GRETNA GREEN

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 159, 17 June 1936, Page 3

GRETNA GREEN

SCOTTISH MARRIAGES. Owner Of Famous Smithy Tells' Story. QUESTION OF FEES. Gretna Green marriages were described to the Committee on the Marriage Law of Scotland by Mr. G. B. Mackie, owner of the famous blacksmith's forge where they take place, and by Mr. Richard Rennison, the caretaker, who performs the marriage ceremony. I The Committee is sitting at Edinburgh I under the chairmanship of Lord Morison. Mr. Mackie said"lhat his father went 1o Gretna as a farmer, bought the Gretna estate in 1890, and turned the blacksmith's shop into a museum in 1900. The relics in the museum 1 were collected by his father. When the estate was bought it was just a,,.blacksmith's shop. 1 Lord Morison: "How do you come to employ someone to conduct the marriages?"—"lt has always been the custom to have a caretaker. He is responsible for the weddings." The more the caretaker got out of the weddings, Mr. Mackie continued, the more he got for himself. He was also given a commission on the souvenirs sold. Apart from keeping the register, witness himself had nothing to do with the weddings. Mr. Rennison, the caretaker, had been with them for eight years.

i Asked what Mr. Rennison had been | previously, witness said it was difficult to say. He thought he was a "Jack of all trades." ITe was paid commissions on charges for admission to the museum and the small fee for the marriage certificate. Witness had nothing to do with what he got for performing marriages. Sometimes he got nothing, sometimes People should not think that' the certificate they received from the caretaker completed the ceremony, said Mr. M'ackie, because they were told to register the marriage. When it was pointed out that on the certificates given to parties who were married the caretaker signed himself as a priest, Mr. Mackie replied.that he was a priest so far as the blacksmith's shop was concerned. He did not ; agree that the word priest was misleading. The caretaker was not dressed as a priest. Trie business ran very peacefully. Some people "squealed" now and again, but most people seemed very happy about it. Mr. R. Rennison. who is 46, stated that after the parties had declared before witnesses that they were both single persons, and that one or other had been resident in Scotland for 21 days, he de~ clarcd them married and gave them a blue certificate.

The marriage was entered in a register, and the parties were instructed that they must have the marriage registered at Dumfries within three months. The marriages were conducted when the parties arrived, by day or night. Before going to Gretna in 1926 he was a saddler and ironmonger, and was also 1 in the boot trade. He started in Gretna as a saddler, and then opened a cafe. He was engaged as caretaker by Mr. Mackie in 1927.

He agreed that an increase in the number of marriages coincided with a great deal of Press publicity. Witnesses were paid 2s Gd. The usual fee for a marriage was £l. In reply to Bailie Jean Roberts, Rennison said he received the marriage fee after deducting expenses. He was not a money-grabber. The expenses included 5s for the witnesses and payment for three certificates and turnstile charges. Regarding the word "priest" on the form, Mr. Rennison said he knew that he was not a priest. In the past few years he had been scoring out the word "priest."