GRETNA GREEN AGAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 148, 25 June 1931, Page 11

GRETNA GREEN AGAIN

DISAPPOINTED COUPLE NON-COMPLIANCE WITH LAW. VICE-ADMIRAL “8 DAUGHTER. BAN ON THE MARRIAGE. A romantic story of a youug couple who plan to marry, and of a caveat entered against the marriage by the father of the would-be bridegroon 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 •eonditi i, was not legal. The girl is Miss Elizabeth Mary Elphi nstone Wemyss, known to her friends as “Bliss,” the 24-ycar-old daughter of Vice-Admiral Edward Wemyss, of The White House, Ificld, near Crawley. The young man is Mr. Charles Pechey, the 20-year-old son of Mr. Archibald Thoma; Pechey, wh- 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. He went to a registry office and applied for a wedding licence. Meanwhile Mr. Pechey, senior, was taking action by obtr : ning a caveat against the wedding, on the ground that his son is under age. Statement By Youug Man's Father. Mr. Pechey, senior, spoke to a newspaper correspondent about the affair —with a twinkle in his eye. “1 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 to-morrow — he has asked me to lunch with him at his club—and, after that, 1 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 bo 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. The young people were already engaged and the engagement was soon to be announced, but they had not obtained consent to this early marriage. Young people will be very impulsive, you know, sometimes.” Asked about his 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 knew a caveat had been entered by Mr. Pechey, senior, against the marriage. What Miss Wemyss Said. Vice Admiral Wemyss .said he had arranged to meet Mr. Pechey, senior, next day in London to discuss the matter. “Personally, I have no objection to the 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.” Miss Wemyss said she bad not heard of a caveat by Mr. Pechey, senior, against the wedding. “There was a disagreement with 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 Air. Pechey, senior, to-morrow. “When I left with my fiance on Sunday we said wo 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 we have agreed to put it off.” Two Fathers in Conference. The two fathers sat for a long time in a West End club on the following day, discussing the fate of the romance of their two children. And the Issue was still in doubt. They stated that the problem was not one to bo solved in a few minutes. They were in a quiet room at the club, and both laughed when they received an inter viewer there. “We don’t "know whether to drown them or shot them,” said Mr. Pechey. with a chuckle. “In fact, sentence is not likely to be passed yet, because at the end of our friendly discussion. [ am going to report to my wife, and Admiral Wemyss will report to Mrs. Wemyss. Then we shall meet together again, and I hope something will be arranged. In the meantime the matter must be regarded as more less sub Judice.” Admiral Wemyss stui'cd that I".daughtcr had known Air. Pechey lor nearly five years, but it was not thought that they should marry, as they apparently intended, this week. “I told them on Monday pul it off,” he said. “The whole thing should he soon cleared up now. ’ “I Asked Them to Join Hands.” The next development was a sensational one—a dash by the young vouple to Gretna Green for the purpose of being married. The blacksmith, Mr. R. Rennison, related after the ceremony that a party of five—three young men ami two young women —arrived at the smithy at nine o’clock in the morning. The, blacksmith told them a. marriage would be all right provided

that one of the contracting parties had lived in Scotland lor 21 QUjS immediately prior to the ceremony. “Then,” explained Air. Rennison, “we went tu lay anvil, and, alter a brief ceremony, 1 asked them to join hands. 1 struck the anvil with my hammer, and declared them married persons under the law uf Scotland. Their friends congratulated them, and 1 added my good wishes. The couple then signed tneir names in the book: ‘ Charles Algernon Archibald Primruse Pechey, Denbigh Pi ace, London, S.W.I, and Elizabeth Alary Wemyss, Ayton Hall, Cupar, Fife.’” Air. Reunison added that the friend who had done most of the talking asked whether there was a photographer in the neighbourhood, and the 1 blacksmith himsell agreed to take a photograph for them. “Ho was very particular,” continued Air. Rennison, | “that 1 should let him have the plate, and this f sold him for ss. The five or them seemed very happy about the whole business. Tney got into a small saloon car, driving in the direction of London. It was not until later in the day that 1 learned that Air. Pechey and Aliss Wemyss were the people whose marriage had been stopped.” Real drama entered the romance on the road back to London. On the Great North Road the car was stopped by Vice-Admiral Wemyss, who had got to know of the Gretna Green adventure. “Is that you, Bliss?” he called to his daughter by her pet name. Aliss Wemyss got out of the car from the north, conversed with her father for a few minutes and then entered his ear, which immediately began the homeward journey to J field. Air. Pechey and the 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 Office in London, and had an interview with one of the legal advisers. Ho obtained a letter signed by a high authority of the Scottish Office, and worded as follows: — “With reference to the question you addressed to me regarding marriage ai Gretna Green, by the law of Scotland no such marraige is valid unless one or other of the parties thereto had at the time his or her usual residence in Scotland, or had Jived in Scotland for 21 [ days immediately before the marriage. This is the law as laid down in the Marriage (Scotland) Act, 1856.” “So you see,” remarked the viceadmiral afterwards, “there has not been and there is not any marriage at all. Aly daughter certainly had no residence in Scotland. Air. 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 true that I had no objection to a church wedding, but what the position will be eventually f cannot say.” On account of the legal position Mr. I'echey and Miss Wemyss agreed tn ) m pnrate for a time. “They believed I that, their wedding was valid,” a mutual friend explained, “ami that the certificate of residence was a formality I to satisfy local object ions to the historic form of ceremony in the smithy.” Aliss Wemyss and I are still engaged,” Mr. Pechey declared, “and we hope that it will be possible for us Io be married before long.” On the other hand, Vice-Admiral Wemyss says. “Bliss is lion” 1 . and will stay tl.u-re, ■ ’