GOLDEN WEDDING

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27407, 21 July 1954, Page 2

GOLDEN WEDDING

MR AND MRS EDWARD BRITTENDEN Mr and Mrs E. S. brittenden, of Fisher avenue, Beckenham, will celebrate today the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. They were married at St. Mark’s Church, Opawa, by the Rev. P. J. Cocks. They will entertain friends from many parts of New Zealand at a wedding breakfast at the Tennyson Street Hall this afternoon, and at a dance this evening. Mrs Brittenden is the fourth daughter of the late Mr Charles Gasson, of Opawa, well known many years ago as a builder, and Harriet Gasson. She was born in Christchurch, and has spent nearly all her life in Canterbury. She has always had a keen interest in sport—her brothers represented Canterbury at cricket and Rugby football —and in gardening and music. Mr Brittenden, the eldest son of the late Mr Edward Brittenden and the late Mrs Kate Brittenden, of Opawa, was born at Oamaru. He entered the ser-

vice of the New Zealand Railways, maintaining a family tradition which has been upheld by his eldest son, who is the fourth successive Edward Brittenden the family has had in the railway service. Mr Brittenden held appointments in several parts of Canterbury, spent four years at the department’s head office in Wellington, and returned to Christchurch to become stationmaster and later District Traffic Manager. He is keenly interested in railways, photography, and in ships. Mr and Mrs Brittenden have seven sons, and 21 grandchildren. All the sons and their wives and their 21 children will attend the celebrations today. It will be the first time for 18 years that all members of the family have met. Mr R. T. Brittenden, of the reporting staff of ‘‘The Press,” who toured South Africa with the New Zealand cricket team last year, is the youngest member of the family.

MR AND MRS A. WEBBER Sixty guests attended a dance and social held to celebrate the golden wedding anniversary of Mr and Mrs A. Webber, of St. Asaph street, Christchurch. Mr Webber, aged 84, and Mrs Webber, aged 73, opened the programme by taking part in a waltz. Items were given by Miss Marie Skelton and Miss N. Eder. Sprays were presented to the guests of honour by the eldest great-granddaughter (Carolyn Henson) and the only great-grand-son (Leslie Henson).

During supper several toasts were honoured. Mr Webber, the younger son of the late Maria and William Webber, of Prebbleton, and Mrs Webber, youngest daughter of the well-known Eder Family, of Woodend, were married at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Kaiapoi, by the Rev. K. Holland on July 11, 1904. They had three sons and two daughters. Their elder daughter is now dead, Mrs J. Pateman, of Belfast, is the daughter, and the’.sons are Messrs William Webber (Nelson), Gordon Webber (Chrstchurch), and Jack Webber (Gore Bay).

There are fifteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.