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eloped

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Brenda

Brenda Report 23 Jun 2009 07:09

is it possible to find out if a couple might have gone(eloped) to scotland and got married 1909-1910 as i cant find their marriage any where on the bmds i have already posted a rquest to find their marriage with no luck as she was 23 and he was 46
any help to find their marriage woul be much appreciated
their names are john thomas nixon and mary ann bates
thanks brenda

Brenda

Brenda Report 23 Jun 2009 09:08

hi det
thanks for replying i looked on the scotlandspeople this morning could not find a way to search it i havent looked at the gretna history site will look later on today thanks again
brenda

Brenda

Brenda Report 23 Jun 2009 10:26

just thinking
could they have just stated they were married on the 1911 without really being married
would she have needed proof of identiy when she married my grand father in 1918 ie her maiden and her married name(nixon) she was a widow on their marriage certificate as her first ?husband died in 1916
regards brenda

mgnv

mgnv Report 23 Jun 2009 11:15

Marriages "over the anvil" were legal until (I think) 1929. I think they were supposed to be registered, but usually weren't. The main reason for elopement was the difference in age of parental consent. At this time, parental consent was required in England for minors (i.e., unde 21s who weren't widows), whereas there was no requirement for parental consent in Scotland (still isn't). Since she was 23, this would hardly seem relevant. It would seem much more convenient to elope to a parish 20km away, which presumably wouldn't fit the bill unless they were living in Carlisle or Berwick.