Judith Todd married

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33423, 3 January 1974, Page 7

Judith Todd married

(N.Z. P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

ROME, January 1. Miss Judith Todd, daughter of the former Southern Rhodesia Prime Minister, Mr Garfield Todd, was married quietly in the chapel of the English College in Rome today.

Her groom was a widower, Mr Richard Acton, the 32-year-old banker heir to Lord Acton, who witnessed the ceremony with Mrs Garfield Todd. In October Miss Todd, aged 29, was named as the other woman in a separation petition brought against Mr Acton by his wife, Mrs Hilary Acton. A few hours before it was announced that she had filed the High Court petition, Mrs Acton, aged 30, was found dead on the floor of her London flat. Mr Acton had filed a cross suit seeking divorce. Today’s ceremony was performed by the bridegroom’s brother, Father Charles Acton. He is studying here for a doctorate. Miss Todd’s father, now 64, is still under a detention order in Rhodesia and confined to his ranch near Shabani, in the southern part of the country. Mr Todd and Judith were ■arrested on the farm on January 18. 1972, and held withlout trial in prison for five weeks before being allowed Ito return home. , On July 13, 1972, the Gov'ernment gave Miss Todd permission to leave Rhodesia and she flew to London on the understanding that if she

returned she would again be; restricted. The reasons for the Todds’ detention under the Law and Order Maintenance Act have never been disclosed. At the time, the Pearce Commission was canvassing public opinion on the i acceptability of 1971 pro-[ posals for an AngloRhodesian constitutional settlement.