Family reunited with Leeds father’s wedding gown from 1910

Jennifer Slater, 77, viewed the valuable relic along with her child and two children, the youngest grown eight.

Lily Cathcart, Mrs. Slater’s mother, wore the dress to her 1910 wedding, and it is now a part of the Leeds Discovery Centre.

Their visit marked the end of Lily’s reputation, which, according to family documents, was a vocal and vocal supporter of women’s rights.

Lily decided to pursue a teaching profession and enrolled in Quarry Mount School, where she received instruction while on the job.

She went to Darlington Training College in 1905 to examine for her teaching certification.

She wed her father Charles at Buslingthorpe Church in Leeds on September 10, 1910, in a “lavish occasion” at the time.

Mrs. Slater claimed that the home had never been able to witness her grandmother’s wedding dress on the day of the ceremony.

But, during their visit to see the clothing, they were “fascinated” to get bits of confetti from her marriage still caught up in the material.

Mrs. Slater remarked that her mother had constantly urged her three sons to “get your credentials and certification and then you can live an independent living without no man’s assistance.”

Lily died in April 1969, aged 85, but her legacy lived on through her girls and eight children, seven of who followed in her feet and became instructors.

Mrs Slater, herself a retired educator and superintendent, said: “My grandmother’s efforts were actually quite remarkable for that time in time.”

“Women didn’t really go to work back then, let alone study and get qualifications.”

Given that, it’s not surprising that she was a member of the suffragette movement because 99% of other women couldn’t realize their own ambitions.

She added that her mother’s values had been passed on to the people in the home.

“I think we all understood that our mothers and grandmothers had shown us how to realize our ability and have the means to become self-employed,”

Although Lily’s marriage dress is very delicate to go on permanent display, it remains part of the facility’s style and fabric set.

Executive member for adult social care, active habits, and society, Councillor Salma Arif, said: “The story of Leeds is full of interesting stories and people who laid the foundation of the town we know now.”

It’s wonderful to have the chance to learn more about our museums and galleries, be inspired by their experiences, and make sure future generations don’t forget about them.