An Amazing Gift List for the Neighbours, and a Family Wedding for Arthur and Elsie

 While looking into local history and past residents of our street, I came across the following very detailed report of the wedding on 9 February 1909 of Arthur John Long and Ethel Maude Stewart, who were the original occupants of the house next door to us here in Turner St. It includes a long list of who gave what to the couple but unfortunately there was no accompanying photograph of the wedding party, so you'll have to imagine it from this quite elaborate word-picture created by the reporter. Similar reports appeared in several other local publications.

  The gift list included such items as salad sets and servers, jardinieres, jardiniere stands and pot plants, numerous dishes and trays, a dinner gong, vases, silverware, photo frames, marmalade jars and pickle jars. There seem to have been quite a few duplicate items.  The house they moved into in 1916 has effectively been in the hands of the same family for 100 years. I wonder whether any of those wedding presents given to Arthur and Ethel might have been passed on with the house and indeed could still be there. Perhaps the bridegroom's gift of a grand piano is still inside and some of the jardinieres still adorn the back verandah. 

Here is a transcription of  the Long-Stewart wedding report published in the Malvern Standard, Saturday 13 February 1909, from the Trove web site:

LONG-STEWART.

The Presbyterian Church, Malvern, was well filled on Tuesday afternoon, February 9th, when the marriage was. celebrated between Mr Arthur John Long, second youngest son of Cr John Long, J.P., Caulfield, and Miss Ethel Maude Stewart, eldest daughter of Mr J. F, Stewart, of "Tooronga," Malvern, and granddaughter of the late Dr. Cornelius Stewart, J.P., Richmond. The Church was prettily decorated by girl friends of the bride, a large wedding bell being - suspended from the ceiling. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore an Empire gown of luecene silk over white glace, rucked chiffon sleeves, upper part of the bodice white embroidered silk net, and handsome pearl trimmings, long sash of white chiffon finished with silver tassels; a panel of white embroidered silk net finished the skirt. The veil was surmounted by a wreath of orange blossom. The first bridesmaid was Miss Dorothea Helen Stewart, sister of the bride; and the second bridesmaid Miss Elsie Campbell; they were dressed alike in pink silk glacie, sleeves and yoke pink rucked chiffon and bertha of white embroidered silk net, finished with silk tassels. Sashes of pink chiffon, pink veils, surmounted by pink heath. The bride carried a white shower bouquet tied with white streamers, and the bridesmaids pink-shower bouquets tied with pink streamers. The train bearers were Master V. Robb and Miss Elsie Gardener. Miss Gardener wore white glacie silk trimmed with silk net insertion and finished with a bonnet of silk net and white chiffon strings, and carried a floral crook. Master V. Robb white glacie silk suit finished with Limerick lace, and three-cornered hat with Ostrich plumes, and carried a stick finished with white streamers. The gift of the bridegroom to bride was a hand some diamond and emerald brooch, and .the two first bridesmaids spray brooches of pearls and turquoises, and to Miss Elsie Gardener wish-bone brooch with spray of pearls, to Master V. Robb sleeve links. The bouquets were supplied by Cheeseman. Mr T. Henry acted as best man, and Mr Alf. Harston as grooms man. The bridegroom also presented the bride with an upright grand piano. The bride presented to the bridegroom a Crocodile leather travelling bag.

Amongst the presents were the following - Father of bride, cheque ; mother of bride, household and table linen ; father of bridegroom, cheque ; Messrs Aronson and Co., Prop. Ltd., cheque, and employees very massive marble clock suitably inscribed. The Rev. Mr Foster was the officiating minister. The wedding march was played by the church organist.
A reception was held at the Malvern Town Hall, the stage being prettily decorated with pot plants and palms. Di Gilio's Band supplied the music. The catering was in the hands of Mr W. J. Holder, of Glenferrie. The toast of the bride and bridegroom was ably proposed by the Rev. Mr Foster. The bridegroom suitably replied, and the health of the bride's parents was pro posed by Mr John Timmins. Mr Stewart replied. The toast of the bridegroom's parents was proposed by Mr Jowett, town clerk of Caulfield. Mr Long, in a few well chosen words, suitably replied.
The brides travelling dress was pink Sicilian coat and skirt, large lace hat trimmed with white Ostrich feathers, and wore a feather boa. The honeymoon is being spent in Tasmania.

