Days Gone By

One of the many famous weddings that took place at Gretna Green was that of John Peel, the huntsman made famous by song, who eloped from Cumberland with his bride.

A marriage act was passed in 1857 in an attempt to prevent the abuse of the Scottish Marriage Law by persons outside Scotland. It laid down that one of the contracting parties must be domiciled or have lived for the previous twenty one days in Scotland. The act had the effect of restricting the number of marriages for about forty years. The trade was resumed and continued until 1940 when an Act of Parliament put a stop to marriages over the anvil. The Act required proper notice of marriage to be given and the ceremony to be conducted by a Minister of Religion of any Christian denomination or in the office of an Authorised Registrar.

The minimum age of marriage in Scotland remained at sixteen years, and this has been taken advantage of by many persons from England and foreign countries where the minimum age of marriage without parental consent is usually twenty one, and several hundred weddings have taken place each year for the past few years. As long as the world loves a lover, Gretna will find a place in the hearts of the people the world over.

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