It's always pleasant to be able to write about something that seems to be unique to the Dempsters, and this appears to be it. No only unique to the Dempsters, but to my own branch of the family - unless any of you out there know different.

The tradition has been going for goodness knows how long, and the last bride who followed it was my aunt in the 1950s. As it was reported in the 1950s, my aunt went through the wedding ceremony whilst literally "walking on gold" as gold sovereign coins were built into the soles of her shoes.

No one that I have ever asked has heard of this tradition, and my family have no idea of its origin, just that it has always been done - there was even a collection of sovereigns kept for the purpose!

The whole thing may well be connected with all the usual traditions connected with "bride prices", dowries and the like, but no one I have ever spoken to, including a few folk-lore experts have ever heard of this specific practice outside my own family, and I have never found it in any book on the subject.

If, of course, hundred of families across the world have been doing this, then it's no novelty, but if there are such families, could one of them let me know what it's all about. After all there are many more showy, and comfortable ways to show off the family wealth than to have the bride hobble up the aisle, he shoes stuffed with coinage!

Ideas anyone?

© James Dempster 1997