Gretna Green, Marriage in United States

Gretna Green, Marriage Definition

A marriage celebrated at Gretna, in Dumfries (bordering on the county of Cumberland), in Scotland. By the law of Scotland, a valid marriage may be contracted by consent alone, without any other formality. When the marriage act (26 Geo. II. c. 33) rendered the publication of banns, or a license, necessary in England, it became usual for persons who wished to marry clandestinely to go to Gretna Green, the nearest part of Scotland, and marry according to the Scotch law; so a sort of chapel was built at Gretna Green, in which the English marriage service was perfoirmed by the village blacksmith. 19 & 20 Vict. c. 96, § 1, now requires twenty-one days previous residence in Scotland, unless one of the parties has a usual place of residence therein. Wharton.

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A marriage celebrated at Gretna, in Dumfries (bordering on the county of Cumberland), in Scotland. By the law of Scotland, a valid marriage may be contracted by consent alone, without any other formality. When the marriage act (26 Geo. II. c. 33) rendered the publication of banns, or a license, necessary in England, it became usual for persons who wished to marry clandestinely to go to Gretna Green, the nearest part of Scotland, and marry according to the Scotch law; so a sort of chapel was built at Gretna Green, in which the English marriage service was perfoirmed by the village blacksmith. 19 & 20 Vict. c. 96, § 1, now requires twenty-one days previous residence in Scotland, unless one of the parties has a usual place of residence therein. Wharton.

This definition of Gretna Green, Marriage is based on The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary. This entry needs to be proofread.