The marriage of James Oswald Woodlands and Margaret Essie Gersbach - 09 August 1919
It's 98 years since a 27 year old grocer from Stanmore married a 27 year old saleswoman also from Stanmore. Yes, on 09 August 1919, James Oswald (Jim) Woodlands married Margaret Essie (Essie) Gersback at St Michael's Catholic Church in Stanmore. On the marriage registration, Jim shows his parents as James Woodlands, a baker, and Agnes Cahill. Essie shows her parents as Francis Gersbach, a collector, and Margaret Killion, deceased. The witnesses at the wedding were Ettie Kane and Irene Gersbach, Essie's sister. "Auntie Ettie" is very familiar to me amongst all the visitors to my "Grandma Woodie's" home at 14 Yeo Street Neutral Bay. She was a friend and not relative of Jim and Essie. Jim has enlisted in the First World War on 29 May 1917 in Newcastle and had been discharged on 23 June 1919 in Sydney. I've wondered how long Jim and Essie knew each other before the marriage and whether Jim was a bo...