Category Archives: Gretna Green

Gretna Green: The “Las Vegas” Marriage Destination of the Regency Period

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Scottish Elopements and the Marriage Act of 1753 “An Act for Better Preventing of Clandestine Marriage,” popularly known as Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act (1753), was the first statutory legislation in England and Wales to require a formal ceremony of marriage. … Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Gretna Green, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, laws of the land, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, reading, real life tales, Regency romance, terminology, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

June ~ the Month of Love and Marriage: Scottish Marriages and Elopements in the Regency Era

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Those of us who read and write Regency novels have all heard of elopements to Gretna Green. Harking back to 1754 and the introduction of a new controversial Marriage Act in England, Gretna Green flourished as a haven for runaway … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, eBooks, excerpt, Gretna Green, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

June ~ the Month of Love and Marriage: The Age of Consent to Marry in the Regency Period

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

During the Regency, despite what some authors may include within the story line, the age of consent for females was twenty-one, not twenty-five as some would lead the reader to believe. Although I do not know from where the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Gretna Green, Living in the Regency, marriage licenses, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Gretna Green: Secret Engagements, Elopements and the World’s Most Famous Anvil, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Regina Jeffers

(This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 1, 2017. Enjoy!)                   After many years in my “to visit” list, I finally had the chance to make it to … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Gretna Green, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, legends, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Gretna Green: Secret Engagements, Elopements and the World’s Most Famous Anvil, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer