Tennis Court

[New Tennis Court, Whitehall, across from Privy Garden.] Charles II. does not, however, seem to have been content with the old Tennis-courts which he found at the Restoration. As early as 1662 he set to work to build a new one at Whitehall.¹ Long, the marker, was sent down on two occasions to Hampton Court to take the dimensions of that old Court; and he was paid, during a period of 572 days, from June 22, 1662, to Dec. 25, 1663, for his services "in superviseinge & orderinge the workemen at the New tennis Court nere the Cockpitt." We may, therefore, take it for granted that this was a reproduction of the old Court at Hampton Court.

In the Diary of Samuel Pepys, on July 26, 1662, that amusing author says: "Here I find that my Lord [Sandwich] hath lost the garden to his lodgings, and that it is turning into a tennis-court;" and in a Book of Warrants, 1660–3, during the Lord Chamberlainship of Edward Earl of Manchester, a warrant occurs, Dec. 30, 1662, "to provide and deliver to Capt. Cook, Master of his Ma^ties court at Whitehall .... two chayres² of two foot and an halfe wide in the seat one footstoole two velvett cushions, one velvett Carpett with gold fringe .... Curtayne cloathes for the Tennis Court sixty yards of each side in length and six yards of each side deepe in breadth, a corde, and Tarpaulin to goe round the court on the outside and black Bayes (baize)³ for the ends of the Court." It was further arranged that Long should have his lodging in the same building, so that he might always be at hand when required for his attendance on the king: and, accordingly, a bed, bedding, and all necessaries were provided for him at the Tennis-court by a warrant dated March 26, 1663.

All, however, did not go quite smoothly with the building. On June 24, 1663, Pepys notes: "This day I observed the house, which I took to be the new Tennis-court, newly built next my Lord's lodgings, to be fallen down by the badness of the foundation or slight working, which my cozen Roger and his discontented party cry out upon, as an example how the King's worke is done. It hath beaten down a good deal of my Lord's lodgings, and had like to have killed Mrs. Sarah, she having but newly gone out of it." The Court was, however eventually built, as appears from a document to be quoted ere long, by this said Captain Cooke, assisted by Long the marker: it stood on the piece of ground called the Brake, and is clearly shown in the Survey & Ground Plot of the Royal Palace of Whitehall A^o.D. 1680, Survey'd by Jn^o. Fisher, Drawn and Published by G. Vertue, An^o. Dom. 1747.⁴ Of the part of this plan which includes the Tennis-court and some adjacent buildings, Plate 18 is a facsimile. The Tennis-court is clearly shown here, and even the net, hanging in a curved line across it, is also indicated; and the doore also, and a corridor at each end. The letters on the plan correspond with letters which are thus explained on a marginal table: e, Lodgings belonging to the Duke of Monmouth; f, Lodgings belonging to the Duke of Ormond; M, Countess of Castlemaine's kitchen; N, Col. Darcy's; O, S^r. Philip Killigrew; and P, Capt. Cooke. The latter, as Master of the Tennis-court, naturally had apartments adjacent to, and surrounding, it: and we may fairly suppose that the same rooms were occupied by succeeding masters. Of the Duke of Monmouth's Lodgings more must be said presently. The Cock-pit, built, as we have seen, by Henry VIII, lay a little beyond, towards the north-west; the Tilt-yard was eastwards, and its site is now partly covered by the Horse Guards.

In this new Court, therefore, about the end of 1663, Charles II. began to play. Pepys says (Dec. 28th), "walking through Whitehall, I heard the King was gone to play at Tennis, so I down to the new Tennis-court, and saw him and Sir Arthur Slingsby play against my Lord of Suffolke and my Lord Chesterfield. The King beat three, and lost two sets, they all, and he particularly, playing well, I thought." On the 4th of the following January (1664) the same writer went "To the Tennis Court, and there saw the King play at tennis and others; but to see how the King's play was extolled, without any cause at all, was a loathsome sight, though sometimes, indeed, he did play very well, and deserved to be commended: but such open flattery is beastly. Afterwards to St. James's Park, seeing people play at Pell Mell, &c...," which seems to have been a relief to honest Pepys, who, in some respects at least, was too good for his time. On the 11th again, he went "to the Tennis Court till noon, and there saw several great matches played."...

