A History of St. Andrew`s Church, Charmouth

Born in Harrow, London, the daughter of a local vicar Henry William and Emily Frances Watson. She began playing competitive tennis in 1881, the year ladies' open events were introduced in England. Her first public appearance was at the Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club tournament at only 16 years of age. It was a successful debut, winning the singles competition by defeating her sister Lilian in the final and winning the doubles competition together with her. In 1884 Maud participated in the Irish Ladies' Championship and defeated the reigning Irish champion May Langrishe 6–3, 6–2, 6–2. She was also victorious in the mixed doubles tournament winning the title with multiple Wimbledon champion William Renshaw.
Undefeated in tournament play, in 1884 the nineteen-year-old Watson won the first ever Ladies' Singles title at Wimbledon. Playing in white corsets and petticoats, from a field of thirteen competitors she defeated her older sister Lilian Watson 6–8, 6–3, 6–3 in the final to claim the title and a silver flower basket valued at 20 Guineas. 1885 was a year of great success for Maud, who remained unbeaten in singles and lost only one set.Maud repeated her success at the 1885 Wimbledon championships. In a field of just 10 entries she easily won the quarter- and semi-finals and in the final defeated Blanche Bingley 6–1, 7–5. She successfully defended her title at the 1885 Irish Championships against Miss Louise Martin. For two sets there was little to choose between them but in the decider Maud outstayed her opponent to win 6–2, 4–6, 6–3. In 1886, the year the Challenge Round was introduced for women, Bingley turned the tables, defeating Watson 6–3, 6–3 in the finals to take the title. It was Maud's final match at Wimbledon.
In 1887 and 1888 she could not match her earlier level of success and was considerably handicapped by a sprained wrist which worsened with time. Her final competition came at the Edgebaston tournament in June 1889. She entered three events (doubles, mixed doubles and handicap singles) and won them all.
This was the last occasion when Maud played competitive tennis. While on holiday in Jersey she went swimming off the coast and was nearly drowned. She was rescued with difficulty and afterwards suffered an illness from which complete recovery took a number of years.
Away from the public eye the Watson sisters settled down to the quieter country life at Berkswell, helping their father with his parish duties. Erskine became a solicitor, with offices in Kingsway, London. He married in 1886 and had four children, all sons. Henry Watson resigned the benefice of Berkswell in August, 1902, and moved to Brighton, where he died five months later, but Maud and Lilian continued to live in the village at the nearby Hill Cottage.
In May, 1918, Lilian died at the age of 60 and in August 1922, Erskine passed away at Longridge Road, London, aged 63.
In 1926, on the occasion of the Jubilee Championships at Wimbledon, surviving past champions were presented with commemorative medals on the Centre Court by King George V and Queen Mary. Maud took place of honour among the ladies by being the first recipient. She retained an interest in lawn tennis and was regularly seen at Wimbledon and other tournaments. She was very fond of animals, especially horses.
Watson worked as a nurse during the First World War which she was rewarded as a Member of the Order of the Britsih Empire.Maud continued to live at Berkswell until 1932, when she took up residence at Hammonds Mead, overlooking the sea, at Charmouth, Dorset, as companion to Miss Gertrude Evans, a life-long friend and tennis enthusiast who originated from Kenilworth. Maud often met and reminisced with May Langrishe, her opponent of fifty years earlier, who lived two miles outside Charmouth, in the small village of Morecamblake. Later Miss Langrishe fell ill and moved to Hammonds Mead , where she died in January 1939.
Maud, who never married, died at Hammonds Mead on 5 June 1946, at the age of 81. A few days later she was laid to rest with her sister in the churchyard at Berkswell.