eloping to Scotland!
Posted by P. Bingham on February 04, 1998 at 14:36:19:
In response to Gretna Green, written by Ken on February 04, 1998 at 10:48:29
Dear Snarkhunter,
Ive oulines this for your ease:
English Marriage laws:
Lord Hardwicke's Act of 1753 made the exchanging of wedding vowels in any other than a church or public chapel without banns or license illegal. The person performing such a marriage would be committing a felony. and be transported for 14 years. Destroying, falsefying or forging with evil intent an entry in a marriage register was a capital offense. This law excluded members of the Royal family, Quakers, & Jews but not Catholics.
banns - needed to be published in the church on three successive Sundays preceeding the wedding. Couples from different parishes needed to have these banns read in each parishes. And parental permission was necessary to post banns.
license - special licenses could be expensively had from the archbishop or his rep. and these licenses did away with the bann restrictions, location restrictions and even time restrictions.
Why did they go to Scotland? Because Henry Fox provided a loophole to this law by declaring Scotland exempt. Gretna Green was the closest town over the border. It was in Dumfriesshire near the river Esk, ten miles from Carlisle and nine from Annan.
What Scotland did not require: the consent of parents or guardians, the publication of banns or delays, nor did they have any age requirements.
The only think scotland required was the mutaul consent of the bride and groom and the vows said before witnesses.
] Also, what precisely was it about Scots law that made it easier to get married? No reading of the banns? Lower age of consent?
] YHOS,
] Snarkhunter
- That Clears It Up Nicely, Thank You! (nfm) Ken 07:52:29 2/05/98
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