# 1883 women's tennis season

The 1883 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 25 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in May in Dublin, Ireland, and ended in October in Staten Island, 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.
1883 sees a decrease in the number women's singles events being held as the tennis circuit continues to form. In May 1883 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships in Dublin, Ireland. In the women's Ireland's May Langrishe wins the singles title defeating her sister Beatrice Langrishe, she also picks up the mixed doubles title with Ernest Browne. In terms of draw size the West of England Championships was the largest tournament of the year with a draw of 46 across three events.
In June 1883 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships in Manchester featured a full schedule of events the singles title going to Edith Coleridge, she also picks up the doubles title with Rose Collier, whilst the mixed event is won by the pairing of Clara Fletcher and Ernest Browne (himself winning both mixed titles at both major tournaments).
At the 1883 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament, it still remained an all men's event, no women's events were staged. At the U.S. National Championships there was still no women's championship events held. In October 1883 the first official event for women is held at the Staten Island Cricket Club organised by the Brighton Ladies Club for Outdoor Sports, the event is known as the Camp Washington Ladies Tournament a Miss Goodwin defeats Adeline Robinson in the singles final, however she wins the doubles title with a Miss Grandy. In 1913 the International Lawn Tennis Federation was created, that consisted of 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
* Important.
* National
* Provincial/State/Regional
* County
* Local
Results included:

### January to April

No events

### May

Mix doubles (**)
| Ended | Tournament | Winner | Finalist | Semifinalist | Quarterfinalist |
| 27 May. | Irish Championships Fitzwilliam LTC Dublin, Ireland Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | May Langrishe 6-0, 6-1 | Beatrice Langrishe | Connie Butler E. Esmonde | Miss Bayley Mrs Clarke Lena Rice Miss Shaw |
| 27 May. | Irish Championships Fitzwilliam LTC Dublin, Ireland Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | May Langrishe** Ernest Browne 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 | Lena Rice Peter Aungier | Connie Butler E. Esmonde | Miss Bayley Mrs Clarke Lena Rice Miss Shaw |

### June

| Ended | Tournament | Winner | Finalist | Semi Finalist | Quarter Finalist |
| 2 June. | West of England Championships Lansdowne Cricket Club Bath, England Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | Maud Watson 6-1, 6-2 | N. Pope | Clara Hill | Georgina Kirkby Florence Mardall N. Pope |
| 2 June. | West of England Championships Lansdowne Cricket Club Bath, England Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | Lilian Watson* Maud Watson 6-3, 5-6, 6-3 | Edith Davies Grace Gibbs | Clara Hill | Georgina Kirkby Florence Mardall N. Pope |
| 9 June. | East Gloucestershire Championships Montpelier Gardens Cheltenham, England Outdoor Grass Singles | Maud Watson 6-3, 6-0 | F Davies | Edith Davies | Miss Cornford Florence Mardall |
| 9 June. | East Gloucestershire Championships Montpelier Gardens Cheltenham, England Outdoor Grass Singles | Lilian Watson * Maud Watson 6-1, 6-1 | Kate Cornford F Davies | Edith Davies | Miss Cornford Florence Mardall |
| 21 June. | Leicester Open Leicester, England Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | Agnes Watts 2-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 | Miss Noon | | |
| 22 June. | County Kilkenny Tournament Archersfield, Ireland Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | May Langrishe 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 | Mary Lysaght | | |
| 30 June. | Northern Championships Manchester, England Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | Edith Coleridge 6-3, 9-7 | Miss Eckersley | Miss L Cheetham Emily Fletcher | N. Garnett A. McLaren B. McLaren K. Mitchell |
| 30 June. | Northern Championships Manchester, England Outdoor Grass Singles - Doubles | Edith Coleridge * Rose Collier 6-3, 9-7 | Miss L Cheetham Miss Eckersley | Miss L Cheetham Emily Fletcher | N. Garnett A. McLaren B. McLaren K. Mitchell |

### July

* (denotes doubles) ** (denotes mix doubles)x
| Date | Tournament | Winner | Finalist |
| 7 Jul. | Leamington Open Tournament Leamington Spa, England Grass Singles - Doubles | No Ladies Singles | |
| 7 Jul. | Leamington Open Tournament Leamington Spa, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Lilian Watson * Maud Watson 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 | Miss Noon Agnes Watts |
| 21 Jul. | Staffordshire C.C.C. Tournament Staffordshire Lawn Tennis Club Lichfield, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Mrs Peter Smith 2-6, 6-4, 6-5 | Rose Collier |
| 25 Jul. | Norwich Open Norwich, England Grass Singles - Doubles | G Rant 6-1, 6-2 | J.Hartoup |

