The
Merry
Widow
and her
Young
Hussar

Major George Hall McLaughlin, my grandfather, died of heart disease on 14 December 1914. His widow and daughters deeply mourned the loss of this kind man who gave voice to only one regret ─ that he had to give up riding and walk with a cane after being thrown by one of his beloved steeds.

But life must go on, and an officer in a crack regiment was ready to offer consolation. Second Lieutenant John William Tait of the 15th (King's) Hussars was so consoling a companion that he was nicknamed Chum. He was charming and had a dapper appearance, what with his waxed moustache, his elegant tie pin, and his spats. Within months Chum raised the widow's spirits from misery to merriment.

So it happened that on April 1916, Mr. John Tait, aged 26, a solictor's son from Inveresk, near Edinburgh, married 40-year-old Mrs George McLaughlin at St. Margaret's, Westminster, the church of the House of Commons. Among those married in this venue for political and society weddings were John Milton, Samuel Pepys, and Sir Winston Churchill.

The bride was given away by her dearly departed husband's cousin, "Freddie" Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, Eighth Baron Calthorpe, a Cambridge Blue who captained England on the first ever cricket Test tour of the West Indies.

After serving with the Edinburgh Royal Garrison Artillery, John had become a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery Special Reserve of Officers in 1910. A month after the outbreak of World War I he went to France with the British Expeditionary Force. In February 1916 he transferred to the 15th Hussars which fought on the Western Front throughout the war. John was promoted to full Lieutenant in September 1916 but later put on the half pay list because of ill-health, on which ground he resigned his commission in July 1918 and was granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant.

Chum was extremely generous ‒ with Ethel's money. One evening Ethel was invited to dine at Chum's golf club. She was surprised to have the seat of honour beside the club secretary. She was even more surprised when he praised her husband for donating the magnificent gilded dinner service. It was sent back to Aspreys the next day.

After the Great War the family went on many Continental holidays. In January 1919 they stayed at the Hotel Splendide in Nice. They also frequently visited Bordighera, on the Italian Riviera, where the British used to outnumber the locals.

Chum was photographed regally playing a charade with his step-daughters on either side. Ethel may have correctly suspected Chum of trying to seduce at least one of them.  In any case she somehow disposed of Chum, although the notice of his death in 1942 indicated that Ethel was still married to him.  Three years later The Times announced that she had reverted to the name Mrs. George McLaughlin.

© 2006 G. Harry McLaughlin.
Reproduction or transmission, in whole or in part, for other than personal use is prohibited without advance permission from Dr. G. H. McLaughlin.