The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-02
AN AMERICAN DUCHESS.
AIRS. HAMERsLEY WEBS THE DUKE
OF MARLBOROUGH.

Clergyman Of1ciates at the Religious
Ceremony at His Parsonage-The
Couple Sailed for England June 80
From the Neto York sun.
At ! o'clock yesterday afternoon Mrs.
Lily Warren Hamersley the wealthy and
beautiful widow of Louis C. Hamersley,
whose father left him a fortune estimated
at $4,000, 900, was married by Mayor Hewitt
I'm the CITY hall to Charles Spencer Churchill,
Dukeof Marlborough, who had met her here
Just before his departure for England last
November. The marriage was no surprise,
for it had been announced, but its celebra-
ton at the City hall was a surprise, and an
unusual interruption Of the daily labors of
the mayor and the reporters.
The mayor knew all about it in advance,
and he had kept the secret well. Mr.. Ar
thur Learv came down to sec him on Thurs
dav, and told him that the dnke desired
that the religious ceremony should be pre-
ceded by a civil marriage. Would the
mayor kindly ofiiciatel The mayor said he
would be happy to do so, and he never SAID
a word about it to the reporters
With the civil marriage fully provided
for, Mr. Leary's next task was to find
minister TO perform the religious ceremony
This was more difficult matter. The duke
is of course, a mcmber OF the Anglican
church, and his bride is also an Episcopa-
Ian, but as the duke has once been divorced
from the bonds of matrimony II was i'm
practicable for him t. be married by a
clergyman of his own denomination, whose
canon law forbids the marriage by It's
priests of divorced persons He therefore
asked Mr.. Leary to seek out a minister OF
the Lutheran church, saying that, next to
his own, be preferred TO be married by a
minister of that church, bee OF
its historical standing as state
church Mr. Ieary accordingly called
Yesterday morning on the Rev. Dr.
Krotel Of the Trinity Lutheran church in
West Twenty first street, and asked him to
marry the duke and Mrs Hamerslcy in the
afternoon. Mr.. Leary said that the duke
could not be married in his own communion
on account of the law fOIbidding the union
of divorced persons DR. Krotel refused to
perform the ceremony, the unwritten law OF
the lutheran church on that subject being
the same as that Of the Protestant Episco-
nal church. Next MIR. Leary sought out
the Rev. DR. Reimensnyder of the Lutheran
church in East Fifteenth street, but he also
declined. Mr.. Leary then turned his atten-
ton to the German Lutheran church, and
called upon the Rev Leo koenig of the
German Lutheran church at Fifteenth street
and Sixth avenue. After hearing the case
however, Mr.. Koenig refused to act At
this point Mr.. Learys patience became ex-
hausted and he gave up the chase for a time
So far as the civil ceremony was con
cerned, however, everything was simple,
easy and democratic. The mayor arrived
at his office an hour earlier than usual, and
brushed his hair three times before he could
get 1t TO suit his eve. Then he sat down IN
his big arm chair and tried TO imagine how
it would feel to create duchess. Surely
soliluquized his honor, this is a great reign
of mine"
1t WAS but a few minutes after noon that
the duke, accompanied by Leonard W.
Jerome father-in-law Of the dukes brother
Lord Randolph Churchill, got into a han
som cab that was standing on the Broad
way side of the Albemarle hotel and was
driven by short cuts to the City hall. Mrs
Hamersey, accompanied 10y her bosom
friend, Mrs Eugene Cruger, was there al
most as soon as he. They met at the Cham
bers street entrance of the county court
house Arm in arm the duke and Mrs
HamerSley proceeded TO the mayors Office,
where Clerk Crocker went at once to work
to make out the certificates for filing with
the bureau of vital statistics
This is how he filed in the blank:
Groom's name, George Charles Spencer
Churchill Duke of Marlborough, born, Blen
helm. Woodstock, England age 45; fathers
name John Winston mothers maiden
name Frances Ann Jane Tempest; number of
groom's m arriage, second.
Brides name, Lily Warren Hamersey: age.
81 born, Troy, n. y; fathers name, Cicero
Price; mothers maiden name, Elizabeth
Homer Paine; number of marriage, second
This document was signed as follows:
MARLBOROUGH groom
Inv NJ II
M R2nEhn s K GILirrrr Witnesses.
When these formalities were completed.
the bridal party advanced upon the mayor
who at the time was entertaining Speaker
Carlisle, Cor gresham Tim Campbell, and
Congressman Benton j. McMillin of Ten
nessee in his usual inimitable manner. A
little in the background was Tom Costigan,
rejoicing with great joy that the hot
weather was past.
Henry Cews averted what might have
been a panic. He deity arranged the bridal
party about the city's chief magistrate and
introduced the speaker of the house and
the other legislators to everybody within
call.
When everything was ready, it was seen
that there were present Henry Clews,
Creighton Webb (who olfic ated rs best
man, Ward McAllister, Mrs. Eugene
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Fish, Mr.. Charles
Beckwith, Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Spedden. and
Miss McAllster, besides the officials men
toned and all the reporters. The groom was
plainly dressed in a suit of dark stuff, of
which the coat was getaway He wore a
black scarf with a blue dot in it and in his
buttonhole a white hydranges. and he car
ried black silk hat His bride wore a
walking suit of cafe du TAFT, tint en-
broidered with dead gold trimming and
supplemented by a long cloak of change.
able Sicilian surmounted by a standing col
lar. Her auburn hair was surmOunted Inv
turban of the same tint as her dress. At
her corsage she wore cluster of lilies Of
the valley. Her gaunteted gloves matched
her dress.
The mayor took pthe greasy cloth GOV
ers in which are pasted the sentences he has
~ often read over other couples, and he
said impresSively:
"lf there is anyone here who knows OF
any reason why this marriage should not
take place, let him speak now or forever
after hold us peace"
After n pause he proceeded TO ask the
usual questions. The dukes 81 dor rang
out firm and strong. but his bride could
scarcely find her voice when il came her
turn to reply The ceremony was com
pleted when the mayor said:
Now place the ring on the third finger
of the left hand"
The duke promptly placed a plain gold
circlet on his brides finger, as commanded,
and Mr.. Hewitt, removing his gold-mounted
glasses from his nose, pronounced them
man and wife.
And then the mayors eyes began TO dance
in bis good gray head like firefies Of a June