1879 Wimbledon Championship 1879 Wimbledon Championship The 1879 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 7 July until 16 July. It was the 3rd staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the first Grand Slam tennis event of 1879. The entry for the 1879 all comers' tournament was 45, of whom 36 were newcomers. The all comers' final was watched by 1100 spectators. John Hartley defeated Frank Hadow, walkover John Hartley defeated Vere St. Leger Goold, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2 Vere St. Leger Goold defeated
Henry Jones (writer) for playing lawn tennis, which proved to be a significant step. In 1877, Club Secretary John Walsh proposed that a lawn tennis championship be held, and "Wimbledon" was born. Jones and two other prominent men, Julian Marshall and John Moyer Heathcote, formed a sub-committee to frame the rules, many of which survive today, and Jones was referee at The Championships from 1877 to 1885. The only tournament of the inaugural 1877 Wimbledon Championship was the Gentlemen's Singles, which was won from a field of 22 competitors by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player. The final attracted a crowd of