CFHS code : AL166
Parish : St Andrew the Less
Inscription : WILLIAM BUNTING d at Windsor Dec 17 1875 aged 29 and In Loving Memory of my dear husband FRANK WILLIAMS d Feb 17 1913 aged 39
Monument : Stone cross (fallen)
Above information amended from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
Inscription
William Bunting (also known as William Gray) (30 April 1846 – 17 December 1875)
William was the son of Joseph (1817-1886) and Ann (1816-1891) Bunting and grew up at 9 Brandon Row. His father was a tallow chandler who worked for Messrs. Brimley, Whibley and Co, and his mother a laundress. William and his siblings all took the surname of Gray, which was the surname of Ann’s first husband John Gray, and of his elder half sibling Henry (Harry). William and his four brothers were talented rackets professionals, and William was known for the ‘accuracy of his drop and ease and grace of his volley and half volley’. He was first employed as marker of the University Arms Court, Regent Street in 1856, when he was just ten years old. The St. John’s University courts were completed in 1858 and he was appointed ‘under marker’ to his brother Harry. One of his first public matches as in March 1860 when he played Smalls, the marker at another Cambridge court. He was beaten but his talent was identified and the Cambridge Chronicle and Journal reported ‘Though the younger Gray was much over-matched in age, his style of play is so good as fully to justify the opinion generally expressed that he will live to attain the honour of being one of the best players in England’.
In 1864 he was employed as marker at the Kildare Street Club House in Dublin and was trained by Mr. Thomas Watters. In July 1864 he played the first of three rubbers against James Dalton, marker of the Viceregal Lodge, Dublin. Dalton was known as ‘one of the finest racket players going’ whilst the Dublin Daily Express noted that ‘his antagonist is scarcely 20 years of age, and his reputation yet to make, but he bids fair to hold the championship at no distant date’. Dalton had defeated him convincingly the previous year. The first match was played at Dalton’s home court, the second at William’s and in the end the third and deciding match was unneccessary as William Gray easily both matches. He was therefore declared Irish Rackets Champion.
In 1866 he was based at the ‘University Court, Dublin’ and challenged any man in Great Britain to play him for a £100 wager and the Great British Championship. This daring offer raised much attention, and for a short time no opponent came forward. However Mr. Foy (the rackets marker at Aldershot) took up the challenge, and a game at each man’s home court was arranged. The match was agreed to be best of seven games and in Dublin, William won the first four games, ‘but did not allow his opponent to score more than nine points the whole match’. The Cambridge Chronicle and Journal reported ‘the second match will be played at Aldershot on March 19th, and there seems little doubt that W. Gray will be victorious and thus place himself in the proud position of champion of Great Britain’. The match was a little closer than had been expected, as William was injured in the second game, but won nevertheless.
On 22 April 1867 he played Frederick Foulkes, the champion of America, for £1,000. ‘The match was brought about through a Mr. Ida Montaigne, a merchant of New York, who offered to back Foulkes against Gray. The offer was at once accepted by Mr. Thomas Waters, formerly of Belfast, the backer and trainer of Gray. Accordingly the articles of agreement were entered into, but which the two champions consented to play a home and home match – the best of seven games in each court of match and match – the player scoring the most games to be the winner. The loser is to receive from the winner £30 for expenses’. Newspapers noted the difference in the two players: ‘Gray being tall and very slender and about twenty years of age, while the American champion is short of stature and fully fifteen years older’. William was the favourite with odds of one hundred to eighty, and sailed to New York on the Cunard line from Liverpool on 12 March with his younger brother Joe. Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle noted that he had been training in Glasgow for a week against ‘his old rival Foy, whom he played for a purse and won his four games off’ before then training at the St. John’s College Courts in Cambridge with brothers Harry and Joe. They reported he had been doing ‘plenty of work and expects to win an easy victory’. He won the match in New York and the subequent two matches in Belfast on 1st July 1867 and Derry on 24 July 1867. The second Irish match being billed as ‘to be lovers of this Game such a treat has never been offered in Londonderry’. The Downpatrick Recorder described William Gray as ‘about five feet eight inches in height, his frame combining strenght, activity and symmetry, in an unusual degree’. The Sportsman wrote of him as ‘a handsome, intelligent young fellow…about 5ft 8″ in height and of a slender, well-knit frame, combining strength and activity in admirable proportions’. He won all three matches and therefore was named ‘racket champion of the world’.
