Charles Williams
Williams (r)
Full nameCharles Eugene Williams
Country (sports)England
Born(1888-07-28)July 28, 1888
East Fulham, London
DiedOctober 27, 1935(1935-10-27) (aged 47)
Chicago, United States

Charles Williams (1888-1935) was English rackets world champion.

Rackets career

Williams became a professional rackets player and the school coach at a young age, playing from the Harrow Club at Harrow School.[1] In January 1911 he competed in and won the Open Championship of England defeating Edgar Maximilian Baerlein.[2] Just over three months later he was the challenger for the World Championship against the holder Jamsetji Merwanji from India. Williams won the first leg at the Queen's Club[3] and then in the second leg played out a draw at the Prince's Club after he had already secured the one game he needed to claim the title outright. He had become the world champion aged just 22.[4]

He lost the Championship to Jock Soutar from the United States in 1913 before failing to regain the title in a rematch in 1922. He finally regained the Championship after beating Soutar in 1929.

Personal life

Born in East Fulham in 1888, he was a ball boy at the Prince's Club before turning professional. During the journey to defend his title in 1912 he boarded the RMS Titanic as a second class passenger. After it sank he was rescued by the RMS Carpathia and developed pneumonia.[5][6] He resided in the United States from 1924 and was married and had six children.

He died in 1935 while living in Chicago aged 47.[6]

References and notes

  1. ↑ ""Racquets." Times [London, England] 14 Jan. 1911". Times Digital Archive.
  2. ↑ ""Racquets." Times [London, England] 26 Jan. 1911". Times Digital Archive.
  3. ↑ ""Racquets." Times [London, England] 1 May 1911". Times Digital Archive.
  4. ↑ ""Rackets." Times [London, England] 15 May 1911". Times Digital Archive.
  5. ↑ ""Names Of The Survivors." Times [London, England] 17 Apr. 1912". Times Digital Archive.
  6. 1 2 "Death of Charles Williams". The Times. 6 December 1935. p. 6 – via Times Digital Archive.
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