CANTEEN CASE
c. 1940 - 1949A rectangular ornate walnut case made to carry cutlery inside. The outside of lid is divided into four quarters so the grain forms a diamond shape. The front of the lid has bevelled edge with two brass clips attached. On the left and right sides of the case a decorative design has been cut into the wood rising slightly above the lid when closed.
When opened the lid is supported by two hinges with integrated arms. Inside the case the lid and base are compartments for the cutlery. The compartments have been shaped and lined with green felt to reduce and chances of the cutlery coming lose in the case.
On the top left corner on the inside of the lid is a small markers mark in the form of a plaque. The plaque has text and a portrait of the maker.
This John Bennett of Cheapside cutlery canteen is believed to have been a wedding gift to Clive and Ada Fancote who were married in Malvern Victoria on the 11th May 1940. Clive met Ada in Kelmscott where her father, the Reverend Gresham Morris, was Minister at the Kelmscott Congregational Church. In 1940 the Morris family returned to Melbourne and Clive and Ada were married there. Henry & Ivy Fancote's family house was located where the current Kelmscott library now stands.
Sir John Bennet was born in 1814 in Greenwich. His father, also named John, was a watchmaker. John Junior started his career in Cheapside between 1839 and 1847 and later moved to Camberwell. In the 1870's he became the Sheriff of London. During his career he also made silverware and cutlery.
The Morris family returned to Malvern and Clive and Ada were married there. The newly married couple returned to Kelmscott where they briefly lived in Third Avenue while they built and new family home on the corner of Church Avenue and River Road.
Robert, their son, never remembers the canteen being used at family dinners.
Details
Details
Text on plaque: [SIR JOHN BENNET / CHEAPSIDE LONDON / ESTABLISHED 1750]
An example of a traditional wedding present popular in the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. This canteen case is believed to be given as a wedding gift to Clive and Ada Fancote on the 11th of June 1940 by the members of the Fancote Family. It is presumed to have been used in their home in Church Avenue, Kelmscott.
The Fancote family, descended from Charles Fancot who arrived in Western Australia in 1854 from England as a convict. Charles purchased land in Kelmscott 1863, and he quickly established a saw-milling business and orchard while raising a family.
