MontyFaithfull's cricket belt

Born in 1848, Henry Montague Faithfull was the third son of William Pitt and Mary Faithfull. Known as Monty, he was a relatively well-known Sydney citizen who worked as a solicitor and captained the Sydney University cricket team.

Along with three of his brothers, Monty had achieved minor celebrity status in 1868 after fighting back against bushranger Ben Hall and his gang during an ambush.

Monty was educated at The King's School in Sydney and then Sydney University.

He was a prominent cricket player during the 1860s and 1870s and captained the Sydney University cricket team – a team which also included Australia's first Prime Minister Edmund Barton.

Monty represented New South Wales in interstate and international matches and was part of the New South Wales team that defeated WG Grace's touring English team in January 1874.

Monty was a partner in the soliciting firm Iceton & Maddock. He married Emily Rose Buckland, daughter of Thomas Buckland, President of the Bank of New South Wales.

When Monty died in 1908 at the age of 61, he was best remembered for his sporting prowess. He was talented at cricket, rugby, rowing and rifle shooting, often representing New South Wales.

Cricket belt buckles

Cricket belts with ornate buckles were popular during the middle of the 19th century. Self-supporting trousers had not yet been invented and belts were an essential part of a man's wardrobe.

Nineteenth century cricket uniforms were not particularly standardised and belt buckle designs usually reflected the player's personal taste, although some were a form of team branding.

Typically, they comprised a brass buckle and often a colourfully decorated length of material made from cotton canvas that could feature Berlin woolwork, such as that on Monty's belt, or other embroidery.