St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future

OT098

Penknife

CIC

Keith Hill

1889-1901

Penknife, White metal, two blades. Inscription on both sides to achievements of Swansea & Welsh international full-back W.J. Bancroft. Inscriptions: "World's record - 33 international - 600 Swansea club matches" on one side and : "W.J. Bancroft Capt. Glamorgan County F.C." on the other.

This penknife was in the possession of Mr Keith Hall of Kettering, Northamptonshire for some years and in an accompanying letter he mentions that he was born in Wales and that it was discovered on a beach in west Wales. In 2018 Mr Hall contacted Swansea RFC and offered the penknife to the archives, where it was gratefully received. At the time Mr Hall believed that it was a presentation piece to Swansea's Welsh international and six times club captain W.J. "Billy" Bancroft. The inscriptions on the penknife seem to suggest this: "World's record - 33 international - 600 Swansea club matches" on one side and : "W.J. Bancroft Capt. Glamorgan County F.C." on the other. The existence of another identical example (see: OT097) in the archives indicates that these knives were more likely to have been tourist souvenirs than presentation pieces. Possibly they were sold on beachside stalls. In any case there is certainly more than one in existence. The fact that both knives were discovered separately on Welsh beaches supports the view that they were sold as souvenirs. The information on the knife regarding Billy Bancroft's games is not entirely accurate. He certainly played 33 (consecutive) matches for Wales between 1890 and 1901, a world record at the time. But he did not play 600 matches for Swansea. no player has made that many appearances. Bancroft played 331 times for Swansea's 1st XV between 1889 and 1903, also making 2 appearances for the 2nd XV. His appearances for Glamorgan County FC number 14 between 1892 and 1898, captaining the county team many times. So although this appears not to be a memento that belonged to Billy Bancroft, it is certainly a piece of memorabilia contemporary to his wonderful career.

w j bancroft, billy bancroft