Early English novels had many fair maidens traveling across the border into Scotland to elope with their true love. In Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, Lidia is said to have gone to Gretna Green to elope with Wickham, Gretna Green is just over the English border and historically the first village in Scotland.
According to Wikipedia "in the 1770s Scottish law allowed for "irregular marriages", meaning that if a declaration was made before two witnesses, almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony. The blacksmiths in Gretna became known as "anvil priests", culminating with Richard Rennison, who performed 5,147 ceremonies. The local blacksmith and his anvil became lasting symbols of Gretna Green weddings."
According to Wikipedia "in the 1770s Scottish law allowed for "irregular marriages", meaning that if a declaration was made before two witnesses, almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony. The blacksmiths in Gretna became known as "anvil priests", culminating with Richard Rennison, who performed 5,147 ceremonies. The local blacksmith and his anvil became lasting symbols of Gretna Green weddings."
How romantic... Not a shot gun wedding but a Blacksmith wedding.
Now we are entering Scotland....the the GAMES begin!
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