MARRIAGE OF THE LADY MAYORESS OF LONDON IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 5019, 17 December 1877, Page 3

MARRIAGE OF THE LADY MAYORESS OF LONDON IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

Thk marriage of the Lady Mayoress (Miss Rda Louisa White), (laughter of the Lord Mayor, with Mr. Cecil Herbert Thornton Price was solemnised a few weeks ago, at St. Paul's Cathedral, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, .assisted by the Bishop of hly, Canon Liddon, the Rev. W. C. F. Webber, the Rev. J. M. Robertson (Chaplain to the Lord Mayor), and the Rev. W. S. H. Meadows, Vicar of Chigwell. The fact that a wedding had not taken place iu the cathedral for 120 years (the last marriage recorded is dated February 1755) gave additional interest to the ceremony, and although the building was thronged from eud to end an immense number of applicants for tickets were necessarily refused. The weather was bright and genial, and when the carriage from the Mansion House reached, the cathedral a loud cheer from the crowd told those who were within that the bride had arrived. Within the church were a large number of ; the friends of the chief magistrate. The bride was attended, by 16 bridesmaids, namely, her sister, Mibs Florence White, Miss Curtis, Miss Kate "White and Miss Wilson (her coußins), Miss Annie Foy, Miss Mabel Foy, Miss Fairclough, Miss Hadley, Mias Stranack, Miss Hubbuck, Miss Margetson, Miss Kennedy, Miss Tegner, Miss E. I Smith, Miss Mills, and Miss A. Mills. At a few minutes before noon the Cathe- j dral choir, with the Sub-Dean, the Rev. W. C. F. Webber, walked from the altar to the west door to meet the bridal party, and preceded them up the nave singing Keble's well-known hymn, "The voice that breathed o'er Eden." It was sung to the tune by the late Dr. Gauntlett, with which it is associated in " Hymns Ancient and Modern." The effect of the singing as the voices of the vicars choral blended in the simple yet beautiful harmony with the treble of the boj ? s was very good, and when at last the choir gates were reached, and the organ, was heard on the final chord, the choristers had stood the test so well that there was not the slightest deflection from the pitch—a result so remarkable that it is worthy of notice. When the procession reached the appointed place outside the choir, where the bridegroom was standing with his friends, the Archbishop and the Bishop of Ely advanced, and the Bishop at once commenced the address to the congregation, which not only filled the choir in every part, but stretched far away to the west door. The questions to the bride and bridegroom, for whom kneeling cushions had been placed on the steps, were asked by the Archbishop, who completed this part of the service, and " pronounced them man and wife together ' in the solemn formula which again includes the congregation as witnesses to the contract. The first part of the service having thus taken place, in accordance with the rubric. tf in the body of the church," the officiating clergy walked in procession to the altar, followed by the uewly wedded couple, the choir singing Psalm exxviii, " Blessed are all they that fear the Lord," to a chant by Cutler, Dr. Stainer playing the accompaniment. The scene when the procession had reacehed the sacrarium was remarkably brilliant. Un the north side of the altar stood the Archbishop, while behind his Grace were I his chaplain, Mr. Davidson, Canon Liddon, and the prebendaries. On the south side were the Bishop of Ely and the other clergy ; while in the foreground, kneeling on one of the lower steps, were the bride and bridegroom, behind them stood two little girls, the youngest of the bridesmaids, their companions being ranged on either side. Nor was the picture in the choir less noteworthy, the bright dresses of the ladies, in which j pink and blue were the prevailing colours, i standing out in contrast to the oak of the | stall. Looking eastward, the large altar, with its vases of flowers and cross, also | wreathed with white blossoms, was a prominent feature in the picture, the dark green of the tropical plants and trees which reared their heads as high as the sacrarium hangings , being relieved by the festoons of white, while at the base were some choice pot [lowers of every hue. The service was then proceeded with, the Sub-Dean singing the versicles with the choir. L'hese ended, I Canon Liddon, standing before the altar, said the three succeeding prayers of the group, the last being said by the Archbishop. The long exhortation which follows was divided into two parts at the point which the text naturally suggests, the first part being read by Mr. Roberton, and the sccond, on the wife's duty to her husbaud, by Mr. Meadows. This closes the ofEce in the prayer-book, but the Primate now took his place before the altar and pronounced a final benediction.

After the service the bride and bridegroom left the sacrarium for the signature of the register, and having returned to their places the procession made its way to the west door, where the crowd, which had increased in numbers, was waiting to receive it. On the return to the Mansion House, the guests were entertained at a breakfast in the Egyptian Hall, where the bride-cake was cut w'ith a silver sword. The marriage presents are both costly aud numerous, it will, doubtless, interest our lady readers to be made aware of the fact that the bride's dress, from Lyons, was a white satin Princess robe, with a rich white court train four yards long from the "waist, a*id brocaded down the back with rosebuds and forget menots. The front, as well as the back, was cut all in one, with a row of orange blossoms on either side, from the shoulders, and a large bouquet of the same flower on one side of the petticoat. The veil, haudkerchief, aud trimming of the bouquet, as well as of the dress, was of Brussels point lace. The shoes, from Paris, were made of white satin, hand-painted, with a design of orange blossoms and myrtle. The dresses of the sixteen bridesmaids were petticoats aud trains of Rose du Barri silk, aud these young ladies all wore wreaths.

After the honeymoon, the Lady Mayoress was to return to the Mansion House, to preside with the Lord Mayor until the 9th of November. A deputation, 150 in number, from the Courts of AUlrrmen aud Common Council waited upon the Lady Mayoress at the Mansion House, on tho day preceding the ceremony, and presented her with a splendid service of plate, of the value of upon her approaching marriage. The presentation was made on the part of the Corporation by Mr. Alderman Fiunis, who expressed the pleasure with which they had witnessed the able and gracious way in which tho Lady Mayoress had discharged thn duties of her ofiiuu. irlc added that the Lady Mayoress would enter married life with the sincorest wishes of every member of the Corporation. The Lord Mayor, in reply, tendered his warmest thanks to the Corporation for their very handsome gift, observing that his daughter, though young and quite inexperienced, h.vl succeeded in making a great many friends during her residence in the Mansion House. The deputation then withdrew. The Vintners* Company, of which the Lord Mayor is a member, then handed the Lady Mayoress a splendid gold necklace, with a diamond pendant, aud the Karriers' Company presented, later 00, a silver boudoir tea service and tray of Indian work. The officers of the Lord Mayor's household gave the Lady Mayoress a valuable operaglass.