When Marjorie Daniel turned 100 on 19 May, she wasn’t just expecting to receive a telegram from the King, she was also looking forward to being presented with her England honours cap 74 years after she made her international hockey debut. The cardinal red cap – the same colour as the iconic England women’s skirts – is a recognition of the matches Marjorie played for England in the 1952 and 1953 seasons.
The Hockey Museum (THM) believe that Marjorie is the eldest surviving England hockey international. To mark the achievement of becoming a centenarian, she was sung a wholesome happy birthday at The Hockey Museum’s recent fundraising dinner (see below) and, significantly, she was presented with a special England honours cap at her home in Bury St Edmunds. The presentation was made by former England player Pru Carter (née French), a friend of the family.
England international players Marjorie Daniel (centre left) and Pru Carter (centre right) with Marjorie’s daughters Sarah (left) and Liz (right). Marjorie holds her England honours cap and her 100th birthday card from King Charles III.
Marjorie Daniel’s birthday cap presentation
On the day of the presentation, Marjorie was joined by her daughters Sarah and Liz. Marjorie’s pleasure at receiving such a special cap from Pru after all these years was obvious. They shared their memories of playing at Wembley and participating in International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) world tournaments 22 years apart, Marjorie in 1953 at Folkstone and Pru in 1975 at Edinburgh.
Marjorie told Pru that she first heard that she had been selected to play for England listening to the radio at her in-laws’ house. She had to go and find her parents to tell them the news – her mother was out playing badminton – they were thrilled for her.
She remembered the cardinal red skirts that the England team wore at the time:
“I was quite short and the skirt I was given for the first match was far too long. So, before the next match I had to have another skirt made especially for me.”
Marjorie and Pru also shared memories of their first Wembley experiences. Marjorie recalled:
“I travelled to the hotel by train and then after lunch, being taken to Wembley in a coach. We did get to walk on the pitch – I remember how large the whole area was. After changing into our kit, we walked out and the match started. I don’t remember much about the play, even the screaming schoolgirls, as we were focused on the game.”
England players at Wembley Stadium prior to their match against Belgium in 1953.
Pru French enjoyed spending time chatting with Marjorie and was honoured to have been asked to present this very first England honours cap. She added:
“I am one of many who were inspired by players like Marjorie and her peers and have followed in her footsteps by playing for Essex, East and England.”
Marjorie’s daughter, Sarah, was delighted by the whole day:
“My mother thoroughly enjoyed the occasion and the presentation of such a wonderful England honours cap. This has bought back so many lovely memories of the success she achieved in her hockey playing days all those years ago. My sister and I would like to thank The Hockey Museum for making this happen.”
Centenarian Marjorie Daniel celebrates receiving her England honours cap with a large cake emblazoned with the Tudor roses badge of the All England Women’s Hockey Association.
How the story began
This heart-warming story began when The Hockey Museum was contacted by Sarah Ensor to inform us that her mother, Marjorie Daniel (née Hammersley), a former England hockey international player, would be turning 100 years old on 19 May 2026. Sarah wanted us to confirm that she was the eldest living England player. From our records, we could certainly confirm that Marjorie represented England and we are pretty certain that she is the eldest still alive.
England team at the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) World Tournament in Folkestone, Kent, 1953. Marjorie Daniel (née Hammersley) is seated, second in from the left.
Marjorie began playing hockey when she was a schoolgirl at Brentwood High School, Essex. She went on to train at Nonnington Physical Education (PE) College, now part of the University of London, and took up her first teaching role at William Perkins School in Chertsey and for four years played for Woking Swifts Ladies’ Hockey Club, which later merged with the local men’s club to become Woking Hockey Club.
In August 1951 Marjorie married banker Richard Daniel and they moved to Essex where she taught at Loughton High School and played hockey for Brentwood Old Girls. She had already been spotted by the England selectors while playing for Surrey and the South the year before, but her big break came in 1952 when she got her England call up to play against Scotland at Wembley Stadium. Sadly, although her name features in the published Wembley match programme, Marjorie was injured before the game and didn’t play. This must have been devastating at the time, but she regained her place in the England team for the last two games of the year and was selected again in 1953. Marjorie did get to play at Wembley that year in front of a crowd of 43,000: an 11-0 win against Belgium. Watch footage of this match below.
Brentwood Old Girls Hockey Club. Marjorie Daniel (nee Hammersley) is seated second from right wearing spectacles, early 1950s.
Marjorie made seven appearances for England, her last being at the 1953 IFWHA World Tournament held on home soil in Folkestone, Kent, in October of that year.
Like many women of her generation, Marjorie gave up hockey and left her job to raise children, her two daughters Sarah and Elizabeth. She returned to work in the 1970s but did not resume playing hockey regularly.
Her daughter Sarah said:
“Mum had to sit in the stands for that first game when she got selected to play at Wembley Stadium but didn’t play. It must have been awful and left her wondering if she would ever get to play for her country. But a year later and she was back and playing at Wembley. It must have been amazing to play in front of such a huge crowd.”
While Marjorie did not go back to playing hockey as her daughters grew up, she did later become a good tennis player and always encouraged her daughters to play hockey.
Sarah said:
“I did eventually get a chance to play against her – it was in a mums and pupils match when I was about 15 or 16. I played right half and she played left half. She hadn’t picked up a stick in about 17 years. It was wonderful to share the pitch with her.”
Katie Dodd, former England international and Vice President of The Hockey Museum, said:
“We should admire women like Marjorie who not only played hockey at the top level but encouraged a whole generation of girls to take up and enjoy hockey and other sports.”
She added that:
“We discovered that one of our museum volunteers, Shirley Hand, was taught by Marjorie at William Perkins School between 1948-1950. Shirley remembers the encouragement given to her and her classmates by Marjorie to play hockey and other sports. It was because of this that Shirley also joined Woking Swifts (now Woking HC), a club she is still a member of today, 76 years later.”
Read more about the link between Marjorie, Shirley and Woking HC: Woking Hockey Club archives help to celebrate 100th birthday – The Hockey Museum
Woking Swifts Ladies’ Hockey Club First XI, 1947-1948 season. Swifts was Marjorie Daniel’s (then Hammersley) first club side, Marjorie is seated second from the left wearing spectacles.
From the Woking Swifts scrapbook on temporary loan to The Hockey Museum.
The Hockey Museum’s England honours cap project
Marjorie’s cap is the first to be presented from THM’s project to award honours caps to the generations of men and women who have represented England over the last 130 years. Our research is nearing completion and will create definitive England international records for the first time. The Hockey Museum’s data will provide accurate cap totals and unique legacy numbers for each England player (more than 1,240 men and women), to be emblazoned on their honours caps. When it comes to presenting these caps, finding the players or their descendants will then be another sizeable challenge.
Marjorie Daniel proudly wears the uniform of the England women’s team.
