David Sumner
Milford
Male
England
1905-06-07
Headington, Oxfordshire, England
1984-06-24
Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
David S. Milford was the son of fellow tennis player Humphrey S. Milford and the nephew of another player, Robert T. Milford.
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From The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
By Douglas M. Goodbody
Milford, David Sumner (1905-84), rackets and hockey player, was born in Oxford on 7 June 1905, the second of three children and younger son of Sir Humphrey Sumner Milford (1877-1952), publisher, and his first wife, Marion Louisa (d. 1940), daughter of Horace Smith, Metropolitan Police magistrate.
He was educated first at West Downs School, Winchester, where it was said he never missed the chance of hitting a ball against a wall with whatever weapon came to hand, then at Rugby School, where he not only began his remarkable career as a games player but also won the public schools rackets championship with C.H. Goodbody. He went on to New College, Oxford, where he obtained a third class in classical honour moderations (1926) and a fourth in literae humaniores (1928). In 1928 he joined the staff at Marlborough College, where he taught Latin and geography for thirty-five years.
In 1930 Milford first became British amateur rackets champion; he went on to win this championship seven times. In all he won the British amateur doubles eleven times, ten of them partnered by John Thompson, a colleague of his at Marlborough. He also won the Noel Bruce old boys’ championship on twelve occasions: four times with Cyril Simpson before the Second World War and eight times afterwards, with Peter Kershaw.
But his real triumph was in 1937, when he won the world championship in New York and at the Queen’s Club, London, defeating the American challenger Norbert Setzler by 7 games to 3. He held the title until 1947, when he retired. At rackets he was outstanding. He had a good eye and fleetness of foot, and extraordinary anticipation. He could fashion unorthodox strokes, in particular a deadly angled drop shot, which is most difficult to achieve when the ball moves as fast as it does at rackets. He often paid tribute to Harry Gray, his coach at Rugby, and Walter Laurence, the Marlborough professional.
When Milford arrived at New College, he played hockey and was at once recognized as a player of promise. He first got his blue in 1927, and played in three successive university matches against Cambridge. In 1930 he was chosen to play for England at inside left; later occasionally he played at centre-forward, and became an automatic choice for the side. The qualities he had at rackets he showed too on the hockey field. He was extremely energetic and hard-working: he seemed to be all over the field and available to take a pass, from which he usually scored a goal. His splendid stickwork and ball control were confusing to his opponents and he was almost at his best when the ground was wet or bumpy.
When at Marlborough he wrote two books on hockey which in their day were standard works on the game. He was also a good cricketer – a slow left-arm bowler and a very useful middle-order batsman. Once when playing for Wiltshire against Dorset he made 150 on a dangerous wicket, when the rest of the side was struggling to reach double figures. He also played lawn tennis for Wiltshire for many years.
Milford was 5 feet 11 inches in height, very slim and wiry, with good hands and wrists. His lack of physique often caused comment. Once, while visiting an osteopath about a strained shoulder, when he was at the height of his powers, the man looked him over and suggested that he should think of taking up some game to improve his strength. On another occasion a club secretary watching him play golf remarked: ‘I don't believe that boy has a joint in his body.’
He was a person of many interests. He was an excellent bridge player because he was quick-minded and also enjoyed a gamble. He sang madrigals with local enthusiasts and later in life took up bird-watching. Like many good games players he was modest. He was also rather shy: he disliked pushing himself forward, or speaking in public, which was perhaps unusual for a schoolmaster. Nevertheless, he was friendly and good-tempered.
In 1930 Milford married Elizabeth Mary, a granddaughter of the composer Sir John Stainer and daughter of John Frederick Randall Stainer, chief inspector at the passport office. They had a daughter (Marion, a professional singer) and three sons. Milford died on 24 June 1984, after playing three sets of tennis. His wife survived him.
1931 - 1939
0
5
1
Round 1
Wai-Chuen Choy 1 *
David Sumner Milford
6-1
6-0
6-3
Round 2
David Sumner Milford 1 *
J.J. Yates
6-0
6-3
Quarterfinals
W.B. Henderson 1 *
David Sumner Milford
6-4
6-4
Final
George Godsell 1 *
David Sumner Milford
6-4
6-4
Final
John Pennycuick 1 *
David Sumner Milford
6-4
6-2