Help: Cant Find Marriage certificate on SP

[Chris5856]

Im researching a family tree for a friend and on ancestry Ive found the following marriage from a book of Gretna Marriage registers

12 Nov 1872. John Cairns of Langholm parish in the County of Dumfries and Elizabeth Gordon of the same parish and county confirming the marriage took place on that date and lists the witnesses and registrar.

Ive searched Scotlands People for the relevant Marriage Certificate and I have nothing. Ive tried all sorts of variations of spelling without success. Any suggestions?

Cheers

Chris

[Tickettyboo]

Perhaps they were happy to leave it at that and not trot along to the Sheriff and pay the fee to have him enter the marriage in the register and issue a certificate?

Boo

[RJ_Paton]

It sounds as if you found a record of what was termed an "irregular marriage" (ie a non religious marriage) - Fully recognised in Scots Law as a form of marriage it most likely as stated consisted of a declaration by them in the presence of witnesses that they were man & wife.

Had they wished to do so they had several means of having the marriage registered all of which required various means of payment. Later on the Marriage Act of 1916 was to refine the process and discard some of the means previously used.

The records on Scotlands People are the records of those marriages regarded as "regular" (ie conducted under the auspices of the appropriate religious figure) and those others who for one reason or another wanted their irregular (non religious) marriage to be registered and recognised as such.

[Chris5856]

Thanks for the information 

[RJ_Paton]

You're actually very lucky to have found that original record - most "irregular" (i really dislike that term) marriages  didn't get recorded unless the couple went to the bother of having their marriage made legally recordable. Gretna and some of the areas around there did keep records of what was a very lucrative business although it was that very business which led to the many changes to the marriage laws of both Scotland & England over the years.

[Chris5856]

You're actually very lucky to have found that original record - most "irregular" (i really dislike that term) marriages  didn't get recorded unless the couple went to the bother of having their marriage made legally recordable. Gretna and some of the areas around there did keep records of what was a very lucrative business although it was that very business which led to the many changes to the marriage laws of both Scotland & England over the years.

Thanks for that Falkyrn, though I was gutted not getting a certificate on SP :-)