Percy Davson

Percy Davson had two outstanding sporting careers, as a fencer and lawn tennis player. At fencing, Davson reached the final pool of the British Foil Championships six times and was runner-up on three occasions. He also reached the final of the British Épée Championship, and twice visited France with the Great Britain team. He also appeared at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, winning the épée team silver medal at Stockholm.

Davson also enjoyed a successful tennis career that saw him play in the men’s singles at Wimbledon every year from 1907-26, with the exception of 1912, and also the War years when he was a Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. His best Wimbledon singles result was in reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions. In 1914 he lost in straight sets to Alfred Beamish, and in 1922 he was beaten in four sets by the eventual runner-up Randolph Lycett.

Davson won the Covered Courts Championship at Queen’s Club in 1913 and 1919, and was runner-up to Arthur Lowe in their grass court championship in 1914. Also at Queen’s, in 1922, Davson and fellow Briton Theodore Mavrogordato beat Beamish and New Zealander Frank Fisher in five sets to win the doubles title at the World Covered Court Championships.

Davson also played Davis Cup tennis for Great Britain in 1919. He played just one game, the qualifying final against France, and he came from behind to win the deciding rubber against William Laurentz to put Britain into the Challenge Round against Australasia. Unfortunately, due to his business commitments as a chartered architect, he was prevented from travelling to Australia for the match.