Daniel Maskell CBE (1908 - 1992)

Born 11 Apr 1908 in Fulham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 10 Dec 1992 at age 84 in Redhill, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Dan Maskell CBE is Notable.

Dan was a Tennis Player

Wikidata: Item Q935011, en:Wikipedia British tennis commentator
"The Voice of Tennis"

Dan was born in 1908 in Fulham, Middlesex, England. He was the son of engineer Henry Maskell and Emma Griggs.

In the 1911 census Daniel (age 2) was the son of Henry Maskell in Fulham, London, England.^[1]

He was educated at Everington Street School. He captained the school football team, and was a ballboy at Queen's Club during the school holidays. Maskell soon decided to concentrate on tennis, and left school in 1923 to become a full-time ballboy at Queen's Club. In 1924 he became a junior teaching professional tennis player at Queens.

Before the Open Era (from 1968), the major tournaments were only open to amateur players, so while he did play in competitive tournaments he was never particularly well known as a player. He arranged the first World Professional Tennis Championships in 1927, winning the inaugural title himself, and becoming British Professional Champion the following year. He won 15 further British titles, the last in 1951. He also successfully coached the British Davis Cup team in 1933.

Dan's marriage to Constance E Cox was registered in the Jul-Aug-Sep quarter of 1936 in the Battle district.^[2] They had 2 children:

• Robin Maskell
• Jay Maskell d.1970 in a light aircraft crash

He served in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. He became a rehabilitation officer in 1940, assisting wounded aircrew to recover their fitness in Torquay and then Loughborough. He was promoted to the rank of squadron leader, and appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1945 for his wartime service.

After he was demobilised, he returned to the All England Club, and continued as a tennis professional. He coached members of the British Royal Family, including Princess Alexandra, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew. He was chairman of the Professional Tennis Coaches Association, and became the first professional to be admitted as an honorary member of the All England Club in 1953. He retired as a tennis professional in 1955, but was then employed by the Lawn Tennis Association as its training manager until 1973. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1982 for services to tennis.

Maskell began commentating on the Wimbledon Championships in 1949 as an expert summariser for BBC Radio alongside Max Robertson, before switching to television in 1951 with Freddie Grisewood. He remained the BBC's main tennis commentator until his retirement in 1991. When commenting on a particularly exciting piece of play or an outstanding shot, he often said "Oh, I say!", which came to be regarded as his catchphrase.

His wife Constance passed away in Antigua in 1979 in a drowning accident.

Dan remarried to Kathleen Latto in 1980.

Dan's death (age 83) from heart failure was registered in 1992 in Surrey, England.^[3]

Daniel died on 10 December 1992 at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, and was buried in Leatherhead, Mole Valley District, Surrey, England.^[4] He had been retired for less than a year.

Find A Grave: Memorial #112795917

He was posthumously inducted as a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996.

The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust was founded in 1997 as a restricted fund of The Tennis Foundation, and became an independent charity in 2010. Its aims are to raise money to help disabled people to play tennis in three main areas: wheelchair tennis, deaf tennis and tennis for people with learning disabilities.

Sources

1. ↑ 1911 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1911"
   citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey
   FamilySearch Record: XW22-89Y (accessed 29 July 2023)
   FindMyPast Image
   Daniel Maskell (2) son in household of Henry Maskell (36) in Fulham registration district in London, England. Born in London Fulham, London.
2. ↑ Marriage Registration: "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005"
   citing 1936, quarter 3, vol. 2B, p. 143, Battle, Sussex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England
   FamilySearch Record: QV8D-5LTD (accessed 29 July 2023)
   Daniel Maskell marriage to Constance E Cox registered Jul-Aug-Sep 1936 in Battle.
3. ↑ Death Registration: "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007"
   citing UK General Register Office. Volume: 17; Page: 1143
   FamilySearch Record: QVZC-L17H (accessed 29 July 2023)
   Daniel Maskell death registered 1992 in Surrey, England, United Kingdom (born 11 Apr 1908).
4. ↑ Burial: "Find A Grave Index"
   citing record ID 112795917, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com
   FamilySearch Record: QVG9-QKSP (accessed 29 July 2023)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #112795917
   Daniel Maskell burial (died on 10 Dec 1992) in Leatherhead, Mole Valley District, Surrey, England.

• Familysearch: Daniel Maskell CBE
• Obituary in The Daily Telegraph