The Court at Hampton Court was not neglected meanwhile: canvas curtains, nets, &c., were constantly supplied, showing that it was in frequent use, while the new Court at Whitehall was also in full play.⁵

On Sept. 2, 1667, Pepys once more visits the latter Court: "From him," he says, "I went to see a great match at tennis, between Prince Rupert and one Captain Cooke [the master of the Court], against Bab May⁶ and the elder Chichly; where the King was, and Court; and it seems they are the best players at tennis in the nation. But this puts me in mind of what I observed in the morning, that the King, playing at tennis, had a steele-yard carried to him, and I was told it was to weigh him after he had done playing; and at noon Mr. Ashburnham told me that it is only the King's curiosity, which he usually hath of weighing himself before and after his play, to see how much he loses in weight by playing: and this day he lost 4½ lb."

On Nov. 29, 1669, "Bobert Long y^e younger, marker at Tennis and keeper of y^e Long Paulims in order without ffee" was appointed "to commence in ordinary with ffee upon y^e first avoydance or decease of his ffather"; and he, accordingly, came "in wayting after the avoydance of his ffather." Abundant evidence is here given of the continued use of the longue paulme, which seems, in fact, not to have fallen out of fashion much before the present century.

¹ This was commonly called Long's; see above, p. 85 n. (²).

² A similar provision of black baize and two "chayres of estate" was again made towards the end of 1663.

³ See p. 86, n. (⁴).

⁴ Br. Museum [?], an ob. fol. plan.

⁵ "His Majesty's only recreation as yet is at Tennis (at Whitehall) by 5 o'clock in the morning for an hour or two" (Letter from S. Charlton to Sir E. Leveson, Trentham Hall MSS. Appendix to 5th Report on Hist. MSS.). In the Lord Chamberlain's Wardrobe-accounts, there is "a warrant to provide A deliver unto Rob^t. Long, his Ma^ties Marker at Tennis, good & sufficient curtaines ... & also good & sufficient netts, for his Ma^ties Tennis Court at Whitehall, 20^th day of January, 1667–8": and again, on the same day "a warrant to pay unto Robert Long his Ma^ties Marker at Tennis & keeper of the Long paulmes the sum of forty-five pounds one shilling & three pence ... for one yeare and a halfe from Midsum^r. 1666 to Xmas 1667, at y^e rate of twenty pence per diem." Robert Long was always in attendance also at Hampton Court when his services were required in the Tennis-court during the king's residence there. On these occasions, all his expenses were charged; such as horse-hire, &c. The above was his unvarying salary from 1660 to 1669. In 1664, however, an arrangement was made to pay over a portion of this salary to Thomas Berry, to whom he was indebted 200l.., until the claim was satisfied.

⁶ "Baptist May was privy purse to Charles II. and of singular service to him in his private pleasures. He was generally of the number of those select and facetious parties which enlivened the evenings of the King in the apartments of his mistresses" (Granger, vol. iv., p. 186): see also Athen. Oxon, 2 vols. Fol., Lond., 1721, vol. 2, col. 1039 ; and The Continuation of Lord Clarendon's Life, Fol., Oxon., 1758, pp. 338, 355, 438, &c.

[New Tennis Court.] The Brake, or Great Open Tennis Court,¹³ was on the southern side of the Cockpit passage, and extended towards Hampden House,¹⁴ and part of its site was subsequently used for the new tennis court shown on the plan of 1670. The paved area of the Brake seems to have been 5213 square feet,¹⁵ but its total area must have exceeded this. An item¹⁶ in the accounts of the paymaster of Works relating to the "laying of the greate Brake or Balloone Courte wth ... purbecke paving" shows that the Brake was sometimes used for the game of Balloon-ball.¹⁷ A reference to the Balloon Court occurs in a letter written on 7th November, 1604:¹⁸ "Some thre dayes before the King's comming from Roiston, Mr. Thomas Somerset and the Master of Orkney¹⁹ fell out in the Balowne Court at Whithall. Boxes on the eare passed on eyther side, but no further hurt doon; Mr. Sommerset was commanded to the Fleet, whear he is yet, and the Master of Orkney to his chamber; what more will be doon in it we know not yet."

...

In 1662, ... Thomas Cook, master of the tennis courts, in accordance with the instructions of the King, [had] erected a new tennis court on "that parcel of ground, lately converted into a garden, adjoining to the Cockpit, formerly called the Brake."²⁵ The new building was erected under the supervision of Robert Long, the King's marker, and seems to have been modelled on the existing court at Hampton Court.²⁶ Its position is clearly shown on the plan of 1670, and a comparison of its ground plot, as shown on that plan, with the plot of the court at Hampton Court, is here given.