The following is a list of some of the presents received:
Dr. and Mrs Paton, very handsome tea set ; Mr and Miss Harston and Mr Gemmell, unique silver strawberry and cream stand ; Mr A. Harston, silver sauce boat ; Mr T. Henry, highly embossed silver entree dish ; Mr and Mrs V. Yardley, afternoon tea set ; Miss Yardley, oak tray ; Mr C McBean, silver flower stand ; Dr. and Mrs Lambert, very handsome hand-painted fruit service ; Mr F. Cook, silver dinner gong ; Mr and Mrs J. Timmins, silver tea pot ; Mr E. Timmins, marmalade jar; Mr and Mrs Balmires, unique metal jardinere stand; Mr Mann and Miss Balmires, salad and servers ; Mr and Mrs Martin, pair handsome vases ; Miss D. H. Stewart (sister of bride) very handsome feather boa ; Mr and Mrs Hobbs, fruit service : Capt. and Mrs Douton, very handsome hand-painted jardinere ; Mr and Mrs Garnham, metal jardinere stand ; Mr and Mrs H. Tope, silver and ruby sugar basin ; Mrs Kavanagh, case of handsome cake forks ; Mr and Miss Clark, fruit service ; Mr and Mrs Shepherd, choice vase ; Mr and Mrs Jowett, novel flower boat; Mr S. Jowett, silver glass salver ; Mr and Mrs Barbour, superb hand painted vase ; Miss Broderick, marmalade jar ; Mr F. Belôt, case of salt cellars ; Mr and Mrs W. Holder,very handsome épergne; Mr and Mrs Tooher, handsome hand painted vase ; Mr G. and Miss Dulfer, case of cake forks, etc; Mr and Mrs K. H Clark, silver cake stand and fork ; Mr and Mrs Broderick, pair of vases ; Mrs Thomp son, bed cover ; Miss Jean Campbell, tray cloth ; Mrs Gardner, very handsome hand made supper cloth ; Miss E. Gardner, fruit dish ; Master V. Robb, silver jam spoon; Mrs Robb and Miss Schmidt, lovely hand made point lace scarf, Mr N. Barry, silver bread platter ; Mr and Mrs W. Matthews silver hot water jug ; Mr Hodgkins, pair of pretty vases ; Mr, Mrs and Miss Collins , coal scuttle ; Miss Rowe, vase ; Mrs and Miss Butcher, silver sugar scuttle ; Mr and Mrs Cook, silver candle stick ; Mr and Mr Beckley, hand-painted jardinere ; Mr and Mrs D Long, large steel engraving in frame Mr G. Long, silver cruet; Mr and Mr Tipton, silver hot water jug ; Misses Inch, silver bread platter; Miss Cowl, silver bread fork ; Misses Smith, very handsome pair hand-painted vases ; Mr and Mrs A Ginn, sugar and cream stand ; Mr and Mrs Freedman, pickle jar ; Mr and Mrs A. Jones: knife machine; Mr and Miss Lawrence silver bread fork ; Miss M. Leech, portrait and mirror frame ; Mr and Mrs E. Long (W.A.) cheque ; Mr and Mrs Harwood, Gibson picture ; Mr and Mrs Peers, picture Mr and Mrs Child, jardinere ; Mr and Mrs French, collection of choice pot plants Miss J. Plowman, metal portrait frame; Misses Charnley, afternoon tea set; Mrs Long, silver fruit spoons; Mr and Mrs F. Long, collection of fancy work; Miss N. Murray, afternoon tea set; Mr and Mrs A. Mitchell, fruit dish ; Mr, Mrs and Miss Larkins, pair silver vases; Miss Scott and Miss Hopkins, jardinere; Miss Mortensen and Mr Asker, sweet dish; Misses Skilton. cheese dish; Misses Sparrow, bread fork ; Mrs Stewart and Sons, pair of handsome vases ; Mr and Mrs C. Bennie, hand-made tray cloth ; Mr and Mrs A. Telford, hand-made silk photo; frame; Mr and Mrs Sherlow, travelling rug; Mrs Whelan, pickle jar; Miss E Campbell, tea set; Miss Murray, book; Mr and Mrs A. Sinclair. jardinere ; Misses Marriott, lettuce dish ; Mr and Mrs Gairn set of japanned canisters ; and numerous other presents.
A week previous to the above wedding Miss E. Campbell gave a " Kitchen Tea " at Armadale.

Arthur John Long [photograph found on Cheshire-Frey Family Tree, per Ancestry.com]

Arthur here might have been attending another wedding, perhaps for one of his children. I like to think that the Longs' daughter Dorothea, born in 1910, might have played with the little girl next door, Constance Thura Price, born 1911, daughter of Arthur Jennings Price and his wife Constance, who were the first occupants of our house, having moved in not long after it was built in 1910. Arthur Price died in 1922 and Constance remarried and moved elsewhere in 1925, dying in 1945, but Arthur and Ethel Long remained in Turner St until after Ethel's death in 1946. Their home was then occupied by other Long family members. In 1964 those Longs bought the house next door, and we bought it from them in 2008.

                                            

                                          The house next door to us ( photo from Google maps)

                                           

                                                           Presbyterian Church Malvern

Stonnington Town Hall

The Presbyterian Church in Malvern built in 1906 is still a functioning church and the Malvern Town Hall is still the Town Hall for Stonnington, our local council, as you can see from these photographs taken this morning.  Google+ stylized the second photograph. Of course back in 1909 the overhead tram wiring, the traffic and traffic lights would not have been in the picture.  Construction of the tram line began later that year and by 1910 tram lines ran past the Town Hall in both directions, making the area a much more popular place to live, due to its increased accessibility from the city centre.

I'll end my last post on the theme for August of Love and Marriage with this photograph of yet another Arthur, namely my husband's great uncle Arthur Percy Reginald Olds and his bride Elsie Lilian Rider, who were married on 17 September 1932 at St Matthew Moorfields in St George, Bristol, Gloucestershire.

The older couple behind Arthur are his parents Mary Ann and Albert E Olds. I think my husband's grandparents Doris and Frank Olds (wearing glasses) are directly behind Arthur and that the other three younger people are brothers of Arthur and Frank and one of their wives, but I can't be certain.  Alternatively the lady in the cloche style hat could be Elsie's sister Florence, and it seems probable that the older couple to Elsie's right are her parents. A description like the one for the Longs might help identify the family members, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find anything like that.  You can read a little more about Arthur in my post To Cap it Off on the subject of flat caps, and perhaps identify the Olds brothers from other photographs included there.  By the way, I've since added a postscript to include an amusing flat cap photograph that I subsequently received.

 It seems likely that this wedding photograph was taken in the rather overgrown garden of the church of St Matthew, Moorfields. You can see a photograph of the church building here on the web site of the Barton Hill History Group,  but the last services at St Matthew were held there in 1998 and it has now been converted to offices and flats. I don't know where or if any wedding breakfast was held.

The marriage of Arthur and Elsie lasted for 70 years, until Elsie's death in 2002. 

For more Sepian posts on this Month's theme, check out  Sepia Saturday #342