### August

| Ended | Tournament | Winner | Finalist |
| 1 Aug | Framlingham Open Framlingham, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Miss G Want 6-2, 6-0 | Miss Davey |
| 4 Aug | Worcestershire CCC Open Worcester, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Florence Mardall 6-2, 6-4 | Miss Hill |
| 8 Aug | West Somersetshire Tournament Taunton, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Georgina Woodhouse 6-5, 6-2 | Mary Spurway |
| 9 Aug | Victoria Park Lawn Tennis Tournament Exeter, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Lilian Cole 6-2 6-1 | Miss Cobbold |
| 16 Aug. | South Wales Championships Tenby, Wales Grass Singolare - Doppio | C Jones 6-2 3-6 6-4 | E Fletcher |
| 17 Aug | East Grinstead Lawn Tennis Tournament East Grinstead, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Leila Lodwick 6-2 6-1 | Miss Cobbold |
| 18 Aug. | Exmouth Tournament Exmouth, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Maud Watson 6-4 6-2 | Lilian Cole |
| 23 Aug. | Teignmouth and Shaldon Open Teignmouth, England Asphalt Singles - Doubles | Florence Mardall 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 | Lilian Watson |
| 25 Aug. | South of Scotland Championships Moffat, Scotland Grass Singles - Doubles | Jane Meikle 6-3 2-6 6-3 | A Forest |
| 25 Aug. | Midland Counties Championships Edgbaston, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Miss Hutton 6-5 8-6 | L Sanders |
| 29 Aug | Mid Devon Lawn Tennis Tournament Eggesford, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Leila Lodwick 6-2 6-1 | Miss Cobbold |

### September

| Ended | Tournament | Winner | Finalist |
| 5 Sep. | Bournemouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament Bournemouth, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Mrs Hornby 5-6 6-3 6-1 | M Richards |
| 8 Sep | Devonshire Park Championships Eastbourne, England Grass Singles - Doubles | M Leslie 10-8 6-4 | Miss Congreve |
| 12 Sep | Portishead Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Portishead, England Grass Singles - Doubles | Miss Bryant 6-2 6-3 | J. Carter |
| 14 Sep | Saxmundham LTC Tournament Saxmundham, England Grass Singles - Doubles | G. Rant 6-0 6-2 | L. Davy |

### October

| Ended | Tournament | Winner | Finalist | Semifinalist | Quarterfinalist |
| 5 Oct. | Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament Staten Island, United States Grass Singles - Doubles | Miss Goodwin 6-2 4-6 6-5 | Adeline Robinson | | |

### November to December

No events

## Tournament winners (singles)

This is a list of winners by the total number of singles titles won for 1883:
* Maud Watson – Bath, Cheltenham, Exmouth, (3)
* May Langrishe – Archersfield, Irish Championships, (2)
* Florence Mardall – Teignmouth, Worcester, (2)
* Leila Lodwick – East Grinstead, Eggesford (2)
* G. Rant – Norwich, Saxmundham, (2)
* Edith Coleridge – Northern Championships, (1)
* Miss Goodwin – Staten Island, (1)
* Edith Coleridge – Leicester, (1)
* Mrs Peter Smith – Lichfield, (1)
* Miss G Want – Framlingham, (1)
* Georgina Woodhouse – Taunton, (1)
* Lilian Cole – Exeter, (1)
* C Jones – Tenby, (1)
* Jane Meikle – Moffat, (1)
* Miss Hutton – Edgbaston, (1)
* Mrs Hornby – Bournemouth, (1)
* M Leslie – Eastbourne, (1)
* Miss Bryant – Portishead, (1)

## Statistical summary
### Singles

* Total Tournaments (25)
* Most Titles: Maud Watson (3)
* Most Finals: Maud Watson (3)
* Most Matches Played: Maud Watson (11)
* Most Matches Won: Maud Watson (11)
* Match Winning %: Maud Watson (100%)
* Most Tournaments Played: Maud Watson (3)

### Doubles

* Total Tournaments (9)
* Most Titles: Lilian Watson & Maud Watson (3)
* Most Finals: Lilian Watson & Maud Watson (3)

### Mix doubles

* Total Tournaments (16)
* Most Titles: Florence Mardall & Maud Watson (2)
* Most Finals: Florence Mardall & Maud Watson (2)