"George Hillyard - the man who moved Wimbledon"

[Tarrantennis]

Hi, all. I have a book out June 1st but available now from the publisher. Its features early tennis history, and some unique and never seen photos from tournaments more than 100 years ago.
You can read 2 free chapters and the foreword by Mark Cox at www.tarrantennis.co.uk/GeorgeHillyard.html. There's also an information sheet at http://www.tarrantennis.co.uk/AI%209...20(MAta01).pdf that tells you all about it.
The book is "George Hillyard - the man who moved Wimbledon". Its a description of the beginnings of our sport, the lives of the people who inhabited it, and the way their influence still resonates in the modern game. I absolutely love tennis, and I think that this is an area of our sport that is neglected. The history of tennis – it’s interesting!
You can buy from Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/George-Hilly.../dp/1780885490 or direct from the publisher with a 20% discount code at www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=2166
Anyway, sorry for the blatant plug. But please have a look if you think you might be interested, and tell your (tennis) friends!

[urban]

Wasn't Commander Hillyard the umpire in the famous Lenglen- Wills encounter at Cannes?

[boredone3456]

His wife was also a 6 time Wimbledon champion and 13 time finalist.

[Wolbo]

Very interesting! Always good to see books published on the early days of tennis. Agree with the author that this period in tennis and the players of that time deserve more attention.

Would be interested to know what kind of research went into writing this book and the sources that were used.

I read in Gillmeisters' book Tennis - A Cultural History that Mr. Hillyard was quite jealous of the success of his wife Blanche Bingley at Wimbledon and that he tried to move the women's championship to another location and away from the control of the AELTC. Can the author shed some light on that?

[Tarrantennis]

Hi, all. Thanks for the posts. Yes - Hillyard was the umpire for Wills and Lenglen. He also umpired the Wimbledon Ladies singles finals from 1919 to 1932. Its possible he also did so before the war but there's no record for then.
Gillmeister (and Todd also) each mention the story about Hillyard opposing his wife at Wimbledon. The only original reference I could find (and presumably they both used this) was a mention in Myers book, the complete tennis player. At this time Hillyard was newly marrried and in his early twenties. It doesn't seem to chime in with the other writings about him or by him, or reminiscences of the pair, and certainly not shared opinions later on in their marriage. But it is possible and I discuss this further in the book.
Regarding sources I was hugely lucky to come across original photos from a number of sources which included Hillyard's own photo albums and a collection of photos at the house at Thorpe, and personal reminiscences. Many of these photos are of play between 1905 and 1922 and will never have been seen before.
For American interest, these pix include Dwight Davis and May Sutton playing at Thorpe.
I have mentioned all sources in an "appreciation" page at the front of the book.
If you'd like to purchase, then this can be done on Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/George-Hilly.../dp/1780885490 or direct from the publisher (recommended because available now) with a 20% discount code at http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=2166

[newmark401]

Here's a link to a piece on Blanche Bingley (Hillyard): http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=420529
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[Wolbo]

Just ordered a copy. Look forward to reading it.

[Tarrantennis]

Hello. Firstly, thanks, Wolbo, you are a great man! I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.
The link above to Blanche Hillyard is a good one, and well written. I met two people who knew Blanche in life. One is the oldest person in the village of Thorpe Satchville where they lived for 30 years. She rememberered Blanche riding up the village high-road on a horse and cart, the cart full up with beagles and yet more beagles barking around the cart as it went. Another lady I met knew Blanche in Sussex where they went after Thorpe. Then Blanche was an elderly and rather frightening lady with an enormous ear trumpet.
There is a chapter in the book about Blanche, and of course her presence is there in much of the book about her husband. At the most basic level they tended to travel together to tournaments, and so spent a lot of shared time involved with tennis.
Personally as I researched those days I came to really like George Hillyard - he was a remarkable figure and had a huge influence on tennis (and other areas) that still resonates today.
Once again, enjoy the book.