Frederick Anthony Wilding (Wilding-543)

Date: 31 Oct 1883 to 9 May 1915
Location: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Surname/tag: Wilding

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Biography

Anthony Frederick Wilding (31 October 1883 – 9 May 1915), also known as Tony Wilding, was a New Zealand world No. 1 tennis player and soldier who was killed in action during World War I.[2] Considered the world's first tennis superstar,[3] Wilding was the son of wealthy English immigrants to Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand and enjoyed the use of private tennis courts at their home. He obtained a legal education at Trinity College, Cambridge and briefly joined his father's law firm. Wilding was a first-class cricketer and a keen motorcycle enthusiast. His tennis career started with him winning the Canterbury Championships aged 17. He developed into a leading tennis player in the world during 1909–1914 and is considered to be a former world No. 1. He won 11 Grand Slam tournament titles, six in singles and five in doubles, and is the first and to date only player from New Zealand to have won a Grand Slam singles title.[b] In addition to Wimbledon, he also won three other ILTF World Championships (period 1912–1923): In singles, two World Hard Court Championships (WHCC) (1913–14) and one World Covered Court Championships (WCCC) (1913). With his eleven Grand Slam tournaments, two WHCC and one WCCC titles, he has a total of fourteen Major tournament titles (nine singles, five doubles). His sweep of the three ILTF World Championships in 1913 was accomplished on three different surfaces (grass, clay and wood) being the first time this has been achieved in Major tournaments.[4]

Wilding won the Davis Cup four times playing for Australasia, and won a bronze medal at the indoor singles tennis event of the 1912 Olympics,[5] which made him the first and to date only singles player from New Zealand to win an Olympic medal in tennis in the Summer Olympics and the only New Zealand player to win a medal in any tennis event until Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus won the bronze medal in the men's doubles competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in July, 2021.[6] He still holds several all time singles tennis records, namely 23 titles won in a single season (1906) and 114 career outdoor titles (shared with Rod Laver). In his ranking list of greatest tennis players compiled in 1950, Norman Brookes, winner of three Majors and president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia, put Wilding in fourth place. Shortly after the outbreak of World War I he enlisted and was killed on 9 May 1915 during the Battle of Aubers Ridge at Neuve-Chapelle, France. In 1978 Wilding was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Research

• FamilySearch Person: L8B1-VZ9 has 5 siblings, parents, 4 grandparents, 5 great-grandparents

Father: Frederick Wilding FamilySearch Person: LR4Z-7WW born 20 November 1852 Montgomeryshire, Wales

Mother: Julia Anthony FamilySearch Person: LR4Z-7G7 born about 1853, died 28 August 1936 Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

On Free BMD this appears to be marriage of his parents. According to Dictionary of NZ Biography already cited in bio, they immigrated to NZ in 1871. Marriages Jun 1879 ANTHONY Julia Hereford 6a 862 WILDING Frederick Hereford 6a 862

Father: Frederick Wilding 20 November 1852-5 July 1945
Born in Wales
"England, Herefordshire Bishop's Transcripts, 1583-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W7JN-ZGN2 : 1 July 2022), Frederick Wilding, 1852.
Batised: 24 Nov 1852.
"England, Herefordshire Bishop's Transcripts, 1583-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WQVG-156Z : 1 July 2022), Fredrick Wilding, 1852.
"Wales Births and Baptisms, 1541-1907", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X15X-WL6 : 10 February 2020), Fredrick Wilding, 1852.
"England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7NM-6X3 : 25 August 2020), Frederich Wilding in household of John Powell Wilding, Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24V-B9X9 : 27 November 2017), Frederick Wilding in entry for Frederick Anthony Wilding, 1883; citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1883/18658, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington. "New Zealand, Obituaries, 1844-1963," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGTV-ZT38 : 19 January 2021), Mr Frederick Wilding, 6 Jul 1945; citing New Zealand, various New Zealand newspapers; FHL microfilm 7,832,202.

Mother: Julia Anthony about 1853-28 August 1936
Born in England
"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J745-N5D : 5 February 2023), Julia Anthony, 1854.
"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24V-B9XZ : 27 November 2017), Julia Wilding in entry for Frederick Anthony Wilding, 1883; citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1883/18658, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
"New Zealand, Obituaries, 1844-1963," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGTV-NZRH : 19 January 2021), Miss Julia Anthony in entry for Mr Frederick Wilding, 6 Jul 1945; citing New Zealand, various New Zealand newspapers; FHL microfilm 7,832,202.