▶Date of birth: 25 December 1883     Place of birth: Abersychan, Monmouthshire

▶Father: William Henry Davies       Mother: Sarah Elizabeth Richards

▶Spouse(s): Raby Macintyre Landale       Date(s) of marriage: 15 September 1914        Place(s) of marriage: St. Stephen’s Church, Cheltenham

▶Occupation: Solicitor (Colonial Civil Service)

▶Lifestory:  After his second daughter was born in Cheltenham in 1919 William and his family travelled to parts of the British Empire whilst he was in the Colonial Civil Service. They returned to live in Cheltenham in the mid 1930s, where William practised before taking over the practice run by Mr. W. Lock Mellersh in April 1938. That same year the family moved to The Grange, Marle Hill, Cheltenham.

*****************************************

Gloucestershire Echo 15 September 1914

Cheltenham Society Wedding

DAVIES—LANDALE.

Miss Raby Maclntyre Landale, daughter of Surg.-Gen. and Mrs. Langdale, of Dunholme, The Park, Cheltenham, was on Tuesday afternoon led to the altar at St. Stephen's Church by Mr. W. A. Noel Davies, son the late Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Davies, of Alsagh, Cheshire. Owing to the war and family circumstances the wedding, originally fixed for the last day of the month, was hurried on, and was quiet. It was none the less a ceremony in which much local interest centred, for the bride is one of the most popular of the young society ladies of the town and has been prominently connected with many of its social activities. She has, for instance, been concerned with her mother in the organisation of some of the big invitation balls at the Town-hall.

The ceremony was conducted the Rev. G. Griffith-Williams (uncle of the bridegroom) and Canon E. L. Jennings (vicar of St. Stephen’s). As upon the occasion of another society wedding at the same church recently there were, in deference to the wish of Canon Jennings, no floral decorations, these being deemed inappropriate to the crisis through which the nation is passing. The bride, who was given away by her father, was waited upon by one bridesmaid, her cousin, Miss Eileen Cole, and Mr. G. Clinton McIlquham gallantly bore the burden of the duties falling upon the shoulders of “best man”.

The bride wore a beautiful gown of ivory charmeuse satin, lined with shell pink. The bodice was composed entirely of lace over pink ninon, finished with hand embroidery in seed pearls. The skirt was arranged with a long tunic of old lace and satin train draped with lace and ninon and embroidered with pearls, and at the waist was arranged a handsome pearl garniture. The veil worn was of real old family lace. The bridesmaid’s dress was composed entirely of ivory lace and net, arranged with a low-cut bodice and smart, wide waist of oriental silk in rich petunia colourings, and ornamented with old paste buttons. With this was worn a hat of petunia moire, trimmed with the shadings of the waist. The bride’s mother wore a handsome gown of rich royal blue crepe meteor, becomingly arranged with drapings of silk broche chiffon velvet; the bodice trimmed with lace, and veiled ninon to tone; and hat on suite.

After the ceremony the parents of the bride received the party of about 150 friends at Dunholme, the Oriental Cafe Company (“Cosy Corner”) having charge of the catering for their entertainment. The same firm were also responsible for a beautiful wedding cake, in three tiers, with lace-work and floral treatment, and surmounted by a Parian vase with a bouquet of carnations.

The honeymoon will be spent in London, the bride’s going-away costume being smartly tailor-made in fine coating, trimmed with oriental velvet, with a skirt made in the new long-pleated tunic style, and a hat of blue velvet to match.

The bride’s and bridesmaid’s gowns and hats, and the dress worn the bride’s mother, were made by Cavendish House Co., Ltd.: also, all the bride’s trousseau gowns and travelling costume and hat, and several of the dresses of the guests.

Mr. H. H. Chandler, of 425 High-street. Cheltenham, built the tailor-made costumes in the trousseau.

▶Moved to Pittville from:       Moved from Pittville to: Green Acre, Charlton Park Gate (1942)

▶Date of death: 12 April 1968       Place of death: Richmond House, The Park, Cheltenham

▶Date of burial:   Place of burial:

▶Notes:   ID: 14389       Contributor(s): David Drinkwater