, 1890-09-04
AT GRETNA GREEN.
A Spot Made Famous as the
Scene of Marriages.
HYMEN'S FAR-FAMED COURT
Peculiarities of the Marriage Law
in Scotland--The Tie Binding
Without a Clergyman.

%, 1850. my mind there had new
or been In the whole Of Great Britain,
spot in reality 30 Obscure, Of 50
great and scandalous renown, and
vet about which, when one really
desired to be informed concerning
1t, there had always seemed to exist
such ignorance, mystery and delu-
sion, ms the little border hamlet of
Gretna Green. 1 determined there
fore that while afoot In Scotland l
would, ut the exercise of any per-
sonal Inconvenience, know the
place; delve until there could be a
clear understanding Of the causes
behind It's olden notorlety; and If
possible, bring to light, in some
plain aud reliable fashion, true, If
brief, account of its extraordinary
relations to British society, In Its
world-famous yet ever dim and UNI
satisfactorily accolnted-for "Gretna
marriages"
The parish of Gretna, or Graitney,
comprises tiny reach of land in
tho southwestern portion of Dunn
fries shire, in the form Of an irregu-
lar paralielogram,. extending I'm a
northeast and southwest direction,
about seven miles long and from two
to three miles In width. In its
whole length 1t is border land; about
one-balf Of Its southwestern expos
ure lies along the head Of the Solway
Firth, and the remainder is bounded
by the little, though rapid and
tumultuous, river Sark. The river
empties Into the Solway from the
northeast, u few miles north of
where the Esk. in the English coun-
ty of Cumberland, coming down
from the Scottish Roxburgh hills,
also cuts through the Solway Moss
into the whitened sands of the Firth.
The strip of land between the two
rivers, though incontestably Eng
lish soil, as the Sark is the real
boundary between the two counties,
bus always been debatable ground;
until the union II was the haunt of
sInugglers and petty villains of ex-
traordinary varieties, aud in the
Oldcn times was q scene of incessant
feuds between the adherents of Scot
tish chIeftains and English border
lords.
Topographicaly the parish of
Gretnn Is without special interest.
1t IL neither of Annandnle nor of
Eskdale, and forms wide hollow
or swail, principally Of moss land,
with n gradual depression toward
the Solway. Old Gretnn, on the
east bank Of the Kirtlewater, In its
old Anglo-Saxon name of Gretan-
hol. IL noted only for giving the
name to the parish and describing
its topography, Gretan-hol or Gre
tan how, meaning "the great hol-
low" Here and there traces exist
of ancient square towers and keeps,
necessary for defense against and
for gathering places for foray in an
cieilt times; and on the farm Of
Gretna-Mains the remains of an
oval Druidic temple are found, one
stone OF which measures llS cubic
feet. Tradition makes this spot
famous as the scene of the formation
of ancient alliances between En-
gland and Scotland. The par
ish itself is uttcry devoid
of scenic interest, although
from Solway side, but fifteen min
tes' walk from old Gretna, especial
ly toward nightfall, u magnificent
panorama OF the Cumberland noun
tains of the English "Lake Dis
trictn is presented to view. The
heights and lower-lying spurs of
Scawfell, Skiddaw and Hellvellyn
lie under the golden tinge of the
setting sun In hundreds of individ-
ual masses, glorious in gorgeous
depths and surface colorings; while
nearer, in the foreground, Just be-
yond the crested chargers Of the
Solway's incoming tide, may be
had glimpse Of modest Burgh-
Marsh, aud Its gray old monument
marking the spot where death ar
rested the impetuous career of the
first mighty Edward, as he was
marching with giant strides across
this very border to conquer Scot
land.
SCOTCH BORDER MARRIAGES.
There are altogether but four
villages In the parish. These are
Old Gretna, Rigg of Gretna, Brew
houses, moldy and sleepy half
score of houses on Solway-side, and
Gretna Green or Springfield. 1t is
the latter two, which are practically
one village. which for 126 years-or
from 1T54 until 1890, for as / shall
show the practice is in vogue to this
day - "Scotch border marriages"
have made famous, or infamous.
The two villages comprise one long,
struggling street, the Gretna Green
or northwestern end having per-
haps u score OF ancient dwellings,
an old kirk, kirkyard and manse.
and the Springfield or southwestern
extension fully 100 houses of the
most doleful and forlorn character.
The latter terminates abruptly on
the brow Of sunny brae or bank,
below which winds the i'm
petuous Sark. II should be
borne in mind that the center of
this stream, which Is not 40 rods
from the abrupt and dumped vii
lage-end, Is the actual boundary
line between the ''kingdom" of
Scotland and England; and that
whatever legal or moral vexations
might in the olden times, or now,
lurk in the 'debatable land" be-
tween the S,irk and the Esk, when
ever debtors or lovers, flying from
the inexorable harassment of Eng
lish statue, once crossed the middle
of the Sark, they were instantly safe
from their pursuers beneath the
eyer-welcoming Rgis of Scottish
law. Added to this fact was the al
most equally important one that the