Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-30
OLD GRETNA GREEN.
Wakeman Visits the Debatable Ground
Made Famous Through
LAWS THAT ANNOYED LOVERS.
BE Secures a Record of the First Marriage
There and Picks Up Stories Of
JOE PAISLEY, FIRST BISHOP OF GRErSA

fcoRREsPoNDENCE OF THE pIsPATCH.1
GRETNA GREEN, SCOTLAND, August
16-To my own mind there had never been
in the whole of Great Britain, spot IN re-
ality so obscure, of so great and scandalous
renown, and yet about which, when one
really desired to be informed concerning it,
there had always seemed to exist such igno-
rance, mystery and delusion, as the little
border hamlet of Gretna Green. deter
mined, therefore, that while afoot in Scot
land would, at the exercise of any personal
inconvenience, know the place; delve until
there could be clear understanding of the
causes behind its olden notoriety; and, if
possible, bring to light. in some plain and
reliable fashion, true. If brief, an account OF
its extraordinary relations to British So
ciety, in its world-lamous yet very dim and
unsatisfactory accounted-for "Gretna mar
rIages."
The parish of Gretna, or Graitney, COM
prises tiny reach of land in the southwest
ern portion of Dumfries shire, in the form
of an irregular paralellogram, extending in
a northeast and southwest direction, about
seven miles long, and from two to three
miles in width. In its whole length it is
border land; about one-half of its south
western exposure lies along the head of the
Solway Firth; and the remainder is bounded
by the little, though rapid and tumultuous,
river Sark. The strip OF land between the
two rivers, though incontestably English
soil, as the Sark is the real boundary be-
tween the two countries, has always been
debatable ground; until the union it was
the haunt Of smugglers and petty villaiuy
extraordinary varieties, and in the olden
times was a scene of incessant feuds between
the adherents of Scottish chieftains and En-
glish border lords.
THE DEBATABLE LAND.
Geographically the parssh Of Gretna is
without special interest. 1t is neither Of
Annansdale nor Eksdale, and forms wide
hollow or swsil, principally of moss-land,
with gradual depression toward the Sol
way. Old Gretna, on the east bank of the
Kirtle water, in its old Anglo-Saxon name
of Gretan-hol, is noted only for giving the
name TO the parish and describing its topog-
rsphv. Gretan-hol or Gretan-how, mean
ing dthe great hollow" Here and there
traces exist of ancient square towers and
keeps, necessary for defense against, and for
gathering places for, foray, in ancient times;
and on the farm of Gretna-M Mains, the re-
mains Of an oval Druidie temple are found,
one stone of which measures 11S cubic feet.
Tradition makes this spot famous as the
sceae of the formation of ancient alliances
between England and Scotland.
There are altogether but four villages in
the parish. These are Old Gretns, Rigg of
Gretna, Brewhousess, q mouldy and sleepy
half score of houses on Solway-side, and
Gretna Green or Springfield. 1t is the lat
ter two, which are practically one village,
which for 1876 years-or from 1754 until
1880, for, as shall show, the practice is in
vogue to this dsy-'Scotch border marriag-
es" have made famous or infamous The
two villages comprise one long, struggling
street, the Gretna Green or northwestern-end
having perhaps a score ofancient dwellings,
an old kirk, kirk-yard and manse, and the
Springfield or southwestern extension fully
100 houses of the most doleful and forlorn
character. The latter terminate abruptly on
the brow of sunny brae or bank, below
which winds the impetuous Sark.
It should be borne in mind that the center
Of this stream, which is not 40 rods from the
abrupt and elumped village end, is the
actual boundary line between the "King-
6Om" of Scotland and England; and that
whatever legal or moral vexations might in
The olden times, or now, lurk in the ''De-
patable Land" between the Sark and the
Hsk, whenever debtors or lovers, flying from
the inexorable harassment OF English
statute, once crossed the middle of the Ssrk,
they were instantly safe from their pursuers
beneath the ever-welcoming aegis of Scot
fish law. Added to this fact was the almost
equally important one that the great coach
foute, from London itself, and indeed from
all parts of central and western England, to
Glasgow and all western Scotlond, travers.
ing the fortified English border city of Car
Isle, not ten miles distant led over the
Sark which is here spanned by great stone
bridge, and thence on to Glasgow, passed d.
rectly 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.
RIGOROUS MARRIAGE LAWS.
The direct causes leading to Gretna Green
becoming q far-famed court of Hymen are
traceable to the rigors of English marital
law and its Interpretation. the ancient
law of England held that any marriage was
legal by civil contract in the presence of
two witnesses, without the intervention of
priest. Decisions based on this Law en-
tangled matters in an extraordinary man
her. Marriage by civil contract was valid;
but for some purpose-such as the descent
Of real property to the heirs of such mar
fiage-the same was invalid. The common
notion also prevailed-and this principle
has always met with unceasing though
I'm nolo hot urria
by priest, or other cleric in holy orders,
rendered the marriage tie absolutely indis-
soluble; a principle whose universal adop-
tiOn would serve no end save to place q
most dangerous power at the disposal of the
elways-human creatures of the church of
the hour; precluding superior and ever-safe
judicial discrimination under the safe
guards of wise law and intelligent courts.
4 Resultant upon this inexorability of law
tas the natural revolution of feeling under
Which century and quarter since, were
hurtured the Fleet and other scsndalous
London marriages, and to end which was
BASED the English marriage act of Lord
chancellor Hsrdwieke, in 1854. This act
Abolished clandestine and so-calIed ''irregu-
lar" marriages, and made it compulsory on
ell English subjects, save Quakers and He
brews, to be married according to the
Church of England" restriction as infs-
nous in its nature rs were the abuses to
which, as in all similar cases, it legitimately
led. The opportunity for eyasioni of this
euormity was soon discovered in the rule of
The English courts that any marriage valid
ty performed in the country in which it had
been contracted must be held valid in En-
gland.
EASY TO MATE IN SCOTIA.
The law of marriage in Scotland has al
ways been practically the same as was an
eient English law. Scotland, as well as En-
l.. 49, of @ha