Tag Archives: Gretna Green

The Age of Consent to Marry in the Regency Period

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

Scottish Marriages and Elopements in the Regency Era

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

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

(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

Why Gretna Green? Marriage Over the Anvil, a Guest Post by Alexa Adams

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on 23 February 2018. Enjoy!!  “I am going to Gretna Green, and if you cannot guess with who, I shall think you a simpleton, for there is but one man in the world … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Regency era, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why Gretna Green? Marriage Over the Anvil, a Guest Post by Alexa Adams

Regency Era Marriage Customs

Until 1823, a single person under the age of one and twenty could not marry without his/her parent’s permission. (Lydia’s elopement and Georgiana’s aborted elopement were instances of this rule.) After 1823, the minimum age to marry without a parent’s … Continue reading

Posted in Jane Austen, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

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 Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments