Odette Paul's Wedding

The Burden and Paul families lived in the Tarrant Valley in Dorset and intermarried on several occasions over 200 years. The most recent was the marriage of Elizabeth Burden to Sydney Paul in 1894, resulting in four sons William Paul (born 1896), Sidney Paul (born 1899), Harold Paul (born 1903) and Ernest Paul (born 1911).

William Paul served in the Army in WW1 and afterwards took a job looking after Commonwealth War Graves Commission sites in France, where he met and married Leontine Eugenie Fernande Julia Drouet, known as Jeanne. Their daughter Odette Paul was born in France in 1922 but, in 1946, met and married a Canadian serviceman, Charles McCall, stationed in Surrey. Shortly after, they returned to Canada and raised a family there.

The wedding photo below is important as a record not just of Odette and Charlie's wedding but also a family gathering of Pauls and Burdens. The photo was supplied by Wendy Paul, who was present at the wedding, and who is the daughter of Harold Paul and Evelyn Knight.

Louisa Burden (Elizabeth's sister) was present at the wedding, and this is one of the very few photos I have of her. Elizabeth and Louisa Burden were the sisters of William Henry Burden, my grandfather.

Marriage of Charles McCall and Odette Paul

William Paul, Odette's father, is immediately behind the bridesmaid.

Leontine Eugenie Fernande Julia Drouet, Odette's mother, known as Jeanne, is next to the best man.

Ernest Paul, William Paul's brother, is behind the groom, and recognisable by the white streak in his hair.

Louisa Burden, sister to Elizabeth Burden, William Paul's mother (and who died in 1931), is at the end of the front line at the left.

James Lanham, Louisa's husband is immediately behind the groom.

Harold Paul, another of William Paul's brothers, is second from the right and holding his daughter Wendy Paul.

Wendy Paul's mother, Evelyn Knight, is behind Odette and wearing the rakish hat.