Ernest Black & the first ever Davis Cup rubber
Alex Ritchie’s 2008 history of our Association tells of ‘Edmund Black’, (actually born Ernest) of
Hallamshire club playing in the Davis Cup match of 1900 versus the USA in Boston Mass. As a
result of further research this week by Andy Lusis, and more research in Sheffield, it is now
clear that this was the first Davis Cup match and was played at the Longwood Cricket Club in
Boston in August of that year. Black’s two fellow ‘British Isles’ team members, Arthur Gore
and Herbert Roper-Barrett were eventually to win Wimbledon titles and Olympic gold medals
between them, and it is suggested Ernest was picked because the Doherty brothers were not
available. However, he had the privilege of playing in the opening singles rubber against
Dwight Davis, originator of the competition and presenter of the trophy, who must have been
surprised to lose the first set against this less well-known player, but eventually winning 4-6
6-2 6-4 6-4. Ernest having given a good account of himself he was selected for the crucial
doubles with Roper-Barrett, Gore having lost his singles in three easier sets. That doubles too
was lost but only to three sets of 6-4 resulting in a 3-0 win for the US, the dead rubbers not
being played. So, our man from Nether Edge and the Hallamshire Club won the first ever set,
in the world’s first international tennis competition which in 2015 is the world’s largest annual
international team competition in sport, with 122 nations taking part.
He was born in Sheffield in 1876 to Scottish parents (why does that strike a chord with the
2015 Gt Britain v USA match?) and the family home was 26 Oakhill Rd, Nether Edge,
although in 1911 he was lodging in 19 Wiseton Rd, Brocco Bank, within walking distance of
his then club, Hallamshire. Qualified as a mining engineer – his father was company secretary
to the Nunnery Mine in Sheffield – he played his early tennis at the Brinc(k)liffe Club off
Cemetery Rd. He served in WWI as a Captain with both the British and Canadian Infantry
(Engineers) and died in Halifax Nova Scotia in 1931 leaving £3868. His marital status remains
to be established (see addendum) We have no photo as yet (see addendum) but he is one of
the participants in this photo of the Men’s Doubles in that 1900 match.
This Boston Evening Post 9 August extract
shows how the Englishmen set standards
on endurance by refusing to ‘rub down and
brush up’ in between each set; I’ll bet they
didn’t ‘brush up’ even after the agreed
second set break! The standard of tennis
was apparently very high with Black the
best of the four players. But were we
prepared properly?
Contrasting styles amongst the
‘Englishmen’ but Black played more like an
American in getting to the net and
volleying.
Strange Black never played Davis Cup
again but he won a first round singles at
Wimbledon in 1921 aged 45. There is
some evidence he became, in 1915, the
third husband of a member of the ‘Scottish
aristocracy’, and it is known his medal
exists somewhere and was once valued at
£3000. He has also been referred to as the
Scottish Champion. This article is liable to
additional future material and will be
updated accordingly.
John Andrews March 2015
Addendum Jan 2016
These photos have come to light, the second one wearing the cap presented to the Davis Cup
team prior to their departure. It’s also my contention that he is the ringed figure in the 1897
Hallamshire photo on the last page – this now hangs on a wall, (the right way up!) of the
club; he was a recorded member.
The 1911 census reveals him - ‘Ernest Douglas Black, Agent for Colliery Stores, Own Account
(self-employed) – living, aged 35, as the only boarder at 19 Wiston Rd off Brocco bank with
the housekeeper, a 58 year old widow, and an 18 year old servant girl. In 1917, as Captain
Black, aged 41, he married Mary Agnes Cayzer six years his senior, a two-time divorcee and
daughter of Sir Charles William Cayzer 1st Bt, a very wealthy shipping magnate, and acquiring
Lord Jellicoe, Admiral of the Fleet, as his brother-in-law. Mary died in the Grosvenor House
Hotel in Park Lane in 1930, another indication of the family wealth. (Her first divorce
proceedings detailed that although the marriage produced eight children it was unhappy from
an early stage with reports of incidents of violent temper, striking wife, adultery with
maidservant who subsequently became pregnant, trial separations, ‘etc’. I wonder what the
‘etc’ was!)
Some of his results can be found at
http://www.tennisarchives.com/player.php?playerid=334
WJA Jan 2016
Another addendum follows
Addendum March 2017
A photo of his grave in Halifax Nova Scotia has been made available on-line. Evidently
his parents had moved from Nether Edge to this fine property, 6, Broomfield Rd,
Broomhall, now apparently subdivided into living accommodations.