CROWD AT CHRISTENING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1020, 10 July 1930, Page 10

CROWD AT CHRISTENING

POLICE FREE PASSAGE IN CHURCH

Hundreds of excited women caused trouble at the christening of the daughetr of Sir Neville and Lady Pearson (Miss Gladys Cooper), at Hiehgate. London. For an hour before the service wag to begin the women had been gather, ing. Nearly all had children in their arms or in perambulators. They got out of the control of the two police* men present, and swarmed in through the gates and filled the churchyard of St. Michael’s. When the Bishop of London and his chaplain arrived they found the way completely blocked. The two police* men managed to force a way for tha car, which drove at a foot's pace to the church door amid the screams of frightened children and the hysterical laughter of women, who pressed up to the car and peered at the Bishop. A rush of women who had crowde4 round Sir Neville's house in Highgatq Village signalled the arrival of Sir Neville and Lady Pearson with thd baby. Accompanied by Lady Pearson's two elder children. Master John and Joan Buckmaster. and Lady (Arthur) Pearson, they gained tha church, protected by two perspiring policemen. The crowd of women then surged unchecked into -the church, and crowded round the font, leaving no room at all for the godparents- In a loud voice the vicar ordered all the pepole to sit in the pew s or leave the church at once. It took the vergers ten minutes to bring them to soma sort of order. Sir James Barrie had slipped through the crowd entirely unnoticed to his place as godparent. The other god* parents were Sir Gerald du Maurier, Miss Maxine Elliott, for whom the Hon. Mrs. Inigo Freeman-Thornes stood proxy, and Countess Howe, for whom her daughter. Lady Georgian* Curzon, he as proxy. To Lady Georgiana fell the honoufl of handing the baby, a placid, darkhaired mite with, her mother's blue eye, to the Bishop of London, who gave her the one name. “Sally.” Tha baby wore a white embroidered robe, and was wrapped in two shawls, one gold and white and the other pale blue silk. Throughout the service she gazed intently at her mother, a radiant figure in a small beige hat and a black Persian lamb coat trimmed with sable. After the christening the baby was taken by Sir James Barrie. Her mother stepped forward to take her, but Sir James waved her back, and it was not until after the blessing that he handed the baby over to her mother. The beautiful and simple serried was sadly marred by the disgraceful behaviour of women who stood upon the pews, conversed in loud voices so that twice the Bishop was obliged to stop and look admonishinglv at them, dropped umbrellas and bags upon ths floor, and surged forward to see the baby before the service was cons eluded. Hurriedly Sir Neville and Lady Pearson, the baby and the godparents walked across to their house, where a tea-party was held. In the vain hope of seeing more of the baby many women and children stayed clinging to the house railings for half an hour until they were dispersed by the police.