In his Diary under date of 26th July, 1662, Pepys has a reference to the building: "Here I find that my Lord hath lost the garden to his lodgings, and that it is turning into a tennis court." About a year later it met with mishap, and on 24th June, 1663, Pepys remarks: "This day I observed the house, which I took to be the new tennis-court, newly built next my Lord's lodgings, to be fallen down by the badness of the foundation or slight working.... It hath beaten down a good deal of my Lord's lodgings, and had like to have killed Mrs. Sarah, she having but newly gone out of it."

In 1675 Cook transferred his rights in the tennis court and adjoining buildings to Charles Cornwallis for the sum of £1500, and on his petition the Crown granted the latter a 21 years' lease of the property at a nominal rent.²⁷ A portion of the premises (not including the tennis court) was subsequently transferred to the Earl of Rochester (see Chapter 7), and a reversionary grant of the remainder, to take effect on the death of Cook or the expiration of Cornwallis' lease, was made to Horatio Moore on 25th November, 1676.²⁸ Subsequently, another portion of the property was transferred to the Duke of Montagu (see Chapter 7).

The tennis court itself is referred to from time to time,²⁹ and lasted until the 19th century. A plan and sections of the building as existing in 1793 are preserved in the Soane Museum, and are reproduced in Plate 36. The sketch, here reproduced, of the tennis court from the south-west in 1809 shows the court in process of demolition.³⁰

The plan of the surrounding buildings in 1793 (Plate 61) shows, in addition to the tennis court, the Tennis Court Coffee House,³¹ alluded to by Steele,³² lying between the tennis court and the Treasury Passage.

The following is a list of masters of the tennis court, during the existence of the court at Whitehall [starting with Thomas Cook]:—

...

Thomas Cook	40
Horatio Moore41	November, 1676 (to take effect on the death or retirement of Cook).42
[Henry Villiers43	15th November, 1689 (during the remainder of Cook's lifetime)].
Thomas Chaplin44	10th June, 1708.
Charles Fitzroy45	February, 1727–8.
Richard Beresford46	June, 1762.
William Chetwynd, Junr.47	May, 1764.
Richard (afterwards Sir Richard) Beresford48	October, 1765.
Charles Meynell49	July, 1791.

^13. "By order, 2nd of September, 1604, To Andrew Kerwyn ... the sum of 200l., in prest, parcel of a more sum, limited by the said Privy Seal, towards the repair of the Great Tenniscourt, commonly called the Brake of Whitehall." (Issues of the Exchequer, James I, ed. F. Devon, p. 15.)

^14. See description of the latter as "jacentem juxta le Brake vel le great Tennys Court" in the inquisition taken in 1611 on the rights of the Keeper of the Palace. (P.R.O., Exchequer Special Commission, 4192, Middx.)

^15. "To Nicholas Stone, Maurice and Richard Flewellein and other Masons ... for taking upp all the Purbecke paving in the Brake, and new squaring and laying downe againe, V^mCC xiij foote of the said stone." (P.R.O., E. 351/3269, 1635–6.)

^16. P.R.O., E. 351/3252, 1617–18.

^17. "A strong & moving sport in the open fields, with a great ball of double leather fild with winde, and driven to and fro with the strength of a mans arme arm'd in a bracer of wood." (Gervase Markham, Country Contentments, Book I., p. 109.) In Marshall's Annals of Tennis is a view (reproduced above) showing tennis being played in a close tennis court, while outside persons are engaged in a game of Balloon-ball.

^18. Nichols' Progresses of James I, I, p. 465.

^19. Afterwards Lord Kinclaven (see Survey of London, Vol. XIII, pp. 231–2).

^25. See Grant to Cornwallis mentioned below; also Warrant, dated May, 1662, "to pay Unto Thomas Cooke, his Mata Servant, the Summe of 1500l. out of the Receipt of his Ma^ts Customes, to be by him employed in the building & erecting of a Tennis Court in the place of the Brake at his Ma^ts Pallace of Whitehall." (P.R.O., Ind. 6814, p. 33.)

