HOKITIKA WEDDING

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1931, Page 3

HOKITIKA WEDDING

A LOST CERTIFICATE. N.S.W. EQUITY COURT INQUIRY. , SYDNEY, December 10. The Equity Court in New South Wales has been set a difficult problem following a request from the New isouthW’afes Public trustee asking for advice, concerning the estate of a labourer- - ' who died in iilackheatli (N.fcj.W.) in 1926 intestate. Claims m tile intestacy have been made by Urn children ol the labourer’s brother, and tlie Public Trustee referred the matter to the Court because of the disappearance of a marriage certificate, and because of a report from New Zealand that there was. no recoru of the marriage.

Fifty-three years ago a girl of 18, whose father was a quarry owner at Parramatta (N.fcS.W.), was sent to New Zealand. She landed in Hokitika, in the height of the gold boom days, and took employment at a hotel near the diggings. She became friendly with a young coach-driver, and shortly afterwards received word tuat lie hud met with ail accident and wanted to see her. She went to Hokitika, and saw him in a sick-room, and he dramatically announced, in the presence of several persons, tliajt it was (thefr wedding day. She had no information to this effect previously, iuid mistrusted the proposal, but finally she agreed. Accompanied by a girl friend, the Parramatta girl went to the Registry Office, and, although it was after office hours, the Registrar agreed to perlotm the ceremony. This was done in the presence of three witnesses.

The Registrar handed her the certificate, told her she was a married woman, and she took up her life with her husband, and bore him several children. Some years ago she returned to Parramatta to visit her mother, who was dying, and whil,e in Parramatta she received a cablegram that her husband had died in the . Mount View Asylum in Wellington. Although she had always carefully preserved her marriage lines she was now unable to find them. Such was the romance as outlined to the Court last Friday. The coach-driver’s widow died in Parramatta in September last, and she was said to have stated in her lifetime that possibly the Registrar at Hokitika had not registered the marriage, as it had been'" performed after office hours. The Court has' now decided to have inquiries made in Wellington in order to ascertain whether the coach-driver left behind any documents which would throw light on the marriage.