Saturday, June 21, 2014

Pilgrim Weddings

My Great Grandparents, James Pilgrim and Mabel Geyer were married at the home of James Pilgrim senior at Winiam, on 28th August 1907.

Wedding of James Pilgrim and Mabel Geyer
28th August 1907
Winiam, Victoria, Australia

28th August 1907 - Home of James Pilgrim, Winiam
Sophie Geyer, Arthur Geyer, James Pilgrim senior, Gladys Tucker, James Pilgrim and Mabel Pilgrim (nee Geyer), Lily Geyers, Edith Geyer, Ria Warner and Perce Pilgrim

Wedding table of James Pilgrim and Mabel Geyer at home of James Pilgrim senior
28th August 1907


The witnesses to the wedding were James' brother, Percival Walter Pilgrim (who was also a groomsman) and his sister Elinor Elizabeth Muller (known as Bess).  Perce and Bess are pictured below. 

 In 1934, Perce would also be the witness and  "give away" Mabel Pilgrim's daughter, Eva.


6th September 1911
Perce Pilgrim and Ruby Moulden
Perce was the witness to the weddings of his sister Mabel and  also Mabel's daughter, Eva's wedding


Bess Muller (nee Pilgrim) and Mabel Pilgrim (nee Geyer) attend the wedding of Mabel's daughter, Edna, on
8th March 1950.
Bess was the witness to Mabel's wedding in 1907 (above)


Emma Pilgrim, Don Dart, Allan Scott and Eva Pilgrim
2nd May 1934
My Grandparents Allan Scott and Eva Pilgrim were married at Winiam on the 2nd of May 1934.  Eva was given away by her "2nd father" Uncle Perce Pilgrim, as her father, James Pilgrim (above), "didn't like the limelight, except at cricket".

My grandmother, did not wear a typical wedding dress and wrote "I wasn’t allowed to go to dances, so would have no use for a bridal dress, so asked Mum to get some thing for the house instead.  She bought the curtains and ½ doz frocks". 




2 May 1934
Wedding Table of Allan Scott and Eva Pilgrim

Winiam Methodist Church
2nd May 1934
Grandmother Edith Geyer and Aunt Soph Geyer seated (they are also pictured in the wedding photos above)

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22 comments:

  1. Lovely photos, all. But my favorite is of the two elderly ladies, Bess Muller and Mabel Pilgrim. They're simply enchanting.

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    1. There is a lot of personality in their faces isn't there! They look like they could be sisters but Mabel's husband is Bess' brother so they are only related through marriage.

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  2. What a great chain of photos through generations of weddings! I love how the wedding tables have similar emphasis as well. Decorations, table settings, empty room, no food but that cake...oh my!

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    1. Yes my grandmother's cake was a beauty. I have more photos of it at their home before the wedding, so I think her mother may have made it.

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  3. Poor Eva. I kind of feel sorry for her - that she didn't get to wear a proper wedding gown. Like father, like daughter - neither wanted the limelight.
    Nancy
    Ladies of the Grove

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    1. My grandmother was a no nonsense type of person so I can understand her wanting useful dresses and curtains rather than a gown that she would never wear again. I think that I take after her.

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  4. That first wedding table is oh my goodness, out of this world, and should have won a prize for the nature of it's beauty! All of your wedding photos are a delight to view.

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    1. I agree Karen. I think it is wonderful to have it. I also love that the walls were covered with what looks like hessian to cover the mud brick!

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  5. You are so lucky to have those lovely photographs of your great grandparents' and grandparents' weddings, and of the tables too - amazing! Of course there was that tradition of the man being seated with his bride 'attending'. And I love the name of your great grandfather's parents' property near Nhill :-)

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    1. "Newholme" for a newly wedded couple is perfect but from what my grandmother wrote, it definitely was not new!

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  6. Wonderful photos and how unusual to have pictures of the actual wedding table.

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    1. I did wonder about the Arum Lily's though..........as I thought that they were a funeral flower?

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  7. What a marvellous set of photos. We have a photo of our wedding table set ot and with guests behind it.

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    1. Back when these photos were taken, they didn't have flash so they were most likely time delays so not picture included. Although it would have been good to see a full room!

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  8. I am very surprised at the first table with the tall floral arrangements. It looks like tables of today! Love the descriptions of the clothing in the newspaper wedding announcement. I can remember waiting anxiously for the Saturday paper in order to read announcements like these. My mother and I would discuss the dresses and try to imagine how they would look.

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  9. I was very happy to locate the newspaper article in my grandmother's album as now I know colours!

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  10. You are so lucky to have all these photographs of your own ancestors! My favorite is the first one of the crowd of people in 1907. A real accomplishment for a photographer! And all those children in their "Sunday" clothes! Good post!

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    1. It is a great photo Did you notice the mud brick chimney?

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  11. You are so lucky to have those wedding table photos, and apart from admiring the folk in the pics I did love the shot of the house behind the group in the first one - so much history there too.

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  12. I'm impressed that the photographer of picture #1 got everyone arranged so that we can see everyone's face.
    I'm also struck by how "modern" the wedding table and church decorations look -- very much like what is being pinned by brides on Pinterest.

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    1. Thanks Wendy. I can identify many of the family faces in the first wedding photo but it would have been great to have all the names! I should count myself lucky that I have a copy of that photo!

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