Brides who benefit from love for London

10:29am Tuesday 6th November 2007

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Poor, honest, young brides born or living in the City of London still receive a dowry left by an Italian gentleman 125 years ago. DAVID MILLS speaks to one grateful recipient.

AN ITALIAN loved London so much, he bequeathed money to women who got married and started a tradition still alive today.

When he died in 1882, Pasquale Favale left money to the City of London Corporation on the condition each year some of it would be given to "three poor, honest, young women, natives of the City of London, aged 16 to 25, who had recently been, or were about to be, married".

Pasquale was so in love with his London-born wife Eliza Bryan, he was determined to help other London couples marry, and so he left 18,000 lira - equivalent to £720 - to the City of London Corporation.

One of those "poor, honest, young women" was Barbara Jelley, now of Ember Close, Petts Wood, who received a £25 dowry when she married in 1958.

Mr Favale stated in his will he was "induced to make the bequest by the fact that his wife was a native of London and that he had passed many happy years of his life in the City".

This is a tradition the City of London is eager to keep alive, and the oldest local authority in England this year celebrated the bequest's 125th anniversary by chauffeur-driving Ms Jelley to a presentation ceremony at the Guildhall in the City of London.

Out of all dowry recipients the City of London managed to track down, Mrs Jelley, born at Ludgate Circus in the City, was the bride who received hers the longest time ago.

Mrs Jelley, 72, said: "I got £25, which was a month's wages.

"At the time, I worked as a secretary and earned £4.50 a week."

She said the dowry went towards buying items for the newly-married couple's house.

She added: "We couldn't afford much to put in the house, so the money went towards buying things like a cooker, a bed and a carpet."

Although her husband Anthony died last year, Mrs Jelley was happily married for more than 40 years.

She added: "Anthony would have been absolutely thrilled about it.He would have loved to have come.

"They showed our wedding photos on ITV Tonight."

Nowadays, brides receive a dowry of about £100, which although will not cover the cost of a wedding, will pay for a cake or table decorations.

Mrs Jelley did not realise dowries were still being offered today.

She said: "It's a very good thing it's still going.

"It's lovely of the City of London to keep the tradition alive.

"In this day and age, it's very nice to have something which celebrates marriage."

To be considered for the dowry, applicants need to have been born or have lived within the City of London boundaries, and are still required to send character references to prove their honesty.