INTERESTING WEDDING AT DESBOROUGH.
23rd AUGUST 1899
A wedding, in which much local interest was centred, took place at
Desborough on Wednesday afternoon, the contracting parties being Mr.
Frederick Thomas Riley, the only son of the late Mr. Benjamin Riley,
shoe manufacturer, and Miss Lily* Humfrey, the eldest daughter of the
late Mr. Richard Humfrey, of the Laurels, Desborough. The ceremony took
place by special licence at St. Giles' Church, at two o'clock, and was
witnessed by a large concourse of friends and parishioners. The bride,
who was given away by her eldest brother (Mr. John Humfrey), was attired
in a handsome dress of pale biscuit colour, trimmed with pale blue silk
and passementerie. She wore a picture hat to match, and carried a white
shower bouquet of exotics, with streamers. The bridesmaids were
Miss
Alice Humfrey (sister) and
Miss Riley (sister of the bridegroom) and
they were attired in dresses of white muslin over turquoise blue, and
also wore white picture hats, carrying white shower bouquets and wore
pearl brooches, the gift of the bridegroom. Mr. Rodhouse, of Kettering,
officiated in the capacity of best man.
Mrs Humfrey (the bride's mother)
and Mrs. Riley (the mother of the bridegroom) both wore dressed of black
silk trimmed with chiffon. The interior of the church had been nicely
decorated by Mrs. Gibbons. The officiating clergyman was the vicar of
the parish (the Rev. P. J. Boyer). Mr. Arthur Page, organist of the
Congregational Church, presided at the organ, and played appropriate
selections both before and after the ceremony. Subsequently a reception
took place at The Laurels, the wedding breakfast being supplied by
Messrs. Reesby and Palmer, of Kettering. The workpeople of Mr. Riley
were also entertained to wine and cake at the Oddfellows' Hall during
the afternoon, the interior of that building nicely decorated.
Subsequently the whole of the employes [sic], numbering between 400 and 500
sat down to dinner in the Hall. Shortly after four o'clock the happy
pair left for Kettering, and travelled by the 4.50 express for London,
en route for Lynton, where the honeymoon will be spent. The presents
were a numerous and handsome collection.
Northampton Mercury,
Friday 25 August 1899
*Note: All census and BMD records give the bride's name as Eliza Ann