Gossip About Gretna Green.

GOSSIP ABOUT GRETNA GREEN .

BY WILLIAM ANDREWS , J ' . R . H . S . Eon . Secretary of the Hull Literary Club , Author of " The Booh of Oddities , " "Punishments in the Olden Times , '" " Historic Romance" etc .

r \ RETNA GREEN is the name of an insignificant village in the border V ^ " country between England and Scotland . It is situated in Dumf rieshire , near the month of the Esk , nine miles north-west of Carlisle , and consequently within a mile of the English border . Probabl y no place of such absence of pretension to size and population has attained the notoriety which attaches to

the name of Gretna Green , a distinction it has obtained merely through its being the first place suitable for stoppage after the English border was once passed . This close proximity was utilised b y runaway couples , who , dispensing for various reasons with the preliminaries of anyone ' s consent to their union , or the publication of banns requisite by the English marriage laws , could when once on Scottish ground accomplish their wedding bsimpldeclaring

y y before witnesses their mutual willingness to undertake the contract . To the facility , then , which the marriage laws of Scotland offered to amorous and impatient couples ( minors or not ) , the fisher village of Gretna Green owes its repute as a chosen altar of Hymen . A marriage once declared here was

henceforward considered valid , and after exchanging before any witness the mutual promises , tho pair might return to England at once , the knot beingtied beyond all chance of dispute . As mi ght be expected , haste was a great factor in these summary pairings , and consequently postillions were largel y employed to get over the distance between Carlisle and Gretna , a course upon which no doubt many a tough race has been run between prudent parent or guardian and ardent runaways . The " parsons " of Gretna were the

ordinaryinhabitants , who were weavers , fishermen ( Gretna being at the head of the Solway ) , blacksmiths , etc ., and their fees were entirely arbitrary , being fixed on the spot according to the private information of the postillions , or according to the appearance and simplicity of the young couple . Marriages have been contracted here for a glass of whiskey ; while , on the other hand , a fee of twenty pounds has been paidas in the case of Lord Chief Justice Erskinewho

, , availed himself of the easy ceremony , and even much larger sums , as in the cases of the Earl of Westmorland , Lord Deezhurst , and others , who paid to the officiating " cleric " upwards of one hundred guineas . In the absence of any local person to receive the attestations to the contract , the postillions themselves have been known to assume the sacerdotal functions .

^ I he first broker in Gretna Green marriages was one Scott , who lived at a point called the Ri gg , a few miles from the village . It is said he commenced his infamous profession about the year 1750 , but beyond the fact that he was a craft y fellow , who could turn the emergencies of the time to his advantage , little is known of him . The next who undertook the remunerative duties of high priest was George Gordonan old soldierwho invariably wore as

, , canonicals a full military uniform of a byegone type—a tremendous cocked hat , scarlet coat , and jackboots , with a ponderous sword dangling from his belt . His " church " had the appearance of a barn , and stood a little to the left of the public road ; his altar was an ale cask , upon which was placed on open Bible .