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Mary Beatrice Guilford & Edward Alexander Golding   Family Chart

Marriage Edward and May Golding

Marriage (Left to right) : Alice Guilford, organist Temple White, May and Ted Golding, Henry Reginald and Ernest Billing, Emma Harriet (Dot) Guilford, Flower girls - Evelyn Angus and Myrtle Guilford

EDWARD ALEXANDER GOLDING  was b: 13 Jul 1879 in New Plymouth, the son of Nicholas Golding and Mary Billing and he d: 4 Dec 1961 at Tokanui, Hamilton. Ted mar: MARY BEATRICE, daughter of WILLIAM GUILFORD and ANN BENBOW on 21st Jan 1909 at the Methodist Church, New Plymouth. His bride, May Guilford was born 18 Jan 1882 in Pleasant Valley, Geraldine, and d: 7 Apr 1954 at New Plymouth.

Edward was a teacher of music. He had been educated at New Plymouth and became assistant organist at St Mary's Angkican Church which sixteen years of age and was promoted to the position of organist at age 20. He was next appointed organist and choir master at the Primitive Methodist Church in October 1904 and also played the piano in the theatre orchestra for the silennt movies. Src: Taranaki Cyclopedia

May Guilford had a dressmaking business at New Plymouth and employed a number of women. Four Guilford sisters were members of the choir - one had to be invited for particular voice quality. May shared Edward's ability in music and had her letters in piano, singing and elocution. The choir ladies wore gowns made by the bride's talented sisters to the Methodist Church where they met and Edward and Mary's wedding was announced "Wedding of the Year".

Taranaki Herald,  22 January 1909: A social was held at the Queen Street Primitive Methodist Schoolroom on Tuesday evening, the occasion being the approaching marriage of the organist of the church, Mr. A. E. Golding to Miss M. B. Guilford, a member of the choir. There was a short musical programme, with games, and the Rev. J Guy, on behalf of the choir presented to Mr. Golding and Miss Guilford a handsome oak salad bowl, duly inscribed. Mr Golding suitably responded.

" The marriage of Mr E. A. Golding to Miss M. B. Guilford was celebrated yesterday in the Primitive Methodist Church, Queen Street. The church was very prettily decorated by Mrs. H. Ward and Misses A. F. Ward, and was crowded. The bride was attired in cream net over murveleaux silk, with the orthodox veil and orange blossom, and carried a shower bouquet. She was attended, by the Misses Alice and Dot Guilford, dressed in cornflower blue silk voile, trimmed with lace and glace silk with hat to match, and two little flower girls, Myrtle Guildford and Evelyn Angus, niece and cousin of the bride, who were quaintly attired in white embroidery and pink hats and ribbons and carried baskets of flowers. The bridegroom was attended by his two cousins,, Mr. H. Billing as best man, and Mr. L. Billing as groomsman. The bride was given away by her brother, Mr. W. Guilford. The service was a choral one. Miss Ward presiding at the organ, and the officiating minister was the Rev. J. Guy. The wedding party left the church to the strains of the Wedding March, confetti and rice being very freely used. After the ceremony a reception was held by Mrs. Guilford at the Forester's Hall, where a large number of guests sat down to a sumptuous wedding breakfast. The toast of the bride and bridegroom were proposed by the Rev. J. Guy, and the health of the bridesmaids and the parents were also duly proposed and honoured. The happy couple left for the south by the afternoon train, many friends assembling at the station to wish them bon voyage. The wedding presents were very numerous, amongst them being an oak salad bowl from the Queen Street choir. The bridegroom's present to the bride was a gold heart pendant studded with moon stones, and the gifts to the bridesmaids was a gold ring set with rubies, and a gold brooch set with pearls. The little flower girls received a gold brooch each. Other guests assembled in the evening at the Forester's Hall, and festivities wore kept up till the "wee small hours."

The couple moved to Fielding in 1919 where Edward taught music and was organist at the Methodist Church and later at the Fielding Anglican Church until retirement and in 1947, they returned to New Plymouth to live.

Son HAYDN ALEXANDER BENBOW GOLDING was born 19 Feb 1910 in New Plymouth

On right, parents Ted and May Golding, schoolboy Haydn and his grandmother, Ann Guilford

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