Friends of Hastings Cemetery

  Pray for the soul of
James Williamson Wearing
Died 28th November 1937 Aged 73
Captain late 5th Battalion The Kings Own Royal Regiment

CA A02 -

Pray for the soul of Ethel Maud, Marchioness Della Taflia, wife of James Williamson Wearing Who died 9th of January 1953 Aged 80

James Williamson Wearing was the child of Stephen Wright and Jane Hannah Wearing who at the time of his birth on 27th April 1864 lived at 9, Cheapside, Lancaster  Stephen was a shoemaker and a Justice of the Peace. Jane, (nee Williamson) was the sister of the first Baron Ashton.  She grew up at Parkfield House.

In 1886 James attended The Castle Howell School'

In 1913 he was living at Parkfield House. He was a Barrister-at-Law (Middle Temple), and during the First World War served as a Captain of the 5th Battalion of The King's Own Royal Regiment.  He was invalided out in 1916.

James and Ethel Maud were married in 1916.  Ethel Sedley-Alessi was born 26th September 1872, the only child of Frederick Sedley-Alessi, the fifth Marquis della Taflia of Malta, and his wife Edith Fanny Langdon, the granddaughter of the British admiral Sir J. Omanney. Ethel was married (1916) when aged over forty, to James Williamson-Wearing, the nephew of the first Baron Ashton of Ashton. James and Ethel's marriage was childless.

With the death of her father in 1921 Ethel succeeded to the title as the  Marquesa della Taflia, (recognised by Committee of Privileges of Maltese Nobility) which peerage she held for over three decades until her death, when the Taflia title passed into abeyance, it having been originally granted in 1790. ..

In 1931 they were living at 5 Brittany Road, St Leonards. 1931.

Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 11th December 1937

The Late Captain J. W. Wearing, J.P.

The death of Captain James Williamson Wearing. J.P., occurred suddenly at his home, 5, Brittany-road, St. Leonards. Captain Wearing was the husband of the Marchioness della Taflia, of Malta.

A J.P. for Lancashire, he was the eldest son the late Mr. S. W- Wearing, J.P., and nephew of the late Lord Ashton of Lancaster.

The funeral took place on Thursday last week, a service being held at St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, the interment following the Borough Cemetery. Father T. O'Donoughue officiated, assisted by Father Loman, of Battle.