Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-08-30
MIR. wAKEMAN,s JOURNEYINGs.

Chapter on Gretna Green-The
World.Famous Marriage Resort of
Scotland-Causes That Lead Gretna
Green to Become the Far Famed
Court of Hymen-The First Young
Couple TO Attain Bliss by the Gret-
ma Route-By Whom and When
the Knot was Tied.
GRETNA GREEN, Scotland, July 2S.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
To my own mind there had never been
in the whole of Great Britain spot in re-
ality SO obscure, of SO great and scanda-
lous renown, and yet about which, when
one really desired to be informed concern
ing it, there had always seemed to exist
such ignorance, mystery and delusion, as
the little border hamlet of Gretna Green.
determined therefore that while afoot in
Scotland l would, at the exercise of any
personal inconvenience, know the place;
delve until there could be clear under
standing of the causes behind its olden
notoriety; and, if possible, bring to light,
in some plain and reliable fashion, true, if
brief, account of its extraordinary rela-
tions to British society, in its world ia
accounted for ''Gretna marriages"
The parish of Gretna, or Graitney, COM
prises tiny reach of land in the south
western portion of Dumfries shire, in the
form of an irregular paralellogram, ex-
| tending in northeast and southwest di-
rection, about seven miles long, and from
| two to three miles in width. In its whole
length it is border land; about one-half of
it's southwestern exposure lies along the
head of the Solway Firth; and the re-
mainder is bounded by the little, though
! rapid and tumultuous, river Sark. The
river empties into the Solway from the
northeast, few miles north of where the
| Esk, in the English county of Cumber-
land, coming down from the Scottish Rox-
burgh hills, also cuts through the Solway
The strip of land between the two rivers,
though incontestably English soil, as the
Sark is the real boundary between the two
counties, has always been debatable
ground; until the union it was the haunt
of smugglers and petty villains of extra
ordinary varieties; and in the olden times
was scene of .incessant feuds between
the adherents of Scottish chieftains and
English border lords.
geographically the parish of Gretna il
without special interest. 1t is neither Of
Annandale nor Eskdale, and forms wide
hollow or swail, principally of moss land
with gradual depression towards the
Solway. Old Gretna, on the east bank OF
the Kirtle water, in its old Anglo-saxor
name of Gretan hol, is noted only for Civ
ing the name to the parish and describing
its topography, Gretan hol or Gretan how
meaning "the great hollow" Here ant
there traces exist of ancient square tower,
and keeps, necessary for defence against
and for gathering places for, foray, in an
; cient times; and on the farm of Gretn,
Mains the remains of an oval Druidic tenn
| pie are found, one stone of which meas
ures one hundred and eighteen cubic feet
Tradition makes this spot famous as tn,
scene of the formation of ancient alliances
between England and Scotland. The par
ish itself is utterly devoid of scenic inter
est. although from the Solway side, bu
fifteen minutes walk from old Gretna, es
pecially towards nightfall, magnificen
panorama of the Cumberland mountain
/ of the English 'sLake District" is present
ed to view. The heights and lower lyin,
spurs of Scawfell, Skiddaw and Hellvel
lyn lie under the golden tinge of the set
) ting sun in hundreds of individual masses
) glorious in gorgeous depths and surfac
3 colorings; while nearer, in the foreground
Just beyond the crested chargers of tn
Solway's incoming tide, may be had
| glimpse of modest Burgh Marsh, and it
t eray old monument marking the spo
4 Where death arrested the impetuous caree
: of the first mighty Edward, as he wa
l marching with giant strides across thi
f yery border to conquer Scotland.
There are altogether but four villages il
the parish. These are Old Gretna, Rig
of Gretna, Brewhouses, mouldy an
;, sleepy half score of houses on Solwa
r side. and Gretna Green or Springfield.
n is the latter two, which are practically on
a village, which for one hundred and thirt,,