1947 Dayfoot Wedding, Chengdu

Item

Title
1947 Dayfoot Wedding, Chengdu
Description
Rev. Arthur Dayfoot and Bessie Julien got married on the WCUU campus on April 19th, 1947. Although they were both from Ontario, they met for the first time at Behludin the year before. This series of photos comes from Rev. John Stinson, who had served as best man at the wedding.
Commentary
Rev. Arthur Dayfoot (known as Art) was born in Brampton, Ontario, in 1915. On Feb. 14th, 1944, at 29 years of age, he was one of the last new missionaries to be appointed to the United Church of Canada West China mission. However, given the dangers caused by World War II, he did not leave for China until December of that year. For the same reason he had to travel via Africa and India to reach Chongqing, West China, August 3rd, 1945 (1,2).

Bessie Julien was born in Wheatley, Ontario, in 1918. She trained to be a nurse at the Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, as well as taking courses in Public Health in Windsor and then working for the Victoria Order of Nurses in the Township of York (i.e. Toronto) before completing another year of study with the Woman’s Missionary Society Training School in Toronto. At age 28, she was appointed to the Women’s Missionary Society in May of 1946 and arrived in West China in July of that same year (3).

Arriving in Chengdu in the heat of summer, Bessie made haste to the missionaries’ resort at Behludin, where she met the bachelor Rev. Arthur Dayfoot. Although they both grew up in Ontario, they had not met prior to taking up missionary work in West China. After a whirlwind romance and courtship, Art proposed in October of 1946. Wedding arrangements began in March of 1947, and the couple were married in the Chapel of the Canadian School in West China, Chengdu, on Saturday April 19th, 1947 (3). The reception took place on the lawn next to the school, which was on the campus of the West China Union University.

A letter home from Mrs. Isabelle Stinson relates that the Dayfoot couple were Scandinavian, which afforded some of the charming customs of the wedding ceremony and reception. Her husband John Stinson was called upon not only to play the role of best man, but also to sing three songs with two (as yet) unidentified women. These were O perfect Love, Because and A Wedding Prayer. Isabelle remarks that John “managed it though his throat is far from good.” There were also solo, duet, group, instrumental musical performances, as well as “chalk drawing with recitation, advice to the bride etc.” (4)

Although it is not known who took this series of photographs, it could not have been John Stinson because he is in too many of them. There are several photographs of another photographer with both still and moving picture cameras. Some of the photographs also suggest that more than one photographer was taking pictures at the same time. The anonymous photographer sent these photo prints to John to commemorate his participation in making the Dayfoot wedding a memorable occasion for all. The photos have been in the Stinson Family Archives ever since.
Location
Brampton, Ontario
Chongqing, Sichuan, China
Wheatley, Ontario
London, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario (AKA Township of York)
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Behludin, Sichuan, China
Event Date
1947-04-19
References
1. FONDS 502: UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA BOARD OF OVERSEAS MISSIONS FONDS, 1983.047C Box 10-239. Letters to and from the Associate Secretary relating to West China.
2. UCCA Personnel Files – Rev. Arthur Charles Dayfoot.
3. Nancy Gordon. 2013. Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: Bessie Julien Dayfoot. Canadian School Association Newsletter No. 31, p.8.
4. Letter home from Mary Isabelle Stinson, May 15th, 1947 (Stinson Family Archives).
Item sets
Event Records in China Middle Kingdom Digital Resource
Stinson Family Archives
Media
precious-calla-lilies-bridal-bouquet_407.jpg

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