A Stockton Wedding (Newspaper Cutting - Wedding 19th November 1906)

A large amount of interest centred in the wedding, which took place at St
Peters Church, Yarm Road, Stockton, on Monday morning, of Mr. H. Lawson
Laing, Accountant of High Street and Shaftsbury Street, Stockton to Miss
Annie Shipley, daughter of Mr Richard Shipley, Holland Fen, Dog Dyke,
Lincoln. The ceremony was performed by the Rev A J R Wheeler. The bride
wore a white cloth costume and hat to match and a gold chain, the gift of
the bride groom, and carried a bouquet of lilies of the valley,
stephanotis and chrysanthemums. She was given away by Mr John Roper of
Darfield, and was attended as bridesmaid by Miss Mary W Porter, cousin of
the bridegroom, who was attired in a cream costume with sable and cream
ha; she also wore a gold bracelet set with turquoises, the gift of the
bridegroom. Mr Ernest Laing, brother of the bridegroom, officiated as
best man. Mr Felix Cruse presided at the organ, an played appropriate
music, including Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" as the bridal party left
the church.

After the ceremony Mr and Mrs Lawson Laing left for Liverpool, many
friends assembling to witness their departure by the 11.24 am train from
Stockton. On Thursday the happy pair set sail in the ss "Suevic" (White
Start Line) and are due to arrive in Melbourne on January 4th, 1907. Mr
Lawson Laing having decided to make his future in Australia. He will be
very much missed by a number of institutions in Stockton, with which he
was actively connected, including the Literary and Philosophical society,
the Yarm Road Congregational Church and the Y.M.C.A. and he leaves a host
of friends behind him, who wish him every success in his new ventures.
Amongst the numerous presents received was a handsome dressing case, the
gift of the minister and teachers of Yarm-road congregational Sunday
School, of which Mr Laing has been secretary for many years.


They left on the s.s.Suevic on Thursday, 22nd November 1906 in Two-berth
inside rooms of Main deck - costing L23 each. Dec 12 Cape Town, next
port Dec 27 then Jan 1 arriving Melbourne Jan 4th (total mileage from
Cape town 4714)

He was born on 28th March 1871. His parents owned a Superior "tea
merchant" grocery store in the High St, Stockton on Tees. He went to
Middlesborough High School and was later apprenticed to become an
accountant. This involved a period spent with other young clerks, living
in, sitting on high stools, in a grocery store in Paris. He kept records
of all expenses in a notebook down to the last halfpenny or sou! I have
seen these but can't remember details except that I felt what a life!
What a waste of life in Paris! Highly disciplined and no fun.

He had several brothers and one sister, Jessie. (Phyl has tree). He was
named after a Herbert who died. He always signed himself H Lawson Laing,
but was called Bertie. He was a churchman and at that time, active in
church life. Story has it that someone pointed out young Annie Shipley,
a 17 year old school teacher, to him and said she'd be the one to marry.
He waited. 13 years. He would have been 35. He told about a firm of
accountants (or lawyers) called Hitchcock and Scratchitt in Stockton.
When this was not a joke, I would not have had the faintest idea why it
was funny. That I remember it and Phyllis doesn't shows something about
my mind? He was suppose to be delicate and likely to get TB as had his
dead sibling. This was behind the decision to come to Australia. He got
migraine type headaches and colds but nothing worse. He died of angina
pecloritis at the age of 70. He was quite happy to go then - 70 was the
allotted time. He and mother both died well. Wonderful examples.

To proceed. He and mother were married in Stockton., article notices in
newspaper etc, and took off in 1906 in the SS Suevic (sic) to Australia.
Encouraged by his friend Mr Holt, who wrote glowingly about life and
costs in Melbourne. On the boat they were taken as siblings and won the
whist championship.

He got employment in Melbourne and they set up house in Auburn. They had
4 children in 6 years and six years later they had their fifth - me.
They were elderly parents who always commanded respect and got it.. At
some time before 1919 they moved to Surrey Hills to a stationers and
library establishment. Father had trouble in employment. He wouldn't
cook the books for Gordon and Gotch and was probably too much of a
'bloody pom' anyway. Mother decided to supplement income. Business was
good. I had a nursemaid and later went to a private school. But as
father spent more time in the shop business became bad and it was the
depression too. He type a book about easy steps to Bookkeeping, but I
don't think it was ever even submitted for publication.

As I thought about all these memories I remembered another thing which
caused laughter I wondered why these occasions stood out. I think there
wasn't much laughter really and that is why these times were precious.
For the most part worry and hard work predominated the scene and at other
times Father and Mother both has their noses in books. Both parents
laughed at the song Phyl brought home from guides - "Sweetly sings the
donkey as he goes to grass, If you can sing as well as them, You're a
silly ass" (pronounced arse). Eee or Eee or. It was a round. With
Father all 'a's" were North Country. We had 'ants' not aunts.

He would judge public figures by where they had their hands. No
gentleman would speak to a lady (or audience) with his hands in his
pockets.

Father's father died when he was 6 (or so) and his mother took over the
business. "Jane Laing and Sons" and this would have been before the turn
of the century. Mother's father died when she was young and I suspect
this may be why we are strong women and our sons are gentle people.

Barbara Garrat, Uncle Ernest Laing's daughter has had the same thought.
Her son John and her brothers Geoffrey and Frank were gentle, non
aggressive types. I suppose macho men can be gentle too, I just don't
know. No keen sportsmen or the team type amongst them.

It is also interesting to speculate how much of the anger went
underground and came out directed at the "fools" that run the country,
never with the frustration itself or its cause.

Youngest of six children brothers William Joseph

Father died when 6 years old ie 1882 Her father was a horse doctor.

older brother 20 years older

William went to Australia in sailing ship

A sister was matron of an infirmary in the Fulham road and a high church
lady

One brother Joseph worked on the home farm or even alocal butcher shop

A brother nearest to her went to live in Boston Massacheusses no
children he
was a watch maker

Her aunt or Aunt and Uncle rented the local school which she left at
about 14
years She became a student teacher and made a point of never staying
anywhere
too long so that she had a lot of appointments all over England, Canada
(possibly Manitoba) and taught there for some time.


There is a town called Shipley not too far away in that region.

Had a fall about 16 years of aged. Developed epilepsy soon afterward.
Died of a brain tumor.