GRETNA GREEN.
MARRIAGE BUSINESS. — 3 NEW BLACKSMITH STARTS. LONDON, January 9. A new blacksmith has entered the marriage business at Gretna Green. An eloping couple, Audrey Patricia Smith (161 and Sidney Swan (25), of Clacton-on-Sea, were married by torchlight over an anvil at Gretna Hall Inn, 100 yards from the smithy where Richard Rennison the hitherto undisputed Gretna Green blacksmith, had maried hundreds of couples. The new smith is the innkeeper, David Mackintosh, who states: “My forge is the original one, and I have decided to reopen the smithy. It seemed foolish to turn away good money. “I charge a guinea for a marriage and half-a-crown for witnesses, and 1 expect to yret a good run. My hoteT is convenient for couples to stay overnight.” Rennison retorted: “I am not worrying. My business is on a solid foundation and is well organised.” The Morison Committee in 1936 condemned Gretna weddings and the Church of Scotland declared them a social evil. Legislation to abolish them, however, has not yet been introduced.
The principle of the Scots law is that consent makes marriage and that banns are not required; but one of the parties has to reside in Scotland for 21 days previously.
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Bibliographic details
Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 88, 24 January 1938, Page 5
Word Count
201GRETNA GREEN. Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 88, 24 January 1938, Page 5
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