Sir William Hart Dyke, 7th Baronet


Sir William Hart Dyke, 7th Baronet PC, DL, JP was an English Conservative politician and tennis 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 and Christ Church, Oxford. He graduated M.A. in 1864. 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 at the Prince's Club, which was the former headquarters of rackets. In 1873 he played lawn tennis 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 committee that framed the original set of rules for tennis.

Political career

Hart Dyke was Conservative Member of Parliament for West Kent between 1865 and 1868, for Mid Kent between 1868 and 1885 and for Dartford between 1885 and 1906. He was a Conservative whip from 1868 to 1874, and held ministerial office under Benjamin Disraeli as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from 1874–1880 and under Lord Salisbury as Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1885 to 1886 and as Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education from 1887 to 1892. He succeeded father to the baronetcy in 1875, and was appointed a Privy Counsellor 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. The elder Lady Hart Dyke survived her husband by only a month and died in August 1931.