Sisters who wed together celebrate 140 years of marriage

They married together in a hastily arranged double wedding as their generation faced the terrible uncertainty of war. But sisters Doris and Margaret Wiles were both fortunate to find an enduring romance which has lasted 70 years.

Now aged in their 90s, Doris and Margaret have celebrated their platinum wedding anniversaries with the sweethearts they wed in a joint ceremony in the autumn of 1939.

"We thought 'we may be killed' so wanted to get married as soon as possible", recalled Doris, of St Austell Avenue, Macclesfield. "My sister and her husband thought the same so we decided to have a double wedding. "I only had a few weeks to make both wedding dresses and all the bridesmaid dresses but we managed it.

"It was a lovely wedding - we couldn't all fit in our own church so we had to have it in the Methodist chapel instead."

Her sister Margaret added: "We are very, very close, we were like twins. It was nice for us to both get married on the same day."

Doris, who was 22 at the time, married Lawrence Gregson, a 25-year-old mechanical engineer and her elder sister Margaret, who was 24, tied the knot with 26-year-old Clarence Corbishley at the same ceremony.

After the wedding in Cheetham Hill in Manchester, the sisters went their separate ways, Doris hopped on a bus to her new home in Macclesfield and Margaret headed over to Baguley.

Doris and Lawrence remained in Macclesfield during the war as Lawrence's skills as a mechanical engineer kept him away from the front line and building Lancaster Bombers at Woodford. He also worked for the Home Guard in the evenings.

Shortly after the birth of Margaret and Clarence's first son, Michael, Clarence was called up to the air force and did not return for more than five years.

Margaret said: "The war office put off calling him until I had the baby because Michael was our first, then the next time he came home baby Michael was six-and-a-half years old.

"But we had lots and lots of letters between us, we loved each other very much."

Margaret, now 94, and Clarence, 96, eventually had five children while Doris, 92, and Lawrence. 95, had two children.

The couples, who have collectively been alive for 377 years, have a total of 24 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren between them.

They celebrated their joint wedding anniversary at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Victoria Road, Macclesfield.

Doris added: "We had a lovely day. It was nice to celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary all together.

"We've had a very happy life, it's all about give and take."

Originally published by Rhiannon McDowall - The Manchester Evening News