GRETNA GREEN AGAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20898, 13 June 1931, Page 2 (Supplement)

GRETNA GREEN AGAIN.

DISAPPOINTED COUPLE. NON-COMPLIANCE WITH LAW. VICE-ADMIRAL'S DAUGHTER. BAN ON THE MARRIAGE, 'A romantic story of a young couple who plan to marry, and of a caveat ontered against tho marriage liy tho father of the •would-be bridegroom, was revealed at Crawley, Sussex, in April. The sequel was a runaway visit to Gretna Green and a ceremony that, on account of an unfulfilled condition, was not legal. The girl is Miss Elizabeth Mary Elphinslone Wemyss, known to her friends as •" Bliss," tho 24-year-old daughter of Vice- ' Admiral Edward Wemyss, of The White House, Ifiold, near Crawley. The young man i 3 Mr. Charles Pechey, tho 20-year-old son of Mr. Archibald Thomas Pechey, who as " Valentine," the well-known author of plays and books, was part author, with the late Mr. Will Evans, the comedian, of the farce, "Tons of Money." The son set out to carry out his plans on April 13. Ho went to a registry office and applied for a wedding licence. Meanwhile Mr. Pechey, senior, was taking action by obtaining a caveat against the wedding, on tho ground that his son is tinder age. Statement By Young Man's Father. Mr. Pechey, senior, spoko to a newspaper . correspondent about the affair—with a twinkle in his eye. " I have had to take certain steps," he said, " but I am not prepared to say what is going to happen yet, whether we are going to stop these young people, or bless them after all. I am having a talk with the admiral about the "whole matter to-morrow—ho has asked ■ine to lunch with him at his club—and, after that, I shall be in a position to say more about it. " My son is not yet of age, and one feels that a father ought to be.consulted about these matters, and that young people ought not to take the law into their own hands. My son and I are perfectly good friends, and I have been speaking to him to : day. Tho young people were already engaged, and the engagement 1 was soon ; to be announced, but they had not obtained consent to this early marriage. Young people will bo very impulsive, you know, sometimes." Asked about hiu son's prospects, Mr. Pechey replied, " My son has his career to' carve out for himself, and I am very; hopeful that he will carve out a good one." Vice-Admiral Wemyss told the correspondent that he know a caveat had boen entered by Mr. Pechey, senior, against the marriage. . What Miss Wemyss Said. Vice-Admiral Wemyss said that he had arranged to meet Mr. Pechey, senior, the next day in London to discuss the matter. Personally, I have no objection to tho proposed marriage," said the admiral frankly. Miss Wemyss, who is tall, with auburn hair and a delightful smile, said: " I have known Mr. Pechey about four and a-half years, and we have been engaged for six months. There was never any secret, although we have never formally announced the engagement, and did hope, for a time, to keep the wedding dark." i Miss Wemyss said she had not heard of a caveat bjr Mr. Pechey, senior, against tho wedding. " There was a disagreement W'ith him, but not an insuperable one," she said. "I was living with my fiance's family until last Sunday, and then we had this disagreement. I returned to my own flat. Yesterday Mr. Pechey asked his son to put the wedding off for three months, and Mr. Pechey said he would ask me about it. " I-agreed, and have arranged to see Mr. Pechey, senior, to-morrow. ,> // " When I left with my fiance on Sunr'' day we said we would get married at once, and intended to do so. It is possible that my future father-in-law was. anxious to prevent that, but actually wo have agreed to put it off." Two Fathers in Conference. Tho two fathers sat for a long time iri _ a West End club on the following day, discussing the fate of the romanceoori r their two children. And the issue was; - still in doubt. They stated that the prob:lem wa3 not one to ,bo solved in a few minutes. They were in a quiet room al, the club, and both laughed when the}' ' received an interviewer there. " We don't know whether to drown . .j them or shoot them," said Mr. Pechey, .with a chuckle. "In fact, sent mice in not likely to bo passed yet, because, al; -•■" tho end of our friendly discussion, I am . going to report to my wife, and .'Admiral Wemyss will report to Mrs, iWemyss. Then wo shall meet together again, and I hope something will be ~ arranged. In the meantime the matter must bo regarded as more or less sub . jjudice." Admiral Wemyss stated that his daughter had known Mr. Pechey for nearly fivu '' years, but it was not thought that the}/ should marry, as they apparently intended, this week. "I told them on Monday to put it off," he said. -" Tho wholo thing ehould bo soon cleared up now." " I Asked Them to Join Hands." Tho next development was a sensational one—a dash by tho young couplo to Gretna Green lor the purpose of beini / married. The blacksmith, Mr. R. Rernison, related after the ceremony that * party of five—three young men and two . young women—arrived at the smithy at nino o'clock in tho morning. Tho blacksmith told them a, marriage would be ail right provided that one of tho contracting parties had lived in Scotland for 21 days immediately prior to the ceremony. v "Then," explained Mr. Rennison, "we wont to the anvil, and, after a brief ceremony, I asked lliem to join hands. I struck the anvil with my hammer, and declared them married persons under tie law of Scotland. Their friends congratulated them, and I added my gocd wishes. Tho couplo then signed their names in tho book: 'Charles Algernon 'Archibald Primrose Pechev, Denbigh Place, London, S.W.I, and Elizabeth Mary Wemyss, Avton Hall, Cupar, Fife.'" / Mr. Rennison added that the friend who had done most of tho talking asked whether there was a photographer in the neighbourhood, and the blacksmith himself agreed to take a photograph for them. ' "He was very particular," continued Mr! Rennison, "that I should let him have tho plate, and this I sold to him for !>s. Tho five of them seemed very happy ■}f- about tho wholo business. They got i:\to /' a small saloon car, driving in the direction of London. It was not until later in • 1 tho day that I learned that Mr. Pechey y- and Miss Wemyss were the people whose vns marriage had been stopped." ® e; *l drama entered the romance on Iho /}■'■ "ad back to London. On the Great North . Road the car was stopped by V.:eAdrniral Wemyss, who had got to know of the Gretna Green adventure. "Is that jou, 'W

