22nd November 1947 SA

LORD AND LADY HARROWBY

Diamond Wedding Celebrations

KING’S TRIBUTE TO DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

The Diamond Wedding on Sunday of the Earl and Countess of Harrowby was marked by congratulatory messages from the King and Queen and from communities and organisations throughout Staffordshire. Lord Harrowby has served the county with distinction as Lord Lieutenant for the past 20 years, and Lady Harrowby has also brought a gracious presence to her association with many good causes.

His Majesty’s telegram, sent from Buckingham Palace, ran: “The Queen and I send our warmest congratulations to Lady Harrowby and yourself on the celebration of the 60th anniversary of your wedding. It gives me especial pleasure to hear of this happy event in the life of one who for 20 years has given such distinguished service to my father and myself as Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire.”

Because of their diamond wedding celebrations Lord and Lady Harrowby were unable to accept their Majesties’ invitation to the afternoon party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, and at Princess Elizabeth’s wedding on Thursday.

During the week-end Lord and Lady Harrowby entertained a house-party at Sandon Hall their guests including Viscount and Viscountess Sandon, Lady Frances Ryder, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ryder (representing the Hon. A.D. and Mrs. Ryder), Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ryder (the Hon. Edward and Lady Maud Ryder), Miss Katherine Acland (the Dowager Viscountess Hambledon) Mr. and Mrs. Angus Campbell (representing Lord Colgrain), the Lady Forster and Mrs. Molloy—two of Lady Harrowby’s bridesmaids at her marriage in 1887—and the Hon. Dudley Ryder.

On Sunday morning Lord and Lady Harrowby with their guests attended a service of thanksgiving at Sandon Church, with which Lord Harrowby’s family has been closely associated as patrons for more than 150 years. They were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. W. Alcock, two old Sandon residents who were also celebrating their diamond wedding, and were received by the Bishop of Stafford (the Right Rev. L.D. Hammond) and the Rev. W.B. Buckland (vicar of Sandon), the procession entering the church to the strains of the Bridal March from “Lohengrin” played by Mr. E.R. Bridgeman (organist). There was a large attendance of tenantry. The lessons were read by Lord Sandon and the Hon. Dudley Ryder, and Messrs. Brittain Adams and J.H. Cadman (churchwardens) were in attendance.

Among the congregation was Sandon’s oldest inhabitant, Mr. J. Wright, who is 99. He and his wife were invited to tea at Sandon Hall this week.

UNIQUE OCCASION

The Vicar, who conducted the service, referred to the great nature of the occasion, observing that he did not know when two diamond weddings had been celebrated on the same day in the same parish before. They gave thanks, he said, for two happy homes, for faithfulness, loyalty and love enjoyed through many years and growing as the years passed, and for all that home life and human affection, faith and loyalty meant in their lives and to the nation and the world.

In an informal address, the Bishop of Stafford expressed his pleasure at sharing in the day’s rejoicings and thanksgiving and said it was a privilege for them all to take part in a service based on Christian truth and Christian foundations. As in Christ’s day so today in married life there was the same consideration of fellow-ship and service, the same escape from a sense of isolation and being alone, the same opportunity of mutual help and comfort one with the other, and that day they gave thanks for two such marriages which took place 60 years ago.

“It is not as an alarmist but as a realist that I say to you that it is this very foundation of our national greatness in the past which is in danger,” continued the Bishop. It was strange, but nevertheless true, that if dictatorships were to find any real progress they must do three things—destroy the idea of God, destroy as far as possible the Church and destroy the home and the family.

NEED FOR HOMES

Today they heard a great deal about the shortage of houses, and he had no doubt it was true, but the real thing the nation was suffering from was not a lack of bricks and mortar or labour to build houses, but homes. The State, in course of time, would build houses, no doubt, but it was the work of the Church to make homes. Family life had been the foundation of their national greatness, integrity and uprightness, and it was a matter of concern to them to remember that Nazi Germany was able to exercise dictatorial powers, persecution and cruelty and yet did so within the borders of a nation which for many years put home and family life in the forefront of its priorities of values.

Following the service, Lord and Lady Harrowby planted a commemorative oak in the park near Sandon Hall, close to the trees which commemorate their silver and golden weddings. They were photographed at the Hall with members of the house-party and with Mr. and Mrs. Alcock, and afterwards, Lady Harrowby presented Mrs. Alcock with a Bible in four volumes, while Lord Harrowby handed them a diamond wedding cake.

On Monday Sandon schoolchildren and the teaching staff visited Sandon Hall to see the wedding cakes.

DEPUTY LIEUTENANTS’ GIFTS

Deputy Lieutenants of the county paid their tribute at a reception held at the County Buildings, Stafford, on Tuesday, when Lord and Lady Harrowby were presented with a Morocco bound congratulatory address on vellum and a miniature of Charles II.

The Lord Lieutenant and Lady Harrowby, who were accompanied by Lord and Lady Sandon, were received by the Earl of Lichfield (Vice Lieutenant) and the presentations were made by the Earl of Dartmouth. Arrangements for the function were made by a committee under the chairmanship of Lieut.-Col. Sir Herbert Hunter, and an attractive scheme of floral decoration had been carried out in the Oak and White Rooms which were used for the occasion.

Lord Dartmouth said the address represented the feelings of which they were all deeply conscious. It recorded the Deputy Lieutenants’ deep appreciation of the distinguished service rendered by Lord and Lady Harrowby to the county, particularly during Lord Harrowby’s 20 years of office as Lord Lieutenant. The address continued:

“We recognise that the period of your Lieutenancy has been a most critical one in the history of the nation, and that you and Lady Harrowby have carried out with outstanding success and selfless devotion your many and onerous duties in a manner which is a striking example of public service.”

Their thoughts as Deputy Lieutenants, Lord Dartmouth said, were centred mainly on the work Lord and Lady Harrowby had done in connection with his Lord Lieutenancy—many and varied duties which they had performed with conspicuous success—and they also recognised their unselfish thoughtfulness in dealing with others. Staffordshire had many and varied interests but they were all united in their desire to pay a worthy tribute to the Lord Lieutenant and his Lady. He referred to the magnificent example which Lord and Lady Harrowby had set throughout 60 years of all that was best in family life, an example which, if universally followed, would do a great deal to solve many of the difficult problems of today. It must be a joy and happiness to them to know that their fine example of public service was being worthily followed by the second and third generations.

Lord Harrowby, who was cordially received, acknowledged the presentations and said from generation to generation his family had tried to do their duty, and such gifts as he and lady Harrowby had received that day might inspire their successors to follow suit. He expressed particular pleasure at the gift of the miniature, remarking that it would take the place of some of those stolen after their golden wedding celebrations. He felt himself fortunate in having such a body of Deputy Lieutenants; he was proud of them and of what they had done. Confessing that he owed everything to his wife, Lord Harrowby said for 60 years she had been his right hand, pointing the way of duty, and he wished to say publicly that he owed her a debt of gratitude.

Lady Harrowby, who also responded, said she thought the secret of their happiness had been that they had worked together. She believed that husbands and wives should work together as much as possible; she and Lord Harrowby had worked together for the greatest county in England. Referring to their association with the Council for the Preservation of Rural England, Lady Harrowby remarked that, according to the War Office, the county was to be cut up “into bits”—not only were there threats to Cannock Chase and Dovedale but to the Churnet Valley as well, and she thought I was time something was done for Staffordshire which had been described as the prettiest county in England.

Lord and Lady Harrowby’s tenants and staff on their Sandon and Norton (Gloucestershire) estates are to present them with a portrait of Lord Sandon.

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