Born: 16th February 1908
Story
John Wright’s parents were Charles Robert Wright (1984-1933) and Alice Goddard (1887-1959), who married in Kippax on 8th October 1905. John’s wartime service is not yet known, but after the War on 15th October 1945, he married Norah Smith at Kippax Wesleyan Chapel. Norah, pictured above with John, is wearing a blue dress, and the material was given to her by a work colleague, and made into a dress by her maternal aunt, Alice Knowles (née Birch, 1900-1977). Alice’s daughter, Jean Knowles, also served in Palestine during the War, and brought back a necklace from Bethlehem which she loaned to her cousin for this wedding.
Norah’s bridesmaids were her sister Madge and John’s cousin Ann Hartley, and they both went to Jacomelli’s restaurant in Leeds for a pre-wedding meal, along with John’s Best Man, Thomas Farrar, who was serving in the RAF, and his wife, Olive Wyke. The bridesmaids, Madge and Ann, wore dusky pink woollen dresses for the wedding, which were also made by Alice Knowles.
Norah’s father, Robert Suart Smith (1901-1977), was a Builder’s Labourer, but also served in the Kippax ARP demolition Squad, and as a result, by the end of the War, he was extremely hard of hearing, and could not follow the wedding proceedings, so Norah was given away by her uncle Charles Herbert Smith (1895-1972), who himself was a veteran of the First World War, and had both legs amputated below the knees in Malta.
A wedding reception was held at Norah’s parents’ house on Church Lane, hosted by Norah’s mother Harriet Smith (née Birch, 1902-1962). Norah kept her wedding horseshoes in a shoebox all her life (pictured below). They were made with natural materials: the one on the right is cardboard, wax flowers and paper leaves, and the one on the left is made from white heather, which has turned brown since it dried:
John bought Norah a 22-carrot golden wedding ring on 4th September 1945, from Rose, The Jewellers, 14 The Headrow, Leeds, costing £5 10s.
After their wedding, the couple lived at 37 Leeds Road. John passed away on 3rd March 1977.
Kippax Roll of Honour 