Historical information

On 1 June 1901, the Australian Town and Country Journal reported that: "A few couples found time to marry during, or just after, the Royal visit. A pretty double wedding took place at Ivy Grange, Kew, the residence of the bride's father, on May 15, when Mr. Samuel Howell, eldest son of the late Richard Howell, of Chocolyn, Camperdown, became the husband of Miss Olive Wilhelmina Beath, fourth daughter of Mr. David Beath, and Mr. William Elder, second son of Mr. Nairne G. Elder, of Rokewood, espoused Miss Endora Anne Beath, fifth daughter of Mr. David Beath. The brides were dressed alike in white satin duchesse, with gathered satin and chiffon, transparent yokes and sleeves of chiffon, embroidered tulle veils, with coronet of orange blossom. The happy couples vary wisely chose different districts for their honeymoon trips, Mr. and Mrs. Howell visiting Lorne, while Mr. and Mrs. W Elder went off to the Blue Mountains, N.S.W. The two brides were attended by six bridesmaids, all dressed alike in gowns of white Indian lawn, with tucks and insertions of Valenciennes lace, sashes of white satin and instead of hats wore on their hair pretty wreaths of Parma violets, and carried shower bouquets of Parma violets tied with heliotrope ribbons." (Source: Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1907), Saturday 1 June 1901, page 43)

Significance

This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.

Physical description

Photograph and article from Punch (May 23 1901) of a double wedding at Ivy Grange of Olive Wilhelmina Beath and Endora Anne Beath.