Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-30

PuDQC sentiment mas always Deeu tuo
sole bar to this form Of marriage; they have
ever been rare and infrequent among the
Scotch themselves; and innocent progeny
conditions resultant from that which, while
propriety might question its exercise, JUS
tice and law regarded as an inalienable hui
man right. From time immemorial all
that has been requisite for valid marriage
in Scotland has been an interchange of real
and actual consent constituting at the time
given an undeniable intention and determi-
nation to enter the relation of husband and
wife, with either incontestable written evil
dence of that fact, or evidences of witnesses
before whom the same is declared. This
was Scottish law 200 years ago, 100 years
ago, and it is Scottish law to-day. 1t has
never been modified in effect in the slightest
degree. The strictest conditions of registrs-
tion have been imposed, as in all other civ
ilized countries; and about the middle OF
the present century-not because necessary
restriction upon regular or irregular mar
riages among Scottish people, but wholly in
Difference to English clamor for check
upon the "Gretna" and "Coldstream" mar
riages of English people-an additional
requisite was provided to the effect that at
least one OF the contracting parties must
have been AZ actual resident of any parish
OF Scotland for q days preceding marriage.
HAPPY MARRIAGES THE RULE.
In other words, any marriage in Scotland
always has been, and now is, valid mar
riage by civil contract, and the requisites
for marriages here to-day are precisely the
same as they always have been, with the ex-
ception of the safeguard Of subsequent reg
istration. and the trifing condition of brief
residence of one of the contracting parties.
That the Scotch marriage laws have been
liberal, wise and humane, and that the best
social results in Scotland are directly attrib-
utable to the same, admit OF no denial in the
face of the incontestable fact that in no
other known country is the marital relation
held more sacred, and when statistics also
show. as they do, that social scandals arising
out Of unhappy marriages, and appeals to
courts for severance OF the marriage bond,
are practically unknown. The proposition,
therefore, can be safely advanced that the
Toryocracy of the English law inspired by
the church autocracy In England, and not
any inherent unwisdom of Scottish law,
was solely responsible for the unenviable
notoriety of famous and infamous Gretna
Green.
There seems to be no way Of ascertainiug
at Gretna, or of discovering the degrees
through which its humble priest of lynne
reached his zenith of fame. But by dint of
perseverance and good fortune at last set
eyes on the record of the first marriage of
which any record is preserved at Gretna.
The date is 1771, or but IL years subsequent
to the passage of Lord Chancellor Hard
wicke's English marriage act, and it is not
unlikely that this one was the first; the
heralding of the ludicrous adventures of
the parties to the same being quite sufficient
for directing attention to a new way Of
escape from the rigors of English marriage
laws. The young man and woman who at
this date attained bliss BY the Gretna route
were John Edgar, ST. Mary's parish, and
Jean Scott, of the parish of Hetherel, both
in the adjoining English county of Cumber-
land. These two, tradition hath it, instead
of coming by coach-and-four over the old
post route from Carlisle, escaped their rela-
tives bv boat across the Solway; were upset
by storm and an incoming tide, whose vio-
lence drowned one OF their pursuers and
caused the others to abandon the chase; the
couple themselves barely escaping with their
lives; and, bedraggled in brine and sand,
finally made their way on foot from Brew
houses, where they reached shore on the
Scottish side, to the safe haven of Gretna
Green.
GRETNA's FIRST BISHOP.
This marriage, as we'll as thousands fol-
lowing, was performed by Joseph Paisley,
who from this date until the time of his
death, in 1914, period of 43 years, was the
most notorious, if not noted, man in Scot
land, as well as the most execrated single
individual known to the annals of English
social anathema. From all accounts this
Joseph Paisley was an odd character. He
was of unusual height and frame, and was
accorded one of the strongest men in Scot
land. He was q tobaccpnist-not black
smith, as according to general literary ira
dition-and presided over the destinies of
an insignificant licensed depot for tea, to-
bacco and snuff, where also smuggled
whisky was to be had by the "muckle
right Sort who could be trusted. Gretua
Green then, as now while the western
end of Springfield village, consisted
of not more than a half-dozen houses:
little cluster of buildings about the olden
farmstead of Meg's hill. There was the res
land owner, the old straw-thatched kirk
with its little kirkyard in which now find
headstones in memory of Paisley and his
successors as "Bishop of Gretns," as they
were each styled, the parish manse behind
the kirk, carpenters shop, a cottage or
two, and the vile little shop Of Paisley.
The man was SO grossly ignorant that he
could scarcely write his name, but was still
possessed of much canny shrewdness and
cunning. He is credited with tremendous
feats of strength, and with mis- two hands he
could straigthen horse shoe in its cold
state. He was also the possessor OF such
steptorian lungs that his helloa could be
heard further than any post horn In use be-
tween Carlisle and Glasgow; while he was
the most capable drinker then known in
Scotland-no little tribute at any time to
bibulous prowess. As his fame and income
increased, he became q tremendous mass Of
fat and, while never known to be drunk,
consumed two English quarts of brandy
daily. The fact is of record that on one oc-
casion be sat down with bottle companion
on Monday morning to an anker of cognac,
and without aid in its drinking, or at any
time being intoxicated, they kickeds the
empty c1sk ont of the door on the succeed
ing Saturday.
SOON BECAME FARMERS.
The outcry throughout England over the
Edgar-Scott marriage in 1871 simply re-
suited in turning the attention of countless
other couples to Gretna, and the insignif-
cant hamlet instantly became famous.
Paisley was threatened with all manner of
harm. upon which he set Scotland and En-
gland at defiance. all of which gave him
added importance and dignity. He was
canny enough to secure the highest Scotch
legal advice, and Immediately settled the
form of procedure according to law, by at
testing marriages simply as witness.
The absolute legality of these Gretna
marriages thus established and advertised,
their renown and that of the man Paisley
completed the essentials for acquainting
every soul in England with the extraordi-
nary opportunities offered for evading En-
glish law; Paisley gave up the selling of
tea, tobacco, and snuff for the more lucra-