John Moyer Heathcote
Encyclopedia
John Moyer Heathcote was an English barrister and real tennis
player. He was one of the committee that devised the original rules of lawn tennis
and is credited with devising the cloth covering for the tennis ball
.
Heathcote was born in London, the eldest son of John Heathcote of Conington Castle Huntingdon and his third wife Emily Colbourne. He was a descendant of Lord Ancaster of Conington Castle. He was educated at Eton College
and was admitted at Trinity College Cambridge on the 8 October 1851. He was awarded an MA in 1856, but also began playing real tennis at Cambridge. He was admitted at Lincoln's Inn
on 27 March 1856 and was called to the bar on 17 November 1859. He served on the Northern Circuit.
Heathcote played real tennis
regularly at a court in James Street Haymarket from 1856 to 1866. His chief professional teacher and opponent was Edmund Tompkins, for some years champion of tennis. Heathcote became amateur champion in about 1859. At that time, there was no formal competition for the amateur championship, but from 1867 the Marylebone Cricket Club
annually offered prizes to its members for play in the courts at Lord's Cricket Ground
, and the gold prize carried with it the blue riband of amateur tennis. Heathcote won the gold prize for the next 15 years and in about 1869 he was the equal of any player in the world until the professional George Lambert
began to surpass him. Heathcote became involved in lawn tennis which used a vulcanised rubber ball, and he proposed covering the rubber ball with cloth. In 1875, he instigated a meeting at Lords to establish rules for lawn tennis. Walter Clopton Wingfield
put forward proposals based on his own game for an hour-glass court and a racquets counting method which were adopted but which lead to some objections. By 1877 the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
was proposing the first Wimbledon Tournament, and a review of the rules was required. Heathcote with his fellow MCC commissioner Julian Marshall
, and Henry Jones
of the All England club laid down the rules that are almost unchanged to this day in time for the first Wimbledon tournament on 9 July 1877. Heathcote was particularly in favour of a return to the rectangular court.
Heathcote became an Honorary Colonel in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Suffolk Regiment and became Honourary Colonel of the 1st Administrative Battalion of the Cambridge Rifle Volunteers in 1880. He was chairman of the Huntingdonshire Quarter Sessions and was JP
and Deputy Lieutenant
for Huntingdonshire
, and JP for Sussex
and the Liberty of Peterborough.
Heathcote was amateur real tennis champion every year until 1882 when the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton
ended his long run but in 1883 he regained the title. After this Heathcote only won the gold prize once more in 1886 when Lyttleton was unable to play. Heathcote played tennis for many years and in a number of courts after he retired from competition play.
Heathcote had many interests in sports and games including shooting and skating, he was an amateur artist of some repute and was a graceful writer on sporting subjects. He wrote for the Badminton Library
authoring Volume 14: Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Rackets & Fives (1890) with contributions by A. Lyttelton, W. C. Marshall, and others and Volume 18: Skating & Figure Skating (1892) illustrated with photographs and with wood-engravings by Charles Whympe
Heathcote died aged 78 at Conington Castle.
Heathcote married Louisa Cecilia Macleod, the eldest child and only daughter of Norman MacLeod of MacLeod
and his wife Louisa St John, on 18 December 1860. She was born on the 24th May 1838. They had several children and lived at 24 Brunswick Square Brighton and Conington Castle. Louisa died aged 72 on 20 January 1910.
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
player. He was one of the committee that devised the original rules of lawn tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and is credited with devising the cloth covering for the tennis ball
Tennis ball
A tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis,approximately 6.7 cm in diameter. Tennis balls are generally bright green, but in recreational play can be virtually any color. Tennis balls are covered in a fibrous fluffy felt which modifies their aerodynamic properties...
.
Heathcote was born in London, the eldest son of John Heathcote of Conington Castle Huntingdon and his third wife Emily Colbourne. He was a descendant of Lord Ancaster of Conington Castle. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and was admitted at Trinity College Cambridge on the 8 October 1851. He was awarded an MA in 1856, but also began playing real tennis at Cambridge. He was admitted at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
on 27 March 1856 and was called to the bar on 17 November 1859. He served on the Northern Circuit.
