William and Mary's marriage was obviously a great partnership, as they started out with very little. Courage certainly, optimism, patience and a great enduring strength for work and they must have been very practical. With a house full of children to organise, a handful of tree cuttings, a pocketfull of seeds, pips and nuts, with their love and caring for one another, they made a wonderful world for themselves.

It all sounds so very romantic but behind this story lie the furrowed brows, workworn hands, the tell tale rheumatic joints and premature wrinkled skins. Their children were all healthy, most of them married into farming or farm related work and businesses. All were able to look back and say, "Mum and Dad were a great couple and God must have blest them to let them live long enough to look back on so much.

Success they had in their small way, but as they grew old and their families moved away, the farm became too much for William. He sold off a portion to ease the load.

It is nice to know the old homestead "Ladymoor" which housed a great little family, still stands - clear, clean and solid, like the pioneer who built it.

Back row: Sarah and Tom Mattingley; Anne and William Guilford; Frank Guilford; Polly and Bill Cross; Lucy and Dan McInnes; Bob Guilford; Bill and Edith Benbow; George Guilford; Alice and Jim Benbow; Bob and Lizzie Trumper and baby Lucy

Third Row: Liz, Hetta and Gert Guilford; Amy Mattingley; Ruth Benbow, Alice Guilford

Second Row: May Guilford, Edith Mattingley; Louisa Trumper; William and Mary Trumper; Violet Trumper; Jack Benbow; Sam and Jim Trumper

Front Row: Ted Guilford; Ben Trumper; Will Guilford; Will Benbow; Cecil Guilford; Tom Mattingley; Emily Benbow; Lettie Trumper; Ernie and Chris Mattingley; Mabel Cross; Herb Benbow; Ida Benbow; Tot McInnes; Eva Benbow; Bertha Cross; Mary Trumper; Archie McInnes; Elle Cross; Dot Guilford; Percy and Reg Benbow; Lesley Trumper is obscured behind foliage in front) 

(Henry Guilford although not yet born at the time of the Golden Weddng, 1898, inherited this photo from his father Frank, and was able to name all in it for the 1973 reunion.) 

 

Thankyou Bev McInnes for the Newspaper Account from "Temuka Leader" dated 12/11/1898