Bernard Stephen Townroe (1885-1962) & Marjory Collingwood (1888-1966)
PAGE CURRENTLY BEING BUILT – content under review
Bernard Stephen Townroe was born on 26 March 1885 in Nottingham, the eldest son of Charles Edward Townroe and Mary Dakeyne Webster.
Marjory Collingwood was born on 25 April 1888 in Allahabad, India, the daughter of William Collingwood and Maria Elizabeth Lermit.
“The wedding of Miss Marjory Collingwood, daughter of Mr W. Collingwood, JP, of Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, and Mr B. S. Townroe BA, son of Mr C. E. Townroe, of Nottingham, which took place at St Peter’s, Newton-le-Willows, on Wednesday October 19th, was an exceptionally pretty one. The bride, who was given away by her father, looked graceful in her lovely gown of ivory satin charmeuse and ninon, which were combined with early Victorian Limerick lace and pearl embroideries.”
On 24 October 1935 the Hampstead and St John’s Wood Advertiser announced that it had “much pleasure in congratulating the popular Mayor and Mayoress of Hampstead, Councillor Bernard S Townroe, MA JP, and Councillor Mrs Townroe, on the occasion of the celebration of their silver wedding”, The happy reunion was attended by Marjory’s mother, Lady Collingwood of Dedham and Ursula Arbuthnot, who was then herself a Hampstead resident. Bernard’s parents were unable to attend due to his mother’s illness. The article explained that Bernard, after being demobilised in 1919, had settled in Hampstead. “He threw himself wholeheartedly into the life of the borough, and his many valuable public services are too well known to need reiteration here.” Furthermore, “Mrs Townroe has always been a great help and companion to her husband in his public life and has no mean record, having serviced on the Borough Council for seven years. She has devoted much of her time to Maternity and Child Welfare Work, and is the first lady member of the Council to become Mayoress”.
The article also described how Bernard, as a former Chairman of the Housing Committee, had “referred to the opening of the Westcroft Housing Estate, which was to be performed by HRH The Duke of Kent on Tuesday October 29th”. Finally: “Mr Townroe has consented to remain in office as Mayor for a further twelve months. We wish him every success to his projects for the future, and congratulate him on his splendid enthusiasm and the dignified manner in which he has so worthily upheld the office”.
Picture: The Duke of Kent and Bernard and Marjory 29 October 1935