Beatrice Ingpen's Wedding - St Peter's Anglican Church, Waipawa - 1911

An Artists Impression of Frank & Trixie (based on photographs where they are older)

On 30 December 1911,  Beatrice Ingpen married Francis James (Frank) Howie at St Peter's Church, Waipawa.   She was 21 and Frank, a labourer from Palmerston North was 25.  Little is known about the event, other than what can be gleaned from details on the Marriage Entry.   Ernest had died three years earlier, but Emily's presence at the wedding is confirmed by her signature on the Marriage entry.   She was one of the two witnesses.

St Peters Anglican Church (pre-1934)
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, (ref. 35-R1519)

A copy of the Marriage entry from 1911

Transcription :
Details from the Marriage Entry11/7907
1911.  Marriages in the District of Waipawa
No.33 : Dec 30th 1911, St Peters Church, Waipawa
Francis James HOWIE, 25, Labourer, Bachelor, Birthplace Canterbury NZ, Usual Place of Residence : Palmerston North
Parents : William HOWIE, Station Master and Elizabeth HOWIE nee Unwin.
Maud Beatrice INGPEN, 21, Spinster, Birthplace : Waipawa, NZ [??]
Parents : Ernest Henry INGPEN, School Master and Emily Beatrice INGPEN nee Merton.
Rev. H.P.Crux was the officiating minister.                                Witnesses : Emily B. Ingpen, of Waipawa and E.G.Wooley of Newbury, School Teacher. 

As to the other witness, Mr E.G.Woodley of Newbury, some quick checks showed that he was connected to Frank.   The electoral roll for the same year, provided his full name,  Ernest George Woodley, a school teacher.  A search for him at NZ BDM online, provided us with his age, he was 22, and Frank being 25, close enough in age, they were probably very good friends.











Registration Number Family Name          Given Name(s)          Mother                        Father 
1889/18479           Woodley           Ernest               Mary Ann          Charles

The mention of Newbury helped establish the connection as well, this is where Frank's family also lived in 1911.  His mother Elizabeth, was the teacher at the Newbury School.    A newspaper article that referred to the Newbury School Annual Picnic held earlier that year, provided further confirmation.

A number of names have been underlined in yellow.  Mrs Howie, Frank's Mother is mentioned as well as his younger sister Dorothy and brother Hubert. All the other names, the Woodleys - Amy, Alice, Agnes and Cyril were all Ernest Woodley's siblings.  They were all children of Charles and Maryann Woodley.  They were two large families, with children of similar age, living in a small rural community, aside from the fact that Frank's Mother was the local teacher.   

Registration Number Family Name           Given Name(s)         
Parents

1897/12460          Woodley, Amy Florence     
(Mary Ann &Charles)
1898/11478          Woodley, Alice                   
(Mary Ann &Charles)           
1900/03026          Woodley, Agnes Emily
(Mary Ann & Charles)         
1903/03886          Woodley, Cyril Leonard     
(Mary Ann & Charles)

Now this doesn't help us much in terms of tracking footprints of this momentous occassion for Beatrice.  There are no newspaper announcements, nor surviving memorabilia at this stage.  All that can be said was that it was a Church wedding in Waipawa, and at least 5 people were present.

• The Officiating Minister - Reverend Crux
• The Groom - Francis James Howie
• The Bride - Beatrice Ingpen
• The 1st Witness/Mother of the Bride - Emily Ingpen 
• The 2nd Witness/ possible Bestman - Ernest Woodley

This doesn't say that there weren't more people there that day,  perhaps more footprints will show up some day.     To conclude, below is a picture of what St Peter's Anglican Church looks like today.  According to the St Peter's Church Facebook Page,  stone veneer cladding was placed over the wooden structure in 1934.