Marriage of the of the Hon. Norah Bruce, 05.01.1883
The marriage of Mr Henry A. Whately, second son of the Rev. W. J. Whately, rector of Rise, and Canon of York, to the Hon. Norah Creina Blanche Bruce, daughter of Lord Aberdare, took place on Thursday at St. Margaret’s Church, Mountain Ash.
The inhabitants of Mountain Ash again showed their esteem for and attachment to the house of Duffryn. It is not many weeks since the marriage of Mr W. N. Bruce, but the enthusiasm manifested on Thursday was as decided as ever. The bride has endeared herself to the people of Mountain Ash by her amiability of character, and her praises were in everybody’s mouth on the wedding day. Flags were exhibited through- out the town in honour of the occasion, and long before the hour appointed for the ceremony the Church of St. Margaret’s and the road leading to it were crowded with sightseers. From the church gateway the steps and road to the door had been laid with a crimson carpet.
The bride entered the church, which was prettily decorated, at 4 quarter before 11 o’clock, leaning on the arm of her, father. She was dressed in ivory-white satin, trimmed with English point lace, with a wreath of myrtle and orange blossoms and a tulle veil. She wore a diamond and pearl brooch, the gift of the Hon. Henry and Mrs Bruce, and her veil was fastened with arrows of pearl and brilliants. The bridesmaids were eight in number-the Hons. Caroline, Sarah, Isabel, Lily, Pamela, and Alice Bruce, the sisters of the bride, and Miss Mildred and Miss Mabel Vernon Harcourt, nieces of the bride. Their dresses were of bluish green Indian cashmere, trimmed with Marabout feathers, and muffs of the same, with brown and gold hats and feathers to match. The best man was Mr Brinton. Miss Colston, who presided at the organ, played the voluntaries “Oh rest in the Lord,” “If with all your hearts,” and “As pants the hart,” as the party entered the church. The choir chanted the 65th psalm which forms part of the marriage service. The ceremony was performed by the Rev Canon Whately, father of the bridegroom, assisted by the Rev. J. H. Protheroe, vicar of Mountain Ash. The bride was given away by her father. The crowded assembly joined heartily in the congregational portions of the service, especially in the concluding hymn, No. 292, “Hymns Ancient and Modern.” As the wedding party left the church Mendelsohn’s “Wedding March” was played by the organist, and a large number of fog signals were exploded by an engine running backwards and forwards on the line in the valley just below the church.
A large party sat down to a recherché breakfast at Duffryn-namely, Lord and Lady Aberdare, the Hon. Henry and Mrs Bruce, the Hon. William and Mrs Bruce, Air and the Hon. Mrs Vernon Harcourt, the Rev. W. J. and the Hon. Mrs Wynne Jones, the Honorable’s Caroline, Sarah, Isabel, Lily, Pamela, and Alice Bruce, the Hon. Charles G, Bruce, Canon and Mrs Whately, Mr Richard Whately, Mr George Whately, Mr Brinton, the Rev. William Bruce, the Rev. William C. Bruce and Mrs W. C. Bruce, Mrs L. M. Bruce, Mrs L. Bruce and Miss E. Bruce, Mr and Mrs Alfred Huth, Mr and Mrs James Lewis, Mr and Mrs H. Martin, Mr and Mrs Nixon Gray, Mr Little, Mr E. P. Evans and Mrs Evans. Mr James, the Rev. Archibald Campbell.
The bride and bridegroom left Duffryn amid the usual shower of rice and slippers, and proceeded by the 1.32 Taff Vale train, en route for Devonshire. The bride’s travelling dress was a brown Cashmere with velvet bodice of the same colour, a mantle of the same lined with red, dress and mantle trimmed with Marabout feathers, a muff to match, and a brown hat with velvet of the same colour, and a red tuft.