Heathcote played real tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
regularly at a court in James Street Haymarket from 1856 to 1866. His chief professional teacher and opponent was Edmund Tompkins, for some years champion of tennis. Heathcote became amateur champion in about 1859. At that time, there was no formal competition for the amateur championship, but from 1867 the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
annually offered prizes to its members for play in the courts at Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, and the gold prize carried with it the blue riband of amateur tennis. Heathcote won the gold prize for the next 15 years and in about 1869 he was the equal of any player in the world until the professional George Lambert
George Lambert (tennis)
George Lambert was a British real tennis player.Lambert was the world champion of the sport , succeeded by Tom Pettitt.-See also:* Real tennis world champions...
began to surpass him. Heathcote became involved in lawn tennis which used a vulcanised rubber ball, and he proposed covering the rubber ball with cloth. In 1875, he instigated a meeting at Lords to establish rules for lawn tennis. Walter Clopton Wingfield
Walter Clopton Wingfield
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield was a British army officer who was one of the pioneers of lawn tennis. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997, an example of the original equipment for the sport and a bust of Wingfield himself can be seen at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis...
put forward proposals based on his own game for an hour-glass court and a racquets counting method which were adopted but which lead to some objections. By 1877 the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club , also known as the All-England Club, based at Aorangi Park, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass...
was proposing the first Wimbledon Tournament, and a review of the rules was required. Heathcote with his fellow MCC commissioner Julian Marshall
Julian Marshall
Julian Marshall was an English amateur musician, music and print collector and tenns player and writer.-Life:Marshall was born in Headingley, Yorkshire to a flax-spinning family. His father, John Marshall had been Member of Parliament for Leeds. His grandfather was industrialist John Marshall,...
, and Henry Jones
Henry Jones (writer)
Henry Jones was an English author well-known as a writer and authority on tennis and card games who wrote under the nom de plume "Cavendish".-Biography:...
of the All England club laid down the rules that are almost unchanged to this day in time for the first Wimbledon tournament on 9 July 1877. Heathcote was particularly in favour of a return to the rectangular court.
Heathcote became an Honorary Colonel in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Suffolk Regiment and became Honourary Colonel of the 1st Administrative Battalion of the Cambridge Rifle Volunteers in 1880. He was chairman of the Huntingdonshire Quarter Sessions and was JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
, and JP for Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and the Liberty of Peterborough.
Heathcote was amateur real tennis champion every year until 1882 when the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton
Alfred Lyttelton
Alfred Lyttelton QC was a British politician and sportsman who excelled at both football and cricket. During his time at university he participated in Varsity Matches in five sports: cricket , football , athletics , rackets and real tennis , displaying an ability that made him...
ended his long run but in 1883 he regained the title. After this Heathcote only won the gold prize once more in 1886 when Lyttleton was unable to play. Heathcote played tennis for many years and in a number of courts after he retired from competition play.
Heathcote had many interests in sports and games including shooting and skating, he was an amateur artist of some repute and was a graceful writer on sporting subjects. He wrote for the Badminton Library
Badminton Library
The Badminton Library, called in full The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes, was a sporting and publishing project conceived and founded by Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort . Between 1885 and 1902 it developed into a series of sporting books which aimed to cover comprehensively all major...
authoring Volume 14: Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Rackets & Fives (1890) with contributions by A. Lyttelton, W. C. Marshall, and others and Volume 18: Skating & Figure Skating (1892) illustrated with photographs and with wood-engravings by Charles Whympe
Heathcote died aged 78 at Conington Castle.
Heathcote married Louisa Cecilia Macleod, the eldest child and only daughter of Norman MacLeod of MacLeod
Norman MacLeod of MacLeod
Norman MacLeod of MacLeod was the 25th chief of the Scottish clan Clan MacLeod.-Biography:Norman MacLeod of MacLeod was born on 18 July 1812 at Dunvegan, Skye. He was the son of John Norman MacLeod of MacLeod , 24th chief of Clan MacLeod and his wife Anne Stephenson...
and his wife Louisa St John, on 18 December 1860. She was born on the 24th May 1838. They had several children and lived at 24 Brunswick Square Brighton and Conington Castle. Louisa died aged 72 on 20 January 1910.