Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-12
GRETNA GREEN
BOOMING AGAIN
ROMANCE REvIVES IN THE
BORDER VILLAGE
Retired Carpenter Plays Role OF
Marrying Blacksmith and Finds
I'll Paying BusIness-old
Days Recalled
speclal cable to The Herald.


EDINBURGH, Nov. 11.-Gretna
Green, the little Scotch village Just
across the border from Cumberland, Is
witnessing a revival of the weddings
which made 1t famous in the romantic
days of yore. one Peter Dixon, a car
penter, is playing the role of the black
smith of tradition and so well does 1t
pay him that he has abandoned his
trade to devote himself exclusively to
the tying of nuptial knots for couples
who are in hurry to get "spiced."
Dixon is a good type of the canny
Scot, Of middle age, with shrewd eyes,
iron gray hair and a mouth screened
by a full beard that can well keep It's
owners own counsel. He was not at
all adverse to drinking at strangers
expense. but not even Scotch whisky,
that most potent encourager Of loqua-
city. could induce him to be communi
cative about his singular occupation.
"I don't want anything published
about my business" he said.
But publicity would increase your
your business"
"It might" he admitted, but 1t might
also increase competition, and don't
want any other folk getting up In the
same line here. There amt any more
in 1t than just keeps me going comfort
ably, and as l started 1t l think I'm
entitled to all there is in It,
Are you Minister" he was asked.
"No. I amt" he answered. You
don't have to he a parson to marry
folk in Scotland. can tie 'em to-
pether lust as hard and fast as any
minister in the land. If you are think
ing of getting married, young man, just
fetch along the girl and I'll do the job
for YOU. You'll find it'll cost you a lot
more than ] charge you to get 1t un-
done"
Under Scotch law a marriage can be
celebrated anywhere and at any hour
of the day or night, for the ceremony
in its simplest form consists merely III
a couple agreeing before witnesses to
take each other for husband and wife.
One of the contracting parties is re-
ouired to have resided in Scotland for
twenty-one days before the marriage
but 1t is doubtful If steps are taken 10
conpel proof Of that, though the enact |
ment was specially aimed at the run
away Gretna Green matches.
Most Of the modern Gretna Green
weddings take place at Dixon's own
house, small tenement IN the nam
street of the village, but those VINO
want a little more style have the cere-
nony performed at the queens HEAD
hotel. Dixon keeps a marriage regis
ter. which he declines to show to any
one. Nor will he tell what his fees are.
He is not giving away any one OF the
secrets of his business"
1t is Just about half century since
the little Dumfries village or Gretna
Green fell back into the native ooscur-
ity out of which most singular TOT
tune had temporarily lifted it and from
which it is now again emerging. Ever
since the reformation had repudiated
+he council of Trent and most or lts
doings. English practices In the matter
of marriages had been growing more
and more lax and irregular. 10 put an
end TO the scandal the marriage act Oh
1754 was passed 1t required all persons
except Jews and Quakers to get mar
ried-if at all-in a Church of England
and according to Church or Englanu
ritual. A great many people resenteu
the new law, and as it did not apply TO
Scotland the most OBVIOUS way W
escape it was to fit across the border:
When the names of great lords and
ladies began to be mixed up with sucn
ronances. weddings at Gretna Green
bepan to be almost as fashionable as
are now those at ST. Georges Hanover
square. Fifty such marriages IN the
course of a month were by no means
unusual at one time ,
THE little Dumfries village to when
these infatuated folk made a dasn'
some of them with indignant parents
and guardians at their heels, is a, .1,u dui, !,
little place at the head of the sol"ay
Firth, about ten miles northwest OF
Carlisle. In its palmy days of romance
painting young couples sped furiously
along the road through the mr. plahtao
tions and over the dreary "debataple
land" of bog and peat. The beginning
of the end of the journey was the bridge
over the broad English Esk, then came
two level miles over the debatable lana
and finally the actual Scotch and Eng
lish boundary, the little stone bridge
over the Sark, beyond which lay Tue
happy hereafter. .--.4
Until 1926 these marriages were most
ly conducted at the little bridge toll
house. Who first officiated seems to be
quite doubtful, and the only reason Tor
supposing that a blacksmith had any
thing to do with it Is the existence OF
the tradition itself.