The following article was published in the Leinster Express on the 16th March 1895, and is quoted here verbatim:

“The marriage of Miss Lillie Graydon Smith, Baltiboys, Blessington, only daughter of the late Captain Graydon Smith, 7th Royal Fusiliers, and Thomas R.A. Stannus (Captain 4th Battalion Leinster Regiment), only son of James Stannus, Esq.,J.P., The Elms, Portarlington, Queen’s Co., took place on Tuesday, March 5th, at Blessington Church, before a large and fashionable gathering. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. T. Edwards, Rector of the Parish of Blessington. The bride, who was given away by her Godfather, Mr Graydon, was dressed in a very becoming and handsome white moiré silk dress, with a full court train of white satin, edged with swandown, and fastened at the shoulders with orange blossoms and lilies of the valley. Her ornaments consisted of a beautiful pearl necklace and pins (gift of her mother.) After the ceremony the guests were entertained by Mrs Graydon Smith at Baltiboys, where a sumptuous luncheon for over sixty people had been prepared. The wedding presents were many and beautiful, and were tastefully laid out in the library for inspection. The bridal party left for Sallins in the afternoon, “en route” for abroad, where they will spend the honeymoon. The bride’s travelling dress was a smart fawn-coloured coat and skirt, trimmed with bronze plush, and a silk blouse with which she wore a becoming velvet picture hat and feathers.“

A great many changes take place over a period of a century and a quarter, and so it is with this piece. I looked in vain for a mention of any mothers there might have been but found none. The bride and her ensemble took centre stage. The groom supposedly wore something or other as well. The guest numbers were manageable. A crowd would very likely have assembled outside the church to watch what they knew would be a good show put on by the gentry. (I had never heard of ‘swandown’ before – had heard of ‘eiderdown’.)

The couple were blessed with four children, all born at Baltiboys, one of whom was the world famous ballerina Ninette de Valois.

Any comments or questions would be welcome: To contact Jim Corley please click here

image_printPrintable