A Remarkable Wedding.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4546, 18 November 1882, Page 3

A Remarkable Wedding.

Cheat Chart, a village near Ashford, has been the scene of exoitement oomequent on the celebration of the marriages of two couples of well-known inhabitants. A considerable amount of interest had for tome days been manifested in the approaching marriage of Mr Henry Andrews, the parish churohwarden, and for many years the ocoupier of Chart Court Lodge, but now retired, with Mn Amelia Wood, the widow of a well-to-do publican of Great Chart. The bridegroom is not far from being an ootogenarian in yoars, and the bride would probably own to an age not far short of three score and ten. Upon the carriage conveying the pair and the bridesmaid, Mies Bingham, and the best man, Mr Winton, starting for the church from the bride's residence, a singular procession accompanied it. Ten well known inhabitants of the village, dressed in fancy costumes, each wearing a large sunflower in his button hole, were mounted oh a timber trolley. The barneßS of the horse, a somewhat lorry animal, was bound in white calico, and adorned with flowers of striking colours. On oach eide of the horse's head dangled bunches of carrots, and similar branches were suspended elsewhere. Hope-bine was also trailed plentifully round the horse, and the driver was mounted on a beer barrel. All entered the churoh with the elderly wedding folks, and behaved most demurely while the ceremony was performed, which took place in the fashionable part of the church, the centre. After the ceremony the trolley and its ocoupants followed the wedding carriage from the church to the residence of the parties, where a loud cheer was raised from some hundreds of people assembled. Several other incongruous vehicles such as batcher's, baker's, and other carts, took part in the procession from I the churob, and went afttrwards to the north corner of the street, where they saluted another elderly wedding party, Mr Charles Spearpoint having the same moraine been united to Mrs Caroline Benstead, widow, at the Wesleyan Chapel. Both were considerably over 70 years. Spearpoint was formerly a postman, but is now in possesssion of some property. In the afternoon there was fresh excitement as the newly married couples started on their wedding tours, and in the evening thore was a large display of fireworks in a meadow adjoining tho street.