The sun., 1905-10-22
0RETNA GREEN MARRIAGES.
ssis;sHess Ss sufswsy CSBpies In the
Famous Scottish tiOrder Town.


How many novels have been set 10 the old
tune beaten out by horses hoofs on the road
90 Gretns dfseb' Hundreds, u" doubt,
and yet 0retna Green and all that II implies
Ia not wholly romantic, says 4. P.'s Weekly.
There was sometimes good deal Of squalid
tragedy under the mask Of romance, and
black care logged along with the post boys.
But there we're fine possibilities about
dretna Green that lift its marriages above
those performed In the Fleet, for at least
II was long way north and the dashng
adventurer was often empty Of pocket.
writer who disguises himself under
the pseudonym "Claverhouse" has COLI
lected much information concerning this
place OF many weddings. Banns. II should
be noted, were first published In England
In 1900. but II was not until 1853 that tho
consent Of the Church became necessary,
and even then, that ordination being enacted
by the Council Of Trent. II did not hold In
this country, where the civil Law continued
to regulate marriages until 1854
In that year In the teeth Of strong OPP
position, Lord Hardwicke's act was passed
which enacted that 'any person soemniz-
ing matrmony in any other place than a
church or public chapel, without banns
or other license, should, on conviction, be
adjudged guilty of felony, and be trans
ported for fourteen years, and that all such
marriages should be void" This put an
end to the scandal Of the Fleet weddings,
though UP to the last they continued to
increase. 1t Is reported that in one register
book alone 217 weddings were celebrated
at the Fleet on the day before the act re-
ferred to came into force. In lucky week
a Fleet parson might make as much as
f2O, the fees, like those at Gretna. de-
pending upon the means or generosity
Of the contracting parties.
One of the so-called Gretna priests was a
worthy named Gordon, who being an old
soldier performed his duties in full regi.
mentals, with sword and cooked hat. A
less reputable predecessor was Joseph
Paisley, drunken freebooter, who began
to marry just about the time of the passing
Of Lord Hardwicke's bill. The first recorded
elopement marriage at Gretna was the
celebrated Edgar-Scott affair, which drew
the attention Of the whole country to
and Jean Scott, being followed by relatives
who objected to their marriage, evaded their
pursuers by taking a boat across the Sol
way.
A violent storm upset the boat and one
Of the unhappy relatives was drowned by
the infiowing tide; but the couple escaped
to the Scottish side and were married by
Paisley, who took the trouble to have the
validity of the ceremony fully proved
Then trade became brisk and the drunken
old rascal did a thriving business. On one
occasion he married the wrong couples
in hurry. but the mistake did not perturb
him. "Aweel, he said. Jest sort yersels.
Paisley was a man Of terrific personal
strength; he could bend poker across his
arm and straighten cold horseshoe with
his hands, and It is said that in fits of anger
m hs w0l bs yr Of those ss wso 0od hsd
offended him.
Paisley, who lived to be an octogenarianI
and at his death weighed twenty-five stone,
was succeeded by Robert Elliot, who had
married Paisleys granddaughter. Elliot
some curious cases Of runaway matches,
one Of the most celebrated being that Of
Miss Child and the Earl Of Westmoreland.
Miss Child was the daughter OF rich bank
y your MnS Slood s@PpTosd my ord good @ he sad s
but money is better" The lady, however;
preferring the Earl to the money, they
left London at midnight for Gretna in a
chaise and four horses. having arranged
that relays Of horses should be ready on the
road. Says Elliot:
@Mr. Child, soon hearing Of their de.
parture, as quickly followed them, and hav-
ing, through numbers OF horses and great
rewards to the post boys, gained ground
while changing horses at Hesketh, in the
forest half way between Carlisle and PEN
rith. Mr.. Child, in a fury, jumped out OF
the carriage, and shot one Of the leading
horses OF the Earl's carriage one OF the
Mr.. Childs carriage, and cut the Gather
which suspends the body Of the carriage
to the springs, unohserved., The Earl
proceeded with three horses, leaving the
fourth dying MI Child 0ssa starting ing soon soon
Of the carriage fell upon the frame, which
entirely stopped him, and he was compelled
to wait until he could get post chaise to
proceed with; consequently the Earl and
the LADY arrived at Grefna, and Gs;,s Tere
Another remarkable story is that Of Lord
Chief Justice Erskine, who arrived at Gretna
in the usual chaise dressed in woman's
clothes, accompanied by an elderly, lady
and oHr oo tbe edes Fsf sdT fo
the mother Of the children and the learned
Lord for the grandmother. But the sight
OF waistcoat button through the OPEN
ing OF a neckerchief revealed Erskine's
sex and he was married to the lady Later
riage being legal he thought better Of the
affair, and, abandoning the suit, lived
contentedly with the lady ever after This
was the famous Lord Erskine who was
Chancellor to the Prince Of Wales and one
of the finest orators ever heard at the Eng
lish bar.
The inn at which Elliot married the
folk" was kept bya Mrs. Johnstone, who
had tender heart for couples in distress:
Elliot tells how on one occasion he married
the son Of wealthy Clergyman to a poor
governess. The funds had almost given
out before they reached Gretna and the
little that remained was flung to the
post boys. But the landlady undertook to
lodge them until remittance arrived!
and lodge them she did for four monthsi
when an envoy was sent to pay the debts
Elliot however, did not fare so well possibly
the ardent lover repented his bargain.
Il only got, says Elliot, "a promissory
note for f2o which, when due, was not
paid; after which put it into an attorneys
hands and instead OF getting the money
he brought me bill Of sl2 for expenses,
80 that had better never to have seen
the party" It is a pity that many valu-
able registers kept by Elliot were destroyed
They we're stored in bandboxes and packed
above a covered bed in which his idiot
daughter slept. One night the unhappy
creature set fire to the bed, and she and
the papers were destroyed together. We
.I.