Gretna Green

Most famous for "runaway marriages". Gretna Green was the first Scottish village that young lovers reached when fleeing England as they could marry in Scotland when boys were 14 and girls at 12 with or without parental consent......

Scots law also allowed for "irregular marriages" where if a declaration was made before 2 witnesses almost anyone could conduct the ceremony.

Hence the blacksmiths in Gretna Green become known as the Anvil PriestsRead more