> From: HyBarker@aol.com> Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 10:00:42 -0400> To: border@rootsweb.com> Subject: [BORDER] Irregular Marriages at Cornhill> > Seeing references to Cornhill on the list recently reminded me of an issue I > have never resolved.> > William BOOKLESS married Janet WILSON 'irregularly' at Branxton and Cornhill > on 11th May 1791. This fact appears in the Coldingham Priory Sessions book. > It says precisely, 'were irregulaly married according to the form of > matrimony prescribed and used by the Church of England by Wm. Whinfield, minister of > Branxton and Cornhill.'> > Would such a marriage appear in the marriage Registers at Branxton or > Cornhill? Does such a marriage appear in the marriage registers of Branxton or > Conrhill?> An irregular marriage was what would probably be regarded as a civil (or secular) marriage today. In the Berwickshire area, they were commonly carried out at Border crossings including Coldstream Bridge, Lamberton and Paxton Tolls, and the Chain Bridge. Gretna Green is the most famous location, of course. Some were done my ordanined