TODAY we're going to take a look at a very juicy scandal involving a very respectable family who lived in Kingston Maurward House near Dorchester.

It involves the son of former North Dorset MP Cecil Hanbury, who defied his parents to try and marry the woman he loved, eloping with her in the process.

Cecil and his wife Dorothy, who bought the elegant home in 1914, had three children, Thomas being the eldest, born in 1914.

The wealthy family employed 30 people and were known for their weekend and shooting parties.

Among the guests they entertained were the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, his sister Princess Mary, the Princess Royal; the home secretary William Joyson Hicks and Thomas Hardy.

There was always an enormous Christmas tree in the hall decorated with candles, the butler standing by with a wet sponge n a long pole to snuff out any long candles likely to cause a fire.

It wasn't long before the family was engulfed in scandal though.

In March 1932, at the age of 17, Thomas, who has just left Eton College, eloped with 16-year-old Joan Eve of Marnhull.

The couple got as far as Gretna Green but the blacksmith there was unable to marry them because they hadn't lived in the area for the necessary three weeks so they left for Glasgow.

The Book of Stinsford by Kay Kearsey and Mike Cosgrove tells us: "Thomas had left a note telling his parents what he planned and and so they set off in pursuit, chartering a plane at Croydon to take them to Scotland.

"After a forced landing due to bad weather at Blackpool they continued their journey by car.

"Arriving in Glasgow at about the same time as Thomas and Joan the four had dinner together before returning to London.

"Soon after Thomas was sent to Canada but a year later the engagement was announced and he and Joan married in July 1934 at St Margaret's, Westminster, a very grand affair."

Mrs Hanbury said of the elopement 'it was a piece of youthful folly'.

But this time around the wedding had full approval of Mr and Mrs Hanbury.

This grand wedding received a lot of newspaper coverage, with it even covered by the Montreal Gazette in Canada.

Mr Justice Eve gave the bride away and synchronised beforehand, wedding bells rang at St Margaret's at the parish church at Marnhull, where Joan hailed from, and at a little church in Ventimiglia, where the Hanburys parents had a villa.

The bride carried a bouquet of white 'skeleton' leaves.

The wedding was described by newspapers as 'a sequel' to the romantic elopement to Gretna Green.

The engagement was announced a year prior to the wedding and the Westminster wedding saw them married 'like normal people' with all the usual splendour of a fashionable wedding - smartly dressed guests, pretty bridesmaids, white satin and orange blossom and the organ playing Mendelssohn's Wedding March.

The bridesmaids were Miss Vivian Dauntesey, Miss S Hanbury, Miss M.S.Jeune and Miss June Rickards.

Miss Eve was described as 'petite with brown wavy hair', a lovely bride in a closely fitting gown of scintillating white stain.

"The bride, whose father Colonel W.H. Eve was killed in the war, was given away by her grandfather, Mr Justice Eve."

We know that Thomas and Joan went on to have one child together - Susan Eve Hanbury, who was born on April 4 1935.

The couple lived in Wanborough, Swindon. Thomas served his country and was decorated with a Military Cross.

Susan Hanbury was baptised at Stinsford Church near Dorchester and married Colonel Philip Nicholas Miles Jebb on August 7 1956.

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