Sir William Hart Dyke, 7th Baronet PC, DL, JP (7 August 1837 – 3 July 1931) was an English

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician and

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

pioneer.

Background and education

The second son of Sir Percival Hart Dyke, 6th Baronet and Elizabeth Wells, Hart Dyke was educated at Windlesham House School,

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. He graduated M.A. in 1864.E. I. Carlyle, ‘Dyke, Sir William Hart, seventh baronet (1837–1931)’, rev. H. C. G. Matthew, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 12 July 2017
/ref> He was described as "one of the best amateur rackets players of his day". In 1862, won the Rackets World Championships from a professional player ( Francis Erwood) at the

Prince's Club The Prince's Club was a socially exclusive gentlemen's multisports club in London, England. The original 'Prince's Club' was founded in 1853 in Chelsea, London, Chelsea by George and James Prince and its main sports were Racquets (sport), racket ...

, which was the former headquarters of rackets. In 1873 he played

lawn tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

in a significant early match with John Moyer Heathcote and Julian Marshall at his home of Lullingstone Castle. In 1875 with Heathcote he was a member of the

Marylebone Cricket Club The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's, Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London, England. The club was the governing body of cricket from 1788 to 1989 and retain ...

committee that framed the original set of rules for tennis.

Political career

Hart Dyke was

Member of Parliament for West Kent between 1865 and 1868, for Mid Kent between 1868 and 1885 and for

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...

between 1885 and 1906. He was a Conservative whip from 1868 to 1874, and held ministerial office under

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury is the official title of the most senior whip of the governing party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Today, any official links between the Treasury and this office are nominal and the title ...

from 1874 to 1880 and under

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United ...

Chief Secretary for Ireland The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British Dublin Castle administration, administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretar ...

from 1885 to 1886 and as Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education from 1887 to 1892. He succeeded his father to the baronetcy in 1875, and was appointed a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council, formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its members, known as privy counsellors, are mainly senior politicians who are current or former ...

in 1880.

Family

Hart Dyke married Lady Emily Caroline Montague, daughter of the 7th Earl of Sandwich, in 1870. He died in July 1931, aged 93, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his fourth and only surviving son, Oliver. Oliver was married to Zoe Dyke who farmed silk worms.John Martin, ‘Dyke, (Millicent) Zoë, Lady Dyke (1896–1975)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 200
accessed 12 July 2017
/ref> The elder Lady Hart Dyke survived her husband by only a month and died in August 1931.
/ref>

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart Dyke, William 1837 births 1931 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Baronets in the Baronetage of England Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Deputy lieutenants of Kent English justices of the peace Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at Harrow School UK MPs 1865–1868 UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 Presidents of the Marylebone Cricket Club English cricketers Gentlemen of Kent cricketers Chief secretaries for Ireland World rackets champion People educated at Windlesham House School People from Lullingstone