Basil WILLIAMS

Basil Williams was a stockbroker in the City of London who had sufficient wealth to spend his winters in France and Switzerland. Skating with Edna Harrison in the pairs competition he made his only World Championships appearance in 1912 where the duo placed 6th on home ice in Manchester. Williams placed second in the British Championship the same year but in 1913 he defeated three other skaters to claim the title. One of the skaters that Williams defeated in 1913 was Phyllis Johnson and when competition restarted following the end of World War One it was Williams who replaced Johnson’s ailing husband as her skating partner. The pair of Williams and Johnson narrowly prevailed in the battle for the bronze medal at the Antwerp Olympics whilst in singles competition he placed seventh after a poor free skating performance.

He married the daughter of Wilbur Whitehead, head of the Simplex Automobile Corporation and one of America’s leading players of bridge.