Sarah
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Langport and Somerton Herald. Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Martock, and South Petherton News, and Western Counties' Advertiser. Saturday 09 Sep 1922
Page 6 Column 2
EX-MAYOR OF TAUNTON'S ROMANCE.
SECRETLY WEDS HIS FOREWOMAN.
A big surprise for Taunton, and an event that created unlimited comment over the week-end, was the wedding, which took place at Taunton register office at 8 o'clock on Saturday morning, of Councillor Henry Joseph VAN TRUMP, ex-Mayor and Freeman of the borough, and Miss Nellie Beatrice MOCKRIDGE, a young forewoman employed by Mr. VAN TRUMP at his Taunton shirt and collar factory.
Mr. VAN TRUMP, who is in his 78th year, is the oldest member of the Town Council, and has twice served as Mayor, and was re-elected three times during his second period. period. [sic] He was the first Mayor of Taunton to be made a Freeman of the borough, which honour was conferred upon him on August 12th, 1919, the day of his golden wedding anniversary, and his late wife, who died in March last, received as Mayoress the presentation of a richly gilt solid silver tea and coffee set, subscribed by over 2,000 friends in the borough.
Mr. VAN TRUMP has also been a prominent figure in other directions, having served for some years as a churchwarden of St. Mary's parish, and identified himself actively with the public life of the town. He is this year's president of the Taunton Horticultural and Floricultural Society, and has recently thrown open to the public for the inspection of his flowers, the grounds of The Elms, Staplegrove Road, where he has been residing with his daughters. He is chairman of the Lyceum Theatre (Taunton) Company, and has business interests also at Bridgwater and Exeter.
The marriage on Saturday morning, which was by special licence, had been kept secret, and the two witnesses were Mr. and Mrs. T. RICHARDS, of 7, St. James' Street, with whom Miss MOCKRIDGE had for sometime been lodging. In the register the bride's age is given as 39. It is stated that the couple left for Minehead shortly afterwards.
<NOTES: Nellie Beatrice MOCKRIDGE daughter of Henry MOCKRIDGE and Charlotte LETHEBY, married Henry Joseph VAN TRUMP
Henry Joseph VAN TRUMP, married Elizabeth or Lizzie STONE and Nellie Beatrice MOCKRIDGE>