We have photos of three family weddings and I'm pleased to say that I know a LOT about the people who were married and those that attended. The first of these occasions was my husband's great aunt Lilian May (Lillie) Rich who married Thonmas Percy in 1923. The photo is absolutely delightful and, because I have spent two years poring over 100s of items, I can identify most of the guests, and what happened to them in later years.
Lillian Rich and Thomas Percy
Lilian was born in Bootle Liverpool in 1900. She was one of 8 children, but by the time of her marriage, only 3 others were living - her three other sisters - who were Sarah, Doris and their much younger sister, Grace (more of her later!) Lilian had worked as a shop assistant in Bootle prior to her marriage. Her family were very close, as evidenced in many, many photos of them all together.
Lillie as a young girl
A family outing before the Great War. Lillie,with her three sisters has her hands resting on her father's
shoulders. The girl on the left is her youngest sister
Catherine Grace, who lived to be 112 (another story!)
I believe her brother Tom is seated right. He died at Gallipoli.
Lillie and Tom married in West Derby in 1923. The family were from a very working class background (her father Henry was a shipwright working at the docks in Liverpool) as was both Tom and his father. The photograph shows quite a smart wedding - and the family were all there in their best, and very smart, clothes (and hats, lots of hats!).
Lillie and Tom's wedding, 1923.
Behind Tom is his new brother in law, Joe who is holding his son, Edgar
Next to Joe is Lillie's sister, Sarah, my husband's grandmother.
Lillie's father Henry is the elderly man on the right at the back
Her younger sister, Grace sits next to Tom
Her other sister Doris, is somewhere, under one of those splendid hats!
Tom had two brothers and a sister but he
seems to have been estranged from them,
although they may be in the photo.
Lillie and Tom were married for 36 years, before Tom died in 1959. Lillie died only 4 years later. They had a son, Len, who is still alive (in 2023).
Grace Rich and Leonard Jones
I have blogged extensively about Grace, who was the youngest in the Rich family. She was born in 1906 and her mother died just 4 years later. Grace was effectively brought up by her eldest sister, Sarah, who looked after four sisters and her brother when her mother died. Grace was always very well dressed. I have dozens of photos of her and she always looks immaculate and indeed very fashionable! She owned or worked in a millinery shop before her marriage (we are not sure which). It was in Cherry Avenue in Liverpool.
Grace and Leonard were married in 1933. The only photo I have is of the two of them together on their wedding day.
Grace and Len. They were married for 53 years when
Len died in 1986. Remarkably, Grace lived another 33 years!
She died aged 112 in 2019. being the oldest person in the UK at that time.
I have written a blog about her separately.
Audrey Smith and Rex Gellion
Sarah and Joe had two children, Edgar and Audrey. Audrey was my husband's mother. The family lived in Bootle and were bombed out in the Liverpool Blitz in 1941
Joe, who was a keen photographer took pictures of the bombed house!
Joe and Audrey, before the house was bombed
We have the most wonderful photo of the wedding of Audrey and Rex in 1949
The marriage, at All Saints Church, Childwall.
It's difficult to point everyone out! But Audrey's parents and aunts
are definitely there, as well as a young cousin.
Audrey and Rex had two sons and were happily married for 35 years until his untimely death in 1984.
Three very stylish weddings and all three were very happy. The families remained close for many, many years after their weddings.This lovely photo from maybe the 1950s? shows our family altogether at Christmas. I love the food and drink that takes us back to those less excessive days!
Around the table we have Lillie, Sarah and Doris, Doris's husband Sam,
together with Sarah and Joe's two children
(Audrey and Edgar with Edgar's daughter, and Rex)
A wonderful family photo!
