The Church of Our Lady of the English Martyrs, as it was in 1945, when my mother and father were married there January 11th.
It was wartime, and the blitz was on. They grabbed someone off the street for a witness and in the grandeur of this church, they were married. It was perhaps not the fanciest of ceremonies, but the bond created in this church lasted for 61 years and created 13 children, 36 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren (and counting).
They lived in Royston after their marriage, in a haunted house, but that is another story.
The interior of the church today.
Who were the English Martyrs, I wondered? The nme always sounded romantic to me when my parents spoke of the church where they were married, btu I never asked what it meant.
Today I looked online and found that the name represents a large number of people who lost their lives in England resisting the Reformation of the church.
Sixty-one years -- wow! I love hearing about love stories that made it over the long haul.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd love to hear the haunted-house story!
I need to write that story. My parents were solid Republicans and not interested in paranormal, but their story about their first apartment was chilling.
ReplyDeleteYes, their marriage wasn't always smooth, but it was solid. They completely loved each other, from the day they met until the end. They taught me that love isn't always glamorous and fun; it's hard work and complete commitment.