GOLDEN WEDDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1939, Page 8

GOLDEN WEDDING

MR AND MRS W. TOOMATH. i Mr and Mrs William Toomath celebrated their golden wedding on Saturday at the residence of Mr and Mrs R. W. Toomath, Petone. Mr and Mrs Toomath were married at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Wellington, on August 13, 1889, by the Rev. John Still. Mrs Toomath, who was born in Wellington, was the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Archibald Whiteford, Flagstaff Hill, Wellington. .Mr Whiteford was for many years a well-known Wellington builder and was also for a long period superintendent of the Volunteer Fire Brigade and district secretary of the Foresters’ Lodge. Mrs Whiteford’s parents, Mr and Mrs John Evans, came out to Wellington in the ship Adelaide, one of the first four ships to arrive at Wellington. Mr Toomath is the third son of Mr and Mrs Edward Toomath, who arrived at Lyttelton in December, 1850, in the ship Cressy, one of the first four ships to arrive at Lyttelton. Mr Edward Toomath came to Lyttelton as a schoolmaster and in Christchurch founded the School for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, which later became Canterbury College. In 1852.' he came to Wellington where he opened a school on The Terrace known as the Commercial and Grammar School which was the foundation of Wellington College. He was a member of the first Education Board, one of the promoters of the syndicate which intro- i duced the Wellington Tramways, a director of the Wellington Trust and Loan, : and other financial institutions.

Mr and Mrs William Toomath’s family were present at the celebrations on Saturday.