title: 1956 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles
text: # 1956 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles
  
  Angela Buxton and Althea Gibson defeated Fay Muller and Daphne Seeney in the final, 6–1, 8–6 to win the ladies' doubles tennis title at the 1956 Wimbledon Championships. Gibson became the first African American to win a Wimbledon title; she would go on to win the singles title the next year.
  
  Angela Mortimer and Anne Shilcock were the defending champions, but lost in the semifinals to Muller and Seeney.
  
  ## Seeds
  
      01. Louise Brough / Shirley Fry (semifinals)
      02. Angela Mortimer / Anne Shilcock (semifinals)
      03. Angela Buxton / Althea Gibson (champions)
      04. Beverly Fleitz / Darlene Hard (second round)
  
  Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.
  
  ## Draw
  
  ### Key
  
  * Q = Qualifier
  * WC = Wild card
  * LL = Lucky loser
  * Alt = Alternate
  * SE = Special exempt
  * PR = Protected ranking
  * ITF = ITF entry
  * JE = Junior exempt
  * w/o = Walkover
  * r = Retired
  * d = Defaulted
  * SR = Special ranking
  
  ### Finals
  
  | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 2 | Angela Mortimer Anne Shilcock | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Doreen Wedderburn Georgie Woodgate | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Doreen Wedderburn Georgie Woodgate | 2 | 4 | | 2 | Angela Mortimer Anne Shilcock | 4 | 2 | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Fay Muller Daphne Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Doreen Spiers Bea Walter | 2 | 4 | | | Fay Muller Daphne Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Fay Muller Daphne Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Fay Muller Daphne Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Fay Muller Daphne Seeney | 1 | 6 |
  | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Angela Buxton Althea Gibson | 6 | 8 |
  | | Thelma Long Betty Pratt | 7 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 3 | Angela Buxton Althea Gibson | 6 | 8 |
  | 3 | Angela Buxton Althea Gibson | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
  | 3 | Angela Buxton Althea Gibson | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | Angela Buxton Althea Gibson | 7 | 6 | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Louise Brough Shirley Fry | 5 | 4 | | | | |
  | | Béatrice de Chambure Colette Monnot | 0 | 1 | | | Louise Brough Shirley Fry | 5 | 4 | | | | |
  | 1 | Louise Brough Shirley Fry | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  
  ### Top half
  
  **Section 1**
  
  | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 2 | Angela Mortimer Anne Shilcock | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Joopy Roos-Van der Wal Nel van der Storm | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | 2 | A Mortimer A Shilcock | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | S le Besnerais G Bucaille | 1 | 5 | | | | | |
  | | Lesley Fulton Mrs FB Webb | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Suzanne le Besnerais Ginette Bucaille | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | A Mortimer A Shilcock | 6 | 6 |
  | | | | | | | | | | | | D Wedderburn G Woodgate | 2 | 4 |
  | | Rita Davar Gem Hoahing | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Elaine Becroft Rosemary Bulleid | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | E Becroft R Bulleid | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | | |
  | | | | | | | D Wedderburn G Woodgate | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Doreen Wedderburn Georgie Woodgate | 9 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Sheila Bramley Heather Macfarlane | 7 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
  
  **Section 2**
  
  | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 4 | Beverly Fleitz Darlene Hard | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Pearl Panton Vera Thomas | 0 | 3 | | 4 | B Fleitz D Hard | w/o | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Carole Levy Kay Newcombe | 6 | 3 | 1 | | D Spiers B Walter | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Doreen Spiers Bea Walter | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | D Spiers B Walter | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | |
  | | Joan Curry Rita Drobný | 0 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | M Craig-Smith P Hird | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | |
  | | Mary Eyre Viola White | 6 | 4 | 6 | | M Eyre V White | 2 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | |
  | | Janet Morgan Sheila Speight | 4 | 5 | | | M Craig-Smith P Hird | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | |
  | | Marion Craig-Smith Pat Hird | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | D Spiers B Walter | 2 | 4 |
  | | Edda Buding Ilse Buding | | | | | | | | | | | | | F Muller D Seeney | 6 | 6 |
  | | Birgit Gullbrandsson-Sandén Solveig Gustafsson | w/o | | | | E Buding I Buding | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
  | | Fay Muller Daphne Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | F Muller D Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
  | | Pilar Barril María Josefa de Riba | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | F Muller D Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Denise Collier Pauline Roberts | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | J Rook C Yates-Bell | 1 | 2 | | | | |
  | | Jill Rook Caroline Yates-Bell | 3 | 6 | 6 | | J Rook C Yates-Bell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
  | | Gloria Butler Barbara Davidson | w/o | | | | J Clarke L Snow | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
  | | Jean Clarke Louise Snow | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  
  ### Bottom half
  
  **Section 3**
  
  | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Q | Gem Gilbert Sue Waters | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Thelma Long Betty Pratt | 6 | 6 | | T Long E Pratt | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Sheila Armstrong Ann Haydon | 3 | 2 | | S Bloomer P Ward | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Shirley Bloomer Pat Ward | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | T Long E Pratt | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | Valerie Lewis Evelyn Moeller | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | V Lewis E Moeller | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
  | Q | Pauline Edwards Hazel Moorley | 1 | 4 | | V Lewis E Moeller | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | SM Colebrooke Barbara Knapp | 6 | 7 | | SM Colebrooke B Knapp | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Jennifer Middleton Elaine Watson | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | T Long E Pratt | 7 | 1 | 1 |
  | | Heather Brewer Nell Hopman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | A Buxton A Gibson | 5 | 6 | 6 |
  | | Margot Gordon Erika Vollmer | 3 | 4 | | H Brewer E Hopman | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Elizabeth Broz Margaret H. O'Donnell | 2 | 2 | | D Knode C Mercelis | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Dorothy Knode Christiane Mercelis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | D Knode C Mercelis | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
  | | Jean Forbes Thea Hale | w/o | | | | | | | 3 | A Buxton A Gibson | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | Jenny Hoad Zsuzsa Körmöczy | | | | J Hoad Z Körmöczy | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Věra Pužejová Astrid Winther | 1 | 1 | 3 | A Buxton A Gibson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 3 | Angela Buxton Althea Gibson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  
  **Section 4**
  
  | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Susan Billington Margot Parker | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | Q | Gill Evans Estelle van Tonder | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | S Billington M Parker | 2 | 6 | 4 | | | | |
  | | | | | | B de Chambure C Monnot | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Béatrice de Chambure Colette Monnot | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Rosemary Deloford Billie Woodgate | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | | | | | Béatrice de Chambure Colette Monnot | 0 | 1 |
  | | | | | | | | | | 1 | L Brough S Fry | 6 | 6 |
  | Q | Sandra Reynolds Sheila Waddington | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
  | Q | Lorna White Bobbie Wilson | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | S Reynolds S Waddington | 0 | 0 | | | | | |
  | | | | | 1 | L Brough S Fry | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | Lisa Gram-Andersen Else Schmith | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
  | 1 | Louise Brough Shirley Fry | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  