^26. See petition of Long "for his charges ... goeinge to Hampton Courte on the 16th day of November last [1662] by order with the respective Workmen now upon worke on the New Tennis Courte at Whitehall, beinge there with them three dayes to take the demencions of some parte of the Tennis Courte there.... And lastly for his charges for horse hire and his owne expences in goeinge againe to Hampton Courte by order with the sayd Workmen, stayinge there two dayes and a halfe to take the demencion of some other parte of the Tennis Courte there tendinge to the worke aforesayd." (P.R.O., L.C. 5/137, pp. 410–11.)

^27. P.R.O., C. 66/3170.

^28. P.R.O., L.R. I. 64, 35.

^29. For example: (i) "Last Monday a great Match at Tennis was play'd at his Majesty's Tennis-Court at the Cockpit, between several Persons of Quality for 500l." (Read's Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, 19th May, 1750; (ii) "On Tuesday last another grand Match at Tennis was played at his Majesty's Tennis Court, Whitehall, between Madam Bunell and Mr. Tomkyns, for a considerable Sum; there were six Games played, four of which were won by Madam Bunell" (St. James's Chronicle, 3–5 March, 1768); (iii) Letter from John Calvert, dated 20th June, 1794, "stating that the Tennis Court & House adjoining at Whitehall are very much out of repair." (P.R.O., Works, 4/18, p. 76.)

^30. No account of its destruction has been found among the records, but that such had taken place before 1812 is evident from a reference in that year to certain rooms of the Board of Trade having been useless "since the old Tennis Court was pulled down" (P.R.O., T. 1/1272). The late Lord Welby was therefore mistaken in supposing that the tennis court remained until 1823 (London Topographical Record, VII, p. 48).

^31. (i) "Lost from Chelsea a few Days ago, a middle-siz'd Liver-Colour and White Shock Spaniel Dog, his Hair being then very thick and rough. Whoever brings him to the Master of the Tennis-Court Coffee-House in the Cockpit, Whitehall, shall have a Guinea Reward, and no Questions asked" (London Gazette, 1st–4th April, 1721); (ii) "Rec^d a Letter from [Charles] Meynell, Esq, Master of the Kings Tennis Court, of the 27th Ult., requesting that some of the floors at the Tennis Court Coffee house might be repaird." (P.R.O., Works, 4/17, 3rd February, 1792.)

^32. A letter, dated 5th May, 1708, to his wife was written from the "Tennis Court CoffeeHouse," and on 22nd December in the same year he tells his "dear Prue" that "James will find me at Mr. Delafay's house in Downing-street, or at the Coffee-house." (Life of Richard Steele by Aitken, I, pp. 206, 231.)

^40. Appointment not found, but he was certainly in tenure of the office in May, 1662 (see p. 42n). It may be assumed that Bird's office was terminated at the Restoration.

^41. P.R.O., Ind., 6816, p. 313.

^42. When Cook was approaching his end ("above 80 and is bedrid"), Henry Baker, whose salary as solicitor to the Treasury was very small, and who had "a great family" to provide for (Cal. of S.P., Dom., 1697, p. 58), sought to get Moore passed over in his own favour. (P.R.O., T. 29/10, pp. 16–17.) In this he was unsuccessful, and on 23rd August, 1698, Moore was sworn in "in the place and Quality of Master of his Majesties Tennis Courts." (P.R.O., L.C. 5/166, p. 10.)

^43. See notice, 28th March, 1690, by Villiers, that he had appointed John Wright his deputy (Cal. of Treasury Books, 1689–92, p. 1358.) Marshall (Annals of Tennis, p. 93) notes that subsequently Villiers' name was erased and that of Cook reinstated.

^44. P.R.O., L.R. 1/65, f. 50.

^45. P.R.O., Ind., 6822.

^46. P.R.O., Ind., 6826.

^47. Ibid., The office is stated to be held at the King's pleasure "in the Room of Richd Beresford. Esqr., whose Letters Patents for the same are hereby Determined."

^48. Ibid.
^49. "In the Room of Sir Richard Beresford, Esquire, deceased." (P.R.O., Ind., 6829.)

[Tennis Court, Whitehall.]

June 4 [1689]. Warrant for a grant to Henry Villiers of the office of master of "our tennis courts and tennis plays at Whitehall, Hampton Court, and elsewhere, built and to be built for our royal sport and recreation." [S.P. Dom. Warrant Book 34, p. 355.]—Calendar of State Papers: 13th Feb. 1689–April 1690. 1895