Title
Old Blacksmith's Shop and Marriage Room, Gretna Green, Scotland, 1940s?
Caption
Old Blacksmith's Shop and Marriage Room, Gretna Green, Scotland, 1940s? Sign reading: 'This is the famous Old Blacksmith's Shop and Marriage Room, Gretna Green'. The town of Gretna Green in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, has been a destination for weddings since at least the 18th century. The blacksmiths in Gretna became known as 'anvil priests', as Scottish law allowed for 'irregular marriages', meaning almost anybody had the authority to conduct marriage ceremonies. Under the 1754 Marriage Act, if a parent of a person under the age of 21 objected to the minor's marriage, the parent could legally veto the union. However the act only applied in England and Wales, not in Scotland.
Date
1940
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector
Reference
HRM19F10_118
Model release
No
License type
Rights managed
Available size
58,0Mb (2,5Mb) / 18,8in x 12,0in / 5636 x 3594 (300dpi)