Bliss ?" he called to his daughter by her pet name. Miss Wemyss got out of the car from the north, conversed with her father for a few minutes and then entered his car, which immediately began the homeward journey to Ifield. Mr. Pechoy and tho others of the party drove on to a hotel. Subsequently Admiral Wemyss, who confessed that his daughter " had taken things rather badly," paid a visit to the Scottish Oflico in London, and had an interview with one of the legal advisers. Ho obtained a letter signed by a high authority of tho Scottish Oflico, and worded as follows : "With reference to the question you addressed to mo regarding marriago at Gretna Green, by tho law of Scotland no such marriago is valid unless one or oilier of tho parties thereto had at tho time his or lier usual residence in Scotland, Dr had lived in Scotland for 21 days immediately before tho marriage. This is the law as laid down in the Marriago (Scotland) Act, 1856." "So you see," remarked tho vicoadmiral afterwards, "thero has not been and there is not any marriage at all. My daughter certainly had no residence in Scotland. Mr. Pechey is, of course, still under age. They cannot, owing to the caveat obtained by Mr. Pechey's father, get married in England. There is no residential qualification for Scotland. It is truo that I had no objection to a church wedding, but what the position will bo eventually I cannot say." On account of the legal position Mr. Pechey and Miss Wemyss agreed to separate for a time. "They believed that their wedding was valid," a mutual friend explained, "and that tho certificate of residence was a formality to satisfy local objections to tho historic form of ceremony in tho smithy. ' -'Miss Wemyss and I are still engaged," Mr. Pechey declared, "and wo liopo that it will be possible for us to be married, before very long." On tho other hand, Vice-Admiral Wemyss says, " Bliss is home, and will stay thero."