 In 1929 , Hammond married Dorothy Lister , the daughter of a Yorkshire textile merchant , in a highly publicised ceremony at a parish church in Bingley . They met at a cricket match in 1927 but spent little time together before the wedding , having little in common . When married , they rarely communicated or got on well . Acquaintances believed Hammond treated her badly , particularly once her father lost nearly everything in the Depression , causing them financial worry . She remained loyal , but their relations gradually broke down , even after she sailed to South Africa , joining Hammond on tour in 1939 in an attempt to save the marriage . By that time , he was already seeing his future second wife , Sybil Ness @-@ Harvey , a former beauty queen whom he had met while on tour . 
