Three Weddings

Here you will find three wedding tales. They were posted in the paper together and tell of some very diverse couples and their wedding escapades. It begins with a story of first love, which, through the circumstances of life, required 36 years to come to fruition. The second is a story of an elderly couple and a clever friend who forbade their marriage. The last story is of a wedding that did not take place due to the wickedness of the groom. Three assorted tales, brought together in The Times of October 13, 1821. 

The Times, Saturday, Oct 13, 1821; pg. 2; Issue 11376; col E

It reads:
FIRST LOVE. - Yesterday week was married at St. John's church, Chester, Mr. Robert Mercer, of Henburn-bridge, near this town, to Miss Jemima Morris, of Chester. The parties should have been married 36 years ago. The bridegroom has since been married, and had 18 children by the first wife. He had not seen his present wife for 35 years before Monday last, when he met her at Chester, and married her the following morning. - Blackburn Mail.

I wonder what events took place 36 years before this, that led Mr. Robert Mercer to marry another. I would like to think that Miss Jemima Morris had a happy life in the interim, even if she was not the one to bear him 18 children!

BANS FORBIDDEN. - Sunday, the 23d ult., after the clergyman of Scredington, near Sleaford, had published the bans of a couple of parishioners, a blithe widow rose up, and with "an audible voice" forbade the same. Much surprise was of course excited amongst the congregation, and bursts of laughter followed, the forbidder and the forbidden being all above threescore years of age. 

This couple was above threescore years of age, so they were over 60 years old. I can picture this happening, and it makes me smile.

CURIOUS BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE. - Wednesday afternoon an occurrence of rather an extraordinary nature took place in Lambeth Marsh. A young couple who had been attached to each other for some time, were to have been that day married at Christchurch; and matters had gone so far, that the girl had left her place, purchased a wedding-ring, and her friends had prepared a feast for the occasion. The bridegroom paid a visit to his affianced wife early in the morning, and under some pretence obtained the wedding-ring for a moment, and then managed to leave the house unperceived. This created no alarm, but he did not return. At length it became too late to have the ceremony celebrated that day, and great apprehensions were entertained for the young man's safety, whilst the young woman was ready to sink with grief and disappointment. At length it was suggested to go in quest of him, and after a laborious search, he was found by the girl and her brother and a number of other men. A scene of mutual recrimination then took place, and the poor girl went into hysterics, whilst her faithless lover made a precipitate retreat to avoid the vengeance of her brother. However, his relative who remained behind took up the cudgels in his defence, and the two men instantly proceeded to the little field near the Coburg Theatre (right hand side of the new road), where, after an obstinate contest, victory was proclaimed for the fair sex. It was afterwards discovered that the worthless fellow had pawned the ring, and spent the money which he got for it. 

I suppose the success of two out of three will have to suffice!