I then clicked on an Ancestry link
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1636Under the Marriage Act of 1753 (also known as Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act),
clandestine or common-law marriages in England were made illegal. All marriages
were required to have an official ceremony performed by a Church of England priest,
unless the couple was Jewish or Quaker. The Act also required parental consent for
parties under 21 years old and enforced the publication of Banns. This Act also
applied in Wales. However, it did not apply to Scotland or Ireland, as they were under
their own legal systems.
Couples wanting to get around these laws (for example because of no parental consent
or personal objections to marrying in a church) often fled to Scottish border villages
in order to get married where the English laws did not apply. Gretna Green, Scotland
was one such destination. Located just over the border, it was one of the first villages
encountered by elopers heading north. To this day, Gretna Green is still a very
popular wedding destination.
About this Collection:
This data collection contains what has become known as the Lang Collection of
Gretna Green Marriage Registers, being named after David and Simon Lang, a father
and son duo who were “priests” and performed many marriages in Gretna Green
between 1794 and 1828.
The entire collection covers the years 1794 to 1895, with a few earlier references.
Since Gretna Green marriages were not exactly formal, the record keeping was not
regulated, nor was it centralized. The Lang Registers make up approximately 50% of
all Gretna Green marriages performed during the specified time period. The Lang
Registers is the largest single collection of Gretna Green marriage registers and
includes over 10,000 records.
Sometimes marriages were recorded on scraps of pieces of paper. Other times they
were kept more formally and recorded in a book. The amount of information
recorded could vary as well. However, you’ll generally be able to find the following
information:
Names of bride and groom
Their counties of residence
Marriage date
Witnesses’ names
In the search box I entered Lawrie and got the following.
Thomas Lawrie
In the Gretna Green, Scotland, Marriage Registers, 1797-1895
Name: Thomas Lawrie
Residence: Scotland, Dumfries, Dumfries
Marriage Date: 11 Sep 1875
Spouse: Margaret Beauly
Spouse Residence : Scotland, Dumfries, Dumfries
Scotlandspeople do not have this marriage.
I’m puzzled with that.
I thought EVERY marriage had to be recorded after 1854.
If they had kids would the Gretna marriage show up in birth certificates?
There must surely have been some marriages done ‘normally’ in Gretna Green and be in the OPR or the statutory marriage register post 1854.
Where are they ?