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Our Certificate of Proclamation, which I still have, was called out
three days in a row on the steps of the Cadzow Parish Church. We
were married at the Manse by the Minister, Harkness Graham,
Presbyterian Church of Scotland, who was blind, and knew more about
Canada than Jimmy did. Mrs. Wilson, Aunt Jessie's mother, was
standing at the gate when we came out of the Manse, and threw rice
at us. At this time it was against the law to waste food, but she
said, "I don't care, I am throwing rice at Jane's wedding." She gave
us two beautiful butter dishes as a wedding gift, which I still have
and treasure; they are just used on special occasions.
We had our reception at the Cadzow Welfare, the coal miners club
where we first met. We had a band—accordion, dulcimer, and violin—one of the boys playing in the band had gone to the same school as
me, he was of Italian origin. Mum had an awful time getting food for
the wedding, so all our relatives and friends lined up at bakeries,
and it was amazing how well everything turned out. There was not
enough time to ice the cake, so it
was
plain.
A tradition in Scotland at this time was that when the bride
was picked up at her home, the husband to be was already in the
special cab rented for wedding, along with the best man. As we
pulled away from the house all the children in the neighbourhood knew there was a wedding
taking place and were shouting, "Scramble the money!" The best man
had to have lots of sixpences and threepenny bits.
The cab had a little window in the roof through which the best man
threw out the money as we pulled away, watching the children
scrambling to pick it up.
When it was time to go on our short honeymoon, the cab came to pick
us up at the hall, and the chauffeur was one of the Wardens with the
ARP, who said what a pleasure it was for him to drive us in to
Glasgow.
Jimmy had booked us a bed and breakfast there. We had picked a busy
time to get a hotel, as the English were playing the Scots in a
soccer match, or "fitba" as the Scots say. I still have the paper
tartan Scottish supporter's rosette Jimmy bought me that day.
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
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