The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-31

Special to THE SUNDAY CALI.
@SRETNA GREEN {Scotland) July %,
4S~S 1890.-To my own mind there had
A4s never been in the whole of Great
Britain spot in reality SO obscure, of so
great and scandalous renown, and yet about
which, when one really desired to be in
formed concerning it, there has always
seemed to exist such ignorance, mystery
and delusion, as the little border hamlet of
Gretna Green. l determined therefore that
while afoot in Scotland would, at the ex-
ercse Of any personal inconvenience, know
the place; delve until there could be a clear
understanding of the causes behind its old
en- notoriety; and. if possible, bring to light
in some plain and reliable fashion, true, if
brief, account of its extraordinary relations
to British society, in its world-famous yet
ever dim and unsatisfactory accounted-for
"Gretna marriages"
The parish of Gretna, or Graitney, COM
prises tiny reach of land in the southwest
ern portion of Dumfriesshire, in the form
of an irregular parallelOgram, extending in
q northeast and southwest direction, about
seven miles long, and from two to three
miles in width. In its whole length it i.
border-land about half of its so uthwestern
exposure 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. a few miles north of
where the Esk, in the English county of Cum
berland. coming down from the Scottish
Roxburgh hills, also cuts through the Sol
way Moss into the whitened sands of the
firth. 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 debat-
able ground; until the union 1t was the
haunt of smugglers and petty villains Of
extraordinary varieties, and in the olden
times was scene of incessant feuds be-
tween the adherents of Scottish chieftains
and English border lords.
Geographically the parish of Gretna is
without special interest. 1t is neither OF
Annandale nor Eskdale, and forms wide
hollow or swail, principally OF moss-land,
with gradual depression toward the Sol
way. Old Gretna, on the east bank OF the
Krtle Water. in its old Anglo-SaXon name
Of Gretan-hol. is noted only for giving the
name to the parish and describing its
topography, Gretan-hol or Gretan-how,
meaning ''the great hollow" Here and
there traces exist of ancient square towers
ana Keeps, necessary lOI uSleuSc against,
and for gathering places for, foray, IN
ancient times; and on the farm OF Gretna-
Mains the remains of an oval Druidc tenn
pie are found, one stone of which measures
lis cubic feet Tradition makes this
spot famous as the scene of the formation
and Scotland. The parish itself is
utterly devoid of scenic interest, although
from Solway-side, but fifteen minutes walk
from old Gretna, especially toward night
fall, magnificent panorama OF the Cum
bertrand Mountains of the English Lake
District" 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 individual
masses, glorious in gorgeous depths and
surface colorings, while nearer, in the fore
ground, just beyond the crested chargers of
the Solway's incoming tide, may be had a
glimpse of modest Burgh- Marsh and its
gray old monument marking the spot where
death arrested the impetuous career of the
first mighty Edward, as he was marching
with giant strides across this very border to
conquer Scotland.
There are altogether four villages in the
parish. These are Old Gretna, Rigg of
Gretna, Greenhouses, moldy and sleepy
half-score of houses. on Solway-side, and
Gretna Green Of Springfield. 1t is the lat
ter two. which are practically one village.
which for 136 years-Or from 1754 until
1890, for, as / shall show, the practice is in
vogue to this day-"Scotch border mar
riages" have made famous. or infamous.
The two villages comprise one long, stray
Cling street, the Gretna Green, or northwest
ern end. having perhaps score of ancient
dwellings, and old kirk, kirk-yard and
manse, and the Springfield, or south
western .extenson, fully one hundred
houses of the most doleful and forlorn
character. The latter terminate abruptly
on the brow Of sunny brae or bank, be-
low which winds the impetuous Sark. 1t
should be borne in mind that the center OF
this stream, which Is not forty rods from
the abrupt and dumped village end, is the
actual boundary line between the king
dom" of Scotland and England, and that
whatever legal or moral vexations might in
the olden times or now, Turk IN the de
batable Land" between the Sark and the
Esk, whenever debtors or lovers, Tying from
the memorable harassment of English
statute, once crossed the middle of the Sark,
they were instantly safe from their pur-
suers beneath the Overwhelming @gis of
Scottish law. Added to this fact was the
almost equally important one that the great
coach route. from London itself, and in
deed from all parts OF Central and Western
England, to Glasgow and all Western Scot
land, traversng the fortified English border
city of Carlisle, not ten miles distant, led
over the Sark, which is here
SPAWNED BY A GREAT STONE BRIDGE,
And thence on to Glasgow, passed
directly through Springfield and Gretna
Green, forming the long. broad village
street; while down to the here quite recent
era of railways an old inn, first at Gretna
Green, and later the Kings Arms, which
is still an inn at Springfield, was. in turn.
headquarters on this ancient post-route for
the first change Of horses out Of Carlisle on
the way to the north. In connection with
these facts il is also interesting to know
that another place in Scotland once enjoyed
but little less notoriety for irregular
marriages than Gretna Green itself. This
was the town of Coldstream in Berwick
shire. on the eastern border. 1t lies on the
north bank of the Tweed. which at that
point forms the boundary between England
and Scotland and runaway debtors and
lovers from the northeastern English shires
usually chose this route to safety or bliss
as the more expeditions of the two. A
bridge and ford assisted here in confusing
pursuers, while the ford is really famous
In Border history. BY it Edward entered
Scotland in 1896; and hosts of Scottish and
English armies made their way by the Cold
stream ford to ravage the countries Of their
rpspertiye enemies