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The tradition of couples from England and Wales eloping to Scotland to marry at border towns such as Gretna Green was due to England, at the time, having much higher minimum ages for marriage without parental consent than were required in Scotland, and Scotland recognising irregular marriages by assertion before a witness until 1939 (see below ...
Richard Rennison (29 October 1889 – 5 August 1969) was the last "anvil priest" at Gretna Green, Scotland.Between 1926 and 1940, he performed "irregular marriages" of couples over the anvil at the Old Blacksmith Shop, where the couple proclaimed that they were single and wanted to get married in front of witnesses.
There are two types of recognised marriage in Scotland, informal and formal. Both are equally valid under Scots law but, as of 4 May 2006, only formal marriages can now be contracted in Scotland. Before the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939, Scots law, following the principles of canon law, recognised three types
An 1844 depiction of a "Gretna wedding", complete with a blacksmith and some of his implements. 1930s photo of the village blacksmiths, "famous for its runaway marriages" Scottish law allowed for "irregular marriages", meaning that if a declaration was made before two witnesses, almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony.
Marriages were often the subject of careful negotiations, particularly higher in society. Marriage lost its sacramental status at the Reformation and irregular marriage continued to be accepted as valid throughout the period. Women managed the household and might work beside their husbands and, although obedience to husbands was stressed, this ...
By the end of September 2024, there had been 10,138 same-sex marriages in Scotland – with Registrar General Alison Byrne, also the chief executive of National Records of Scotland, sending her ...
1 January – the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939 outlawed "irregular" marriages ("marriage by declaration" or "handfasting") from this date, ending the practice of "anvil marriage" at Gretna Green. [1] 17 January – World War II: German submarine U-25 sank SS Polzella and the neutral Norwegian ship Enid 10 miles north of Shetland.
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