MARRIED IN SECRET

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 626, 1 April 1929, Page 13

MARRIED IN SECRET

— _— FARMER'S ROMANCE By the death of an old farmer in a Herefordshire village a romantic secret has been brought to light. Alawys regarded by his neighbours as 'a confirmed bachelor, Mr. John Davies, S 4, of Marden Court, near Hereford, had actually been married 33 years when he died. His wife was formerly Miss Jenkins and she went into his service as housekeeper 37 years ago, when she was about 25 years of age. About four years later Mr. Davies proposed marriage, bilt where the ceremony was performed is even now a secret. Mr. Davies never gave a hint of the fact that his housekeeper, who was still known as Miss Jenkius. was in reality his wife. Whenever he referred to her he always spoke o:‘ her as his housekeeper, and whenever Miss Jenkins addressed her husband she always called him Mr. Davies. They had iived in the large house by themselves without a servant. The first hint of a mystery was given on the day of Mr. Davies’s death, ' when Miss Jenkins told a neighbour who was called in that there would be a surprise for everybody to talk about the next day. When her husband's relatives arrived she produced the marriage certificate. So far as the inhabitants generally were concerned | the surprise did not come until the | day of the funeral, when a wreath | “from his sorrowing wife” led to 1 much speculation, and gradually the I story of the secret wedding became | known. Explaining why the marriage | was not made public the widow remarked, "You know what village cant 1 is. We did not want any of it, so our 1 marriage 30 years ago remained a ! secret, and I was content to remain ' Miss Jenkins to people outside. I am j not going to say where the wedding I took place, because it has got nothing ! to do with anybody. There was a prij vate reason why we did not let the j marriage be known, but that Is a mat- [ ter entirely between ourselves. We ' lived happily together. We have gone j our own way and left other people to i go theirs.” Mrs. Davies added that Mr. ( Davies had always made it plain that ' he did not wish the marriage to rej main a secret for ever. "Whatever you j do,” he had said to her, "don’t let i things go on so that you will be buried j under a wrong name.” She denied I that she was the executrix under the I will, adding that two nephews of Mr. ! Davies were the executors. Provision j had been made for her, but she would : gain nothing financially by disclosing vj-tfaerfact that she was Mrs, Davies- "We ■ hare spent our time quietly,” she re- ; marked, "and the fact that we have i not made a fuss about it is no business |of anybody else.”