In January 1868 a dinner to acknowledge ‘his ability as a player’ was held at the Castle Inn, St. Andrew’s Street. He was presented with ‘a silver mounted belt and an elaborate timepiece, supplied by the well known jewellers, Messrs. Reed and Son. The articles bear the following inscription ‘Presented to W. Gray, champion racket player of the world, as a token of esteem by his fellow townsmen’….Addressing Mr. Gray the chairman told him they had met there that evening to offer him their congratulations for the very high position he had attained as a racket player of England. They had not only desired to show in substantial form their admiration for the skill he had acquired, but they also wished it to be understood how well they could appreciate him in other respects. Mr. Gray had attained celebrity in a very short time’. The belt and timepiece were put on view at Reed’s shop, Market Hill for a week. In April 1868 the members of Cambridge University presented William with a ‘handsome silver tea service’, which was presented by Rev. J. Bowling of St. John’s College. The same week ‘a series of very exciting matches were played…between the three Grays, Capt. Buller and Messrs. Parker and Warner’.
William married Elizabeth Nicholson (1844-) at St. Giles’ Church, Cambridge on 27 August 1868 and the marriage was witnessed by his brother Harry, sister Mary and rackets coach Thomas Watters. Elizabeth was a farmer’s daughter from Wexford, Ireland. The couple had at least one son: William Walter (1868-1951). In February 1868 he had been appointed rackets master at Eton College. The Reading Mercury reported ‘Racquets will form quite a new feature among the winter games at Eton. The magnificent new court, one of the finest buildings in the kingdom for the purpose, just completed, is in daily use and much frequented by the young Etonians. To make them proficient in the game, Mr. William Gray, of Cambridge, has been appointed the instructor’. William and his family lived in Clewer (near Windsor), and then 53 Victoria Street, Windsor.
In November 1875 the Cambridge Chronicle and Journal reported that he had had to resign as World Champion as he was too unwell to defend the title against challenger H. Faris (known as Punch), of Princes Club.He died at home aged 29 years old from ‘lingering consumption’ (T.B) and his body was returned to Cambridge, where he was buried on 23 December. The Morning Post briefly reported the funeral and reported ‘for several years the deceased was instructor to the students at Eton College, where he gained, through his obliging ways, the respect of the school, and during the time he was at the college he turned out some of the finest racquet players of the present day’.
William’s brothers were all notable sportsmen too. It is said that ‘modern racquets may perhaps be said to date from the time of the brothers Gray, who as professionals greatly raised the standard of skill of the game, and as teachers at the schools and universities improved the play of amateurs’. His brother George Gray taught racquets at Haileybury School, whilst Walter taught at Charterhouse. Henry John (Harry) Gray founded Grays racquet makers in 1855, which is still a family business. His other brother Joseph (Joe) was also a world champion racquet player and manufactured raquets in Rugby.
William’s son William Walter was also a rackets professional and eventually emigrated to America, where some of his children also were involved in the tennis world.
William’s parents Joseph and Ann were also buried in the St. Andrew the Less area of Mill Road Cemetery, but their grave has not yet been identified. Both died at 44 City Road and were buried on 26 February 1886 and 20 June 1891 respectively.
NB- As a relatively new sport, rackets was spelt as both ‘rackets’ and ‘racquets’ at the time, hence both spelllings have been used.
Frank Williams (1874 – 17 February 1913)
Frank died at the Fulbourn Asylum and was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 21 February.
It is thought that this is the grave of Frank Herbert Williams, who was the son of whitesmith Francis and Elizabeth (née Robinson). He was baptised in Chesterton on 13 December 1874, and grew up at Victoria Road. Aged 16 Frank was working as a pawnbroker’s assistant, but later worked as a railway checker. He married Lucy Hannah Scull (1874-) on Christmas Day 1897 in Paddington, London. The couple did not have any children and lived in Islington (1901) and then 7 Marquis Road, St. Pancras (1911).
It is not known what the connection with the Gray/Bunting family and the Williams family was. Lucy William’s mother was Ellen Mary Williams (1848-1909) and she was also born in Cambridge, the daughter of Richard and Lucy.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish burial records transcribed by CFHS
by Claire Martinsen
Many thanks to R.G, descendant of William Gray for his input and information.
[If you have any information about this person, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]