Marriage of
William Peacock and Alice Yates

27th April 1929
Church Menu Page
William and Alice spent most of their lives living in Husborne Crawley and both went to the village school, albeit not at the same time as my father was 5 years older than my mother. Before they married, my father joined the Army and was sent to Egypt during the First World War. I think that was the only time he lived away from the village.
Before my mother married she worked as a dressmaker. She served her apprenticeship at a tailors shop in Woburn where she learnt to do very good seaming, buttonholing and detailed work. Later she took a job as a seamstress at a dress shop in Bedford called "Dusts". I think that was quite an unusual job at the time as most girls went into service in those days. She would travel to Bedford every day by train. There was a stop at Crawley on the Bletchley-Bedford line back then. It was known as Crawley Halt.
Growing up together in such a small village, my parents knew each other all their lives. They got married on 27th April 1929 after a long courtship during which time they wrote to each other regularly, even though they saw each other nearly every day! I remember as a child, I used to sneak a look at their letters which my mother had kept. They were beautiful letters. I don't know what happened to them but I do wish I still had them now. They were real love letters.
William Peacock in Uniform during the First World War
My father was a bell ringer at Crawley Church for most of his life and on their wedding day a special peel of bells was rung to mark the occassion. (Click on link to see plaque) They were also presented with a clock and the inscription reads:
"Presented to Mr and Mrs W Peacock by Husborne Crawley Church Ringers
on their wedding April 27th 1929".
I remember as a child the clock used to be in my parents bedroom. I have it now and it is still working beautifully!
William and Alice Peacock on their wedding day outside St. James Church