The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-07

not. But it flashed over me that he was an
old man; postman; had probably always
lived at Springfield and Gretna; might be
very serviceable in assisting in my investi-
cations; and asked him plainly il he could
| be; to which. after long time regarding
me with look of incredulity. suspicious
cunning and positively piteous greed, he
solemnly asserted that he was the only man
living that could give any one OF an inquir-
ing turn OF mind complete information mp
on the subject of Gretna marriages; which
he would do if l would join him on the
morrow at his own house, the third from
the Sark bridge-''if there's siller ahint it.'
he concluded almost savagely. assured
there was reasonable amount of 'of silver
behind" whatever he could do for me,
wheleupon the old wretch went his way.
just 100 years ago this village of Spring
field was built by Sir William Maxwell.
The necessity of the place had its origin in
the marriage trade of Gretna, which became
SO popular under its originator, Joseph
Paisley, that Maxwell's own residence at
the old village was transformed into an inn,
and this in a little time was 80 overcrowded
that other accommodations had to be pro-
vided. The Kings Arms across the way
from the Maxwel's Arms, in which am
writing, by 1900 had become the most
kingdoms. From Paisley's marriage of the
Cumberland, England, couple in III, as
chroniced in my last article, to the time of
his death in 1914, it is computed that the
traffic brought annually to Gretna and
Springfield 10000 in fees, expenses
lish couples, outlay of barristers
who visited the place to establish
proof of marriage, other barristers who
came for clients who hoped to find lack of
proof, the curious who were attracted by
the extraordinary character of the place,
and from tie general recklessness and ex
travagance OH every hand where marriage
gentry and nobility ranged from five to one
hundred guineas, az they did. with any
amount of the yellow STUFF for the hordes
of WITNESSES" handy~men and straps who
lived permanently at the inns, filled the
rude cottages, or swarmed like harpies about
owner of the estate on which Springfield
stands is Sir John Maxwell, the third Sir
John. of the descendants of Sir William
Maxwell. He lives in London, renting the
estate demense at Springfield, some seven
miles distant, to Lord Antrim. now here for
his fourth year, as shooting-box for
grouse-shooting and a summer residence, at
$1,000 per year. The wretched habitations
of the now woebegone village, originally
parceled out on So year leases which are just
now expiring. at the present time be based
at an average annual rental of but IS per
year, and house most miserable population.
So much for the village, whose eastern end
tween England and Scotland, at the old
stone bridge across the Sark, where the old
en- Gretna marriages were cOnSummated,
times in less than thirty seconds,
and indeed where they were often per-
formed at the bridge-end itself, with old
Paisley running alongside the laundering
coach with its foaming horses, so close had
been pursuit.
Tracing the successors of Paisley, I find
that their line was established in this wise.
High living, half gallon of brandy daily,
and frequent debauches when gallons of
Cognac would be nightly consumed.
brought Paisley. a mass of fat and corrup-
1914 For some little time before his death
his physical joys and Affections compelled
him to delegate his offices to other and
younger hands. The fortunate man was
one David Laing a canny Ulster Irishman
and a pack peddler, who had married Pals
ley's granddaughter. No one disputed the
legitimacy of the succession. as David
Laing had both hard fist and character:
and though rivals occasionally intercepted
a trifle of the traffic, he controlled it
SO effectually and gave it such eclat
that ON his death in 1S27-having
caught fatal cold on his visit to Lancas-
ter. England. to give evidence at the trial
victed and punished by two years i,npris-
onment for the abduction of his betrothed,
their marriage having been celebrated at
Gretna-his memory was thus perpetuated
by Thomas Hood:
Sleep, David I.aing-sieep
In peace, II oagh angry eoVernesses spurn thee
Over Thy grave thousand maidens Weep
And honest post boys mourn thee
Sleep David! safely and serenely sep,
Bewept by many a learned legal eye-
browns many Id That thee Ras dry
Especially of those that. plunging deep
In love, would ride and tie
Had command, thou shouldst have gone thy
ways
In chais Q and 1air-and lain in Pere Ia Chaise!
The third "Bishop of Gretna,' Simon
Iaing, son of "auld Dave" indicted him
self into office Immediately after his fathers
death, and continued the marriage business
until his own death in 1871, fact not gen.
orally known, with constant increase of
traffic until 1856. In this year, by permits
sion OF Scottish representatives in the Brit
ish parliament, an act was passed making
civil-contract marriage impossible in Scot
land unless one of the contracting parties
became resident of Scotland for twenty
one DAYS Immediately preceding marriage.
With this modification the old law stands in
tact. But the prevailing idea. which exists
even in Scotland, that Gretna marriages
to my amazement was discovered on my
visit to the old postman. There found not
the ogre in blue and red, but a venerable old
wretch of 6S years, with white locks, great
horned spectacles half-hidden behind that
wonderful nose. and his weakened form
clad in threadbare suit of clerical black.
whose name was William Laing. This man
is the fourth Bishop of Gretna." having
succeeded his father on the death of the lat
ter in 1871; and who. in addition to his SER
vices to her majesty as postman of SPRING
field and Gretna Green at ''seven shillin'
saxpence the week." is continuing the
Gretna service to runaway English couples,
who overcome the twenty-one day residence
restriction without difficulty, to this very
day: receiving, as he himself informed me,
as little as ten shillings and as much as ten
pounds as marriage fee. The unique
character sat in sacredotial state by
greasy deal-table beside the one
little window of his cottage, impa-
tlently awaiting my arrival; for was there
not ''siller ahint it?'' One arm rested upon
pile of ancient leather-covered record
books. At his feet was stout oaken box
with tremendous paddock. Standing. or
rather tottering about the middle of the
room. was the old mans wife; deaf for IS
years, her voice faded to a pathetic falsetto
gurgle, and her face and thin old form sug-
costing some ghostly white field flower
trembling in the wind-whipped au-
tumn of its life. The old man
man was fercely grave and dlgni-
fed. The old woman was all feeble
SMILES swaying salaams, soft and piteous
cacklings. For four hours time was busted