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Church breaks its duck with first wedding

29 August 2014

AP

Married:  Western Australian politician Stephen Dawson, right, gives his husband Dennis Liddelow a kiss after their wedding in front of Parliament House, Canberra, on Saturday 

Married:  Western Australian politician Stephen Dawson, right, gives his husband Dennis Liddelow a kiss after their wedding ...

THE first wedding in the near-120-year history of a church in Yorkshire took place last weekend.

The couple, Leigh Procter and Kielly Collings, were the first to make their vows at Christ Church, East Layton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, since it was built in 1895.

For much of the Grade II listed building's history, it was a private chapel of ease for its builder, Maynard Proud, and her descendants, who still own much of the surrounding village. Now, however, her great-great-nephew, Captain John Trotter, is keen to see it in regular use, and has recently spent £20,000 on restoration.

The Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church, the Revd Andrew Pell, said that Mrs Proud had had her own private entrance. "At one time, the family gave a cottage to a retired priest to say prayers there every day, and conduct a weekly service for them, but things have changed."

Although Christ Church, which is modelled on Worcester Cathedral, holds two services a month, it is not licensed for marriages, and so the Archbishop of York had to be asked for a special licence.

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