War-time Warmington

A War-Time Wedding, 1941

John Neal’s parents married during the second world war. The bride, Winnie, was the daughter of Mrs Wootton of Chapel Cottage and the groom, Fred Neal, was the son of Mr and Mrs Walter Neal of Manor Farm. Several Greetings Telegrams arrived on the happy day.

One of the telegrams

The wedding gifts, from relatives, Methodist and Anglican friends and from many, many people in the village are redolent of their period. Typically too the donors are listed by title, for example Mr and Mrs, rather than by Christian names. In the attached list villagers are marked (v). The bride later related that ‘the whole village’ chipped in from their ration books to provide for the wedding
reception in the village hall.

The Wedding Gifts

Clock, Mum – Granny Wootton (Winnie’s mother)

Chairs, Mum – Granny Neal (Fred’s mother)

Pig, Dad – Fred’s father

Tablecloth, Nellie – Winnie’s sister

Bolster Slips, Rene – Margaret, Winnie’s sister

Tea Service, Dorothy – Winnie’s sister

Companion Set, Granny – Granny Ward from Brackley (Winnie’s grandmother)

Tablecloth, Auntie Jinnie, Annie – Winnie’s aunts from Brackley

Towel, Auntie Edie – from Banbury

Household Linen, Auntie Lizzie (Wootton)- Winnie’s aunt from Hastings

Table Mats, Una – Winnie’s cousin from Hastings

Sheets, Mrs Eden  (v)

Spoons, George Eden  (v)

Tea Cosy, Ethel Jarvis  (v)

Tablecloth, Tea Serviettes, Miss Freeman  (v)

Money, Mr Freeman  (v)

Set of Jugs, Mrs J Haynes  (v) (wife of Joe Haynes)

Tea and egg cosy covers, Mrs H Haynes  (v)

Cake stand, Mr and Mrs J Gardner – Mr Gardner was a stone mason from Hornton.  Helped W.E. Neal (Fred’s father) rebuild cowsheds at Manor Farm

Table Knives, Mrs Nock

”
”         Miss Milner

Set of Carvers, Mrs Jobson  (v)

Desert Forks, Miss H Watson  (v)

Clothes Brush Stand, Auntie Lily – Fred’s aunt

Tablecloth, Phyliss – husband Ernie (Fred’s cousin) killed during the war.

Preserves, Edie – (Welford) – Fred’s cousin

Apples, Will – (Welford) – Fred’s cousin

Treasury Note, Mrs Phillips  (v)

Teapot, Mrs E Taylor  (v) – lived in Chapel Street

Dinner Service, Uncle Fred – Fred’s uncle, farmed at Brearley

Tea Strainer, Mrs Neill – school teacher with evacuees from Coventry

Glass Dish, Mrs Furber  (v) – Miss Freeman’s sister

Money, Spoons, Mrs Seage  (v) – lived at Glen Farm

Tea Cosy Cover, Towels, Uncle Jim – Winnie’s uncle from Farnborough

Tray, Mrs Truss – Hilda, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Seage of Glen Farm

Glass Jug, Mrs Bull  (v)

Marmalade Pot, Mrs Franklin  (v)

Butter Dish, Louie Timms  (v)

Butter Dish, Mrs Taylor  (v)

Cruet, Miss Morris  (v) – school teacher from Warmington

Tea Service, Miss Dumoloc – Mrs Hadland’s sister (Winnie worked as a maid for Hadlands)

Eiderdown, Bedspread, Mrs H and Jane – Mrs Hadland (Winnie’s employer) and her daughter

Treasury Note, Mr Hadland

Tablecloth, Mr Williams  – colporteur – well known for his Christian book stall at Banbury market

Tablecloth, Miss Milner

Set of Kitchen Tins, Ethel Cleaver  (v)

Tea Cloth, Mrs C Castle  (v) – Bernard Castle’s mother

Oak Table, Kath. Frank – (Daniels) – Fred’s cousin and his wife, lived at Hall Green, Birmingham

Jam Dish, Cousin Mable

Pyrex Dishes, Mr Mrs Harriss – assume friends of Walter Neal from Henney St., Birmingham

Cheque and silver, Mrs Jenkins – Fred’s mother was a lady’s companion to the Misses Jenkins before her marriage to Fred’s father.

Hearthrug, Misses Jenkins

Electric Iron, Mrs Ellis Senior – farmers at Gaydon, friends of Walter Neal

Scroll, Mrs N Ellis – Norman Ellis farmed at Northend, father of Ridley Ellis

Tea Knives, Auntie Annie – (Walton) – Fred’s cousin farmed at Winderton

Fruit Set, Dan and Michael– (Walton) – Fred’s cousins farmed at Winderton

Tea Service, Mr and Mrs R Ellis – Ray Ellis, best man at wedding, was a farmer at Chacombe and Thorpe Mandeville in the 1950s/1960s

Cruet, Mrs Parry

Cruet, Mrs Mayo

Cheque, Rev Bateson – superintendent of the Banbury Methodist circuit, conducted the wedding

Treasury Notes, Auntie Fan – Fred’s aunt from Stratford-upon-Avon

Tablecloth, Rev Mrs Simpson  (v) – lived at the Rectory, Warmington

Tablecloth, Uncle Arthur – Winnie’s uncle from Northampton

Jam Dish, Mr J Griffin – assume farmer – cattle and horse dealer

Teapot, Hot Water Jug, Uncle Peter – brother of Granny Neal – farmer and Methodist local preacher on Stratford-upon-Avon circuit for 60 years

Picture, Mr and Mrs Coles  (v) – managed the shop and post office at Warmington

Fruit Set, Mrs Bachelor  (v)

Hymn Books, Rev Mrs Brackenbury – Cliff College evangelist, retired to Kings Sutton

Electric Fire, Mr Wells

Cushion Covers, Mr and Mrs C Ellis

Barometer, Mr Smith, Mr C Ellis

Teapot Stand and Strainer, Mrs W Walton – Fred’s cousin, farmer from Dorsington

Book, Miss Fry

Treasury Note, Mr Hughes

Tablecloth, Joan, David, Rosemary

Sheets, Mr Mulveen

Bread Board, Florrie – Winnie’s sister

Tea Knives, George – Winnie’s brother

Forks (dinner), Fred – Winnie’s brother

Burmese bowl, Nora – (Hazelwood), a school friend of Winnie’s, later Nora Hicks

Winnie’s two sisters, Margaret and Dorothy, bought her the wedding dress as a present, to enable her to have a white wedding.  Dorothy bought it at Leicester when she was on holiday as she and Winnie were about the same size.  She was delighted with it and it fitted her perfectly. (The dress was later used by her sister Margaret for her wedding.)

The headdress and veil were borrowed from her sister-in-law, Elsie, (George’s wife).

The journey to Weston-super-mare for their honeymoon wasn’t easy as all signposts had been removed!

Their first home was at what is now known as ‘Little Dene’, Warmington.