Crofts Williams was the son of Charles Henry Williams, a wealthy landowner whose family members lived in the Roath area of Cardiff, with Crofts living at Llanrumney Hall. Educated at Rugby School and Pembroke College, Oxford, he was a most enthusiastic and talented sportsman who reveled in hunting and shooting, whilst as a young man he showed rich promise as a cricketer and appeared for Glamorganshire between 1870 and 1874.
His first match of note had come in June 1856 when he played for Rugby School against the MCC at Lord’s. He impressed with the bat whilst in the Rugby XI as well as in college cricket at Oxford, as evidenced by the fact that he was chosen in the University’s Trial Match during May 1871. Playing for the Next XVI, Crofts made 10 and 1, but despite his decent record for Pembroke College, as well as for Cardiff CC during his summer vacations, he never appeared for the Dark Blues in any of their first-class games.
June 1870 saw Crofts play county cricket for both Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire. He scored 59 and 48 for the former in their away match at Brecon before making his bow the following week for the latter against the West Gloucestershire club at the Arms Park. In June 1871 the Cardiff ground also witnessed his finest innings for the Glamorganshire club as he struck an assertive 54 against Herefordshire as the Welsh county amassed a total of 309.
Crofts was also a member of the South Wales Cricket Club and went on their London tour during July 1875 and played in the matches at Lord’s and The Oval, as well as in the contest against the Gentlemen of Sussex at Hove.
In 1866 Crofts had become one of the founding members of the Cardiff and County Club and together with his hunting friends he organized in 1887 the first-ever point-to-point steeplechase in South Wales. The four-mile race took place on Friday, 22 April between Llanrumney Hall and Castleton, with the course crossing land owned by elder brother Charles Crofts Williams of Roath Court and Lord Tredegar. Crofts also hosted a lavish lunch in Llanrumney Hall so that the great and the good of Cardiff society, plus the sporting members of the County Club and their ladies could gather for the sporting entertainment.
WILLIAMS, George Crofts
Born: Roath, Cardiff 1840.
Died: Newport, 26 January 1913.