100%)
* Most Tournaments Played: Blanche Bingley (8)

### Doubles

* Total Tournaments: (15)
* Most Titles: Ann Dod & Connie Butler (3)
* Most Finals: Connie Butler (5)

### Mix Doubles

* Total Tournaments: (45)
* Most Titles: Margaret Bracewell (5)
* Most Finals: Margaret Bracewell (7)