Two S.I. farmers plan to marry peers’ daughters

Press, 12 October 1985, Page 19

Two S.I. farmers plan to marry peers’ daughters

By

KEN COATES

' Two of Britain’s modern young aristocrats, Lady Olivia, aged 22, daughter of the Marquis of Headfort, and Lady Caroline, aged 20, youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Rosebery, came to New Zealand and fell in love with successful young farmers. Within a couple of weeks, they have both announced their engagements — Lady Olivia to David Waddy, aged 29, of Mirza Downs, Ward, Marlborough, whom she met at a polo tournament; and Lady Caroline to David Caldwell, of Winchenden, Cheviot. After weddings in Britain next year, both couples will return to live on their respective husband’s family properties. A son of Mr J. D. Caldwell, who hosted the ninth world Hereford conference in Christchurch, David, also aged 29, was almost overwhelmed by a request that he talk publicly about his Impending marriage into the Rosebery family.

His fiancee is more than 19,000 km away in England and he has declined to discuss their engagement publicly. The Countess of Rosebery, from her ancestral home of Dalmeny House just outside Edinburgh, expressed enthusiasm — for the prospective bridegroom, his parents, North Canterbury, and New Zealand.

Lady Caroline Sara Frances Primrose (the family name) is the youngest of four daughters, two of whom are married. In the happier position of having his fiancee in New Zealand, David Waddy was not at all inhibited about discussing what he clearly regards as his exceeding good fortune.

It was when she was grooming, and he was watching his brother, Michael, play polo at Culverden last year, that they first met. Lady Olivia returned to London, David went for a visit, but did not

like it much — "too many people.” In January, Lady Olivia visited New Zealand again and met up with David once more. “She will settle down very well

here as she loves farm life, and horses, of course,” David said. They will live op the family’s sheep and cattle farm. Lady Olivia would retain her title, he said firmly. The sixth Marquis of Headfort, Sir Thomas Geoffrey Charles Michael Taylour, inherits an Irish title, but lives in retirement in the Philippines. Thomas Taylour, the first Marquis of Headfort, was M.P. for Kells, Longford and County Meath, and was created an Irish peer in 1800. The family has links with royalty through the Spencers, Lady Diana’s parents. The present marquis, educated at Cambridge, was sales manager and chief pilot for the Lancashire Aircraft Company. In the unmistakably cultured tones of her class, Lady Olivia sounded collected and quite at ease about the prospect of life on a New Zealand farm. “I was brought up in the country,

being born and raised in Ireland,” she said. The family moved to England where she went to school. She enjoys competitive riding, and would not trade country life for a job in the city. Lady Olivia speaks from experience, as she decided to take an intensive course in cooking in London, “mainly because I thought it good to have a qualification.” She made good use of her talents working for a firm catering for directors' lunches in the City of London. New Zealanders, she finds, are hospitable and friendly, though slightly conservative. "Maybe you don’t find as many crazy ideas here as in England,” she said, giving the impression she does not really want to discuss her observation further. The couple plan to marry in London in March or April.