The bride’s presents, which were hid out in the library, included: Diamond, pearl, and sapphire brooch, forming the letter “B.” Hon. Mr and Mrs H. G. Bruce; diamond arrow brooch, Mrs Rate ditto, Viscount Sudley, piano, Lord and Lady Aberdare gold bracelet and fan, Miss Elinor Bruce; gold cross, Viscount Sudeley pair of gold and coral earrings, Mrs Godfrey L. Clark silver pencil case, Miss Agnes Harford; silver and cut glass vinaigrette, Mr S. Shipton gold and silver brooch, Mr and Mrs Benson pearl brooch, Mrs Henry Zerffi; gold bracelet, Mr, Mrs, and Miss Mackenzie do., Rev J. H. and Mrs Protheroe; silver and pearl penholders, Miss Thomas pearl pin, Miss Gardiner silver Indian necklet, Mrs Huth pearl brooch, Earl and Countess of Arran lapis lazuli brooch, Mrs C. Napier four opal glass candlesticks, Mr and Mrs Marshall case of silver spoons, do. forks, Miss Bruce and Miss Gertrude Bruce silver fish slice and fork, Miss Napier; two silver table spoons, do. forks, Bishop of Bangor and Miss Campbell silver sugar tongs and spoons, Air and Mrs Coleman silver sugar tongs, Miss Gray pair of silver casters, Mrs Hamilton Beckett pair silver table spoons, Major and Lady Thomas Boyle silver tea set, Mr and Mrs Taylor Bible and Prayer Book, Rev. J. H. and Mrs Protheroe silver marmalade spoon. Miss McLaggar silver butter knife, Mr and Mrs Morgan Morgan; embossed silver sugar spoon, Kev. C. Bruce two silver dishes, Mr and Mrs Vernon Harcourt; two silver candlesticks, Mr R. O. Jones silver grape scissors, Mr E. W, Hussey and Mr W. P. James; silver grape scissors, Mrs Wray two silver butter dishes, Hon. Air and Mrs W. N. Bruce silver cream and sugar basins, Mr J. C. Ingram silver egg spoon, Mr and Miss Bunbury six silver “apostle” tea spoons, Rev. J. W, and Mrs Wynne Jones silver and china cruet stand, Mr Arthur McMurdo; silver tea service, Mr J. P. Stainton silver kettle, the Misses Bethell; silver anti cut glass cream stand and bowl, Mr Long two silver fruit spoons, Mr and Mrs Mills; silver pepper castor, Mr and Mrs J. L. Whately four silver cruet stands, the servants of Duffryn; four silver candlesticks, Mr and Mrs G. T. Clark, Dowlais silver teapot, Air and Mrs Arthur Whately; silver butter dish, Air R Whately; crystal and silver birds (for pepper), Mr Macintosh and Mrs Mackintosh silver salver, Miss Whately; carving knife and fork, Mr and Mrs Richmond ware and silver biscuit box, Mr and Mrs Crawshay ware and silver preserve dish, the Misses Callaway; old Japan tray, Mr Oliver Jones, Fonmon; Japanese cabinet, Mrs Dillwyn Llewelyn; box of Japanese dessert knives, Mr J. Freeman silver passage lamp, Mr W. Benson ebony and ivory Florentine table, Mrs Win. Grey and Miss Shirriff Chippendale table, Hon. Isabel Bruce; plush photo screen, ?r Mr,, Edwin Walker lined work basket, Miss James ebonised tea table, Mrs Fowler; old English silver tea scoop, Mrs Wynne Jones silver salt cellar, Miss Jones silver sugar spoon, Mr and Mrs Christopher W. Parker; silver sugar spoon, Mr S. Paget; silver sugar sifter, Mr Geo. P. Whateley; old silver punch ladle, Mrs Moore; silver seal tray, Misses Alice and Nellie Lloyd Spanish silver ornament, Lady Emily Pepys silver card case, Mr and Mrs Little; oil’ painting (Apple Blossom), Miss Muir Mackenzie imitation birds’ eggs, enameled (for pepper boxes), Mr and Mrs Bethell white Dresden China mirror, Mr and Mrs Lewis R. Bruce Japanese vases, Mr and Mrs Evans oak and china punch bowl, Major and Mrs Rawlins old Delph ware plate, Miss Nixon; inkstand, Mr and Mrs Evan Rees; brass flowerpot, Miss Vernon Harcon.t; inkstand and two candlesticks, Sir Henry and Lady Cotton; paper knife, Mr William Napier; candlestick, Mrs Sackville Thompson; photo frame, Miss C. McMurdo drawing room clock and case, Mr and Mrs James Lewis brass mirrors and candelabra, Sir C. and Lady Bunbury card stand, Mrs Robert Bruce; gold enameled plate, Mr and Mrs Martin; hand painted plate, Miss Wynne Jones do., Miss Gwenny James; cut glass flower stand, Mrs Bennett; do., Miss Margaret Thomas sardine box, Mr and Mrs Griffiths; tea caddy, Misses Shipton fan, Miss Elinor Bruce; three volumes music, the Misses Bruce vol. “Christian Year,” Mr Hyde Beadon; umbrella stand, Lady Aberdare; vase, Miss Barnfill; pair vases, Miss M. Beynon do, Miss Howard hand-painted bowl, Miss Benson; pair of human figures, Miss Hodges; pair vases, Miss Colston; pair lamps, Hon. C. J. Bruce pair vases, Mrs James Williams ditto, Mr Morgan cup and saucer, Miss Mary Rees pair vases, Mr and Mrs Valpy; vase, Mr W. St, P. Bunbury pair vases, Mr Napier Miles half a dozen teacups and saucers, Mr and Mrs Francis Gore china tea set, Mr and Mrs Humphrey candlestick, Mr John Napier crystal dish and china cup and saucer, Mrs Davies silver and china butter dish, Miss Mary Thomas two painted plates and vase, Mr and Mrs Evan Thomas 5 vol. Goulburn’s Works, the scholars of the bride’s Sunday class.
Reminiscences of the Bruce Family
A few reminiscences of the Bruce family will at this time be read with interest. In the year 1747, William Bruce, a scion of an old Scotch family, came into Glamorgan. He bought property at LJanblethian, and the estate of Duffryn, in what was then the wild mountain parish of Aberdare. He married Jane, daughter of Mr Gabriel Lewis, of Llanishen, by whom he had issue Margaret who became the wife of John Knight, father of William Bruce Knight, who assumed the patronymic of Pryce many years afterwards. Wm. Bruce, of Duffryn, died, and was succeeded by his son, the Rev. Thomas Bruce, rector of St. Nicholas, who died in 1790, and bequeathed his property to his nephew, the father of Lord Aberdare, on condition of his taking the surname of Bruce.
Three other children were born to Mr and Mrs Knight, two sons and a daughter. One was the very Rev. William Bruce Knight, first Dean of Llandaff, who died in 1845, and the other the Right Hon. Sir James Knight Bruce, Lord Justice of Appeal, who died in 1860. By his first marriage Mr Bruce Pryce had 11 children, the sons being John Wyndham, Henry Austin (Lord Aberdare), William (late rector of St. Nicholas), Robert (Colonel of the 2nd Regiment), and Lewis Knight (of the Manor House, St. Nicholas).
In 1837 Bruce succeeded to the estate at St. Nicholas, Aberdare, and elsewhere, upon the death of his cousin, the Hon. Mrs Booth Grey. These estates had been in the possession of the Pryce’s, a Carmarthenshire family, and in succeeding to them, Mr Bruce, by Royal Warrant, assumed the name of Pryce. Mr Bruce Pryce’s accession to these estates was followed by a large increase in the value of his Aberdare property, as coal was soon discovered upon it, and was worked to a great extent, causing extensive building operations in the neighbourhood, and the transformation of a picturesque district into one unpleasant to the eye perhaps, but productive of rich royalties for the fortunate possessor of the land. Mr Bruce Pryce was for many years a Tory of the old school, but his ideas were eventually broadened and advanced, and he became a firm believer in free trade and other Liberal principles. He died on October 18th, 1872. Lord Aberdare is so well known to our readers that it is unnecessary to enlarge upon his many excellencies, and we cordially echo the wish universally expressed on Thursday that the latest “interesting event” in his family may prove a happy union.