12 November 2021: The centenary of the marriage of Kelvin Walter Lutge and Ethel Lillian Webb-Wagg

Kel and Ethel are my maternal grandparents. Known as Papa and Grandma to their five grandchildren, I was eleven when Kel died. Ethel died twenty five years later. They lived "just around the corner" at 82 Gerard Street Cremorne. We spent a lot of time together. They were wonderful grandparents and clearly loved each other dearly. 

So today we remember their marriage a century ago at their local church, St Peter's Anglican Church Cremorne. The church looks very much like it did on 12 November 1921 when Kel and Ethel made their way there. Building of the parish hall, to the left, did not commence until the following year. This was the local church for the Lutge and Webb Wagg families after it opened in 1909. The Lutge's lived 700m away at 84 Gerard Street and it was a further 800m to the Webb-Wagg home at 14 Bray Street Mosman.

Kel was a few days short of his twenty-third birthday. As Ethel was only twenty, her father gave permission for her marriage. She'd spent those years living with her parent. She left school early and helped  her mother around their home prior to her marriage. What a contrast to Kel's early life. He was born in Moree. His father had been transferred there with the NSW Police. The family settled back in Cremorne when Kel was six. He enlisted in The First World War stating his age as "18 years and 5 months" although he was a year younger. He was in England by his eighteenth birthday before fighting in France. He returned to Australia in July 1919. Kel had also left school early. He worked in a grocery store before The War but wanted outdoor work when he returned home. On the marriage registry, Kel records his employment as "warder" and his usual residence as "Middle Harbour". I recall being told that he was a night watchman at The Spit before The Depression.

Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers, 1814-2011

By clicking on the image above, you'll see the details of the Parish Register more clearly. We can see the signatures of the wedding party in the photo.  Kel's best man was Ethel's younger brother Harry Edward (Harry) Webb-Wagg who was almost nineteen. Ethel's bridesmaid was Kel's sister Helene Lutge who'd turned fifteen in July. Completing the wedding party is Ethel's father, Albert Hayden (Hayden). 

I'm sure there was a big celebration at Bray Street lasting well into the night. This was the first day of a very happy fourth-two year marriage for Kel and Ethel (his "Eck").  

Papa's death after a number of strokes was an enormous loss for Grandma. I accompanied her on so many of her very frequent pilgrimages to Macquarie Park Cemetery between 1964 and the late 1980s. Sometimes Mum came but it was often the two of us. Early on we took taxis but Grandma was thrilled when I could drive her. These were quite times that we shared often on a Sunday morning while Mum was cooking the weekly roast for lunch.  💗

Earlier posts about Kel and Ethel-

• My branch of the Lutge Family
  
• Kelvin and Helena Lutge and Matilda, their mother