Each bride hopes that her wedding will be memorable.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
However, few end as badly and are as memorable as the wedding of Frederick Rogers and Sylvia Rowe.
They married in the neo-gothic bluestone of St. Mark’s Anglican Church in George St, Fitzroy in an evening service on February 7, 1901.
Trouble had been brewing earlier. A few days before the wedding, the bride had called her sister, Amy, a liar and had suggested that she hoped that Amy would be a corpse by morning.
Perhaps it was only pre-marital nerves, but Sylvia’s sole wedding invitation to her sister were the words: ‘You may come if you like but bring a policeman with you.’
As the bridal party left the church and walked towards the waiting cab, Amy and a young married woman called Elizabeth Lewis began to throw soft tomatoes at members of the bridal party.
One hit the groom in the back, another landed on Sylvia’s wedding dress. The best man and Sylvia’s bridesmaid were also struck by other tomatoes.
We know that the tomatoes were soft because at the later trial, Janet Calloway gave evidence that she heard one of the tomato throwers say to the other in the church: ‘Don’t crush the tomatoes too much. They are soft’.
At the trial of Elizabeth Lewis for assault, all the targets hit by the tomatoes gave evidence that they had been hit by ripe, soft tomatoes.
Elizabeth Lewis denied on oath that she had thrown anything but rice as the bridal couple left the church.
Amy Rowe confessed that she had thrown a tomato that hit the bridegroom.
She had intended to hit her sister because she was angry with her for calling her names.
However, she swore that neither Elizabeth Lewis nor any other person, except herself, had thrown any tomato.
After hearing further contradictory evidence, the two justices of the peace finally lost patience with the parties.
It was impossible to ascertain the details of the case. They stated that there had been gross perjury committed on one side or the other. They dismissed the case.
Despite its wobbly start, the marriage of Frederick and Sylvia endured for 46 years.
They had two children.
Sylvia died in 1947. She is buried in Warringal cemetery in Heidelberg.
Apparently, she and Amy never reconciled. Sylvia’s death notices make reference to her two other sisters, Daisy and Susie, and her brother Sydney. There is no reference to Amy.
Frederick died two years later.
It is likely that Elizabeth Lewis ended her days in Moyhu in North Eastern Victoria in 1938 at the age of 68. She is buried in Wangaratta cemetery.
Now, we have all seen movies where a clergyman calls out that anyone knowing why a wedding should not take place should declare the cause or forever stay silent. We then wait with bated breath for the cast-off lover to say his piece.
In April 1931, at the Pleasant St Methodist Church in Ballarat, the Rev JW Crean reached that part of the wedding ceremony with a young couple when the best man, a brother of the bridegroom, burst out in a loud voice: ‘In God’s name and in God’s house, I object.’
A startled sound ran around the church. It was crowded with family and friends of the prospective bride and groom. Abruptly, the bride burst into tears.
Irritated by this unexpected interruption, Rev. Crean pushed the bridal party and their attendants into the vestry.
Once in the vestry, Rev Crean asked the young man: ‘What do you mean by that outburst? Please state the reason for your objection.’
The young man stumbled and stammered but could give no reason for his objection.
Rev. Crean said, “I don’t understand why the objection has been made.” He cast an angry stare at the best man.
“Therefore, as no real reason has been given for the best man’s objection, I see no reason why the wedding shouldn’t proceed.”
The intended bridegroom shook his head. He did not want the ceremony to continue.
He strode from the church followed by his intended bride. The rest of the bridal party’s attendants returned to the church from the vestry.
At a loss, they stood irresolute near the altar. Then they slowly trickled out from the church.
The rest of the congregation stood. Some followed the bridal party out to the street.
Others stood quietly chatting, uncertain as to what they should do next.
Did the bridegroom marry his intended? Did his brother? Did someone else?
Sadly, there is no way to tell. The newspaper reports give no names so we cannot check the marriage records.
– John Barry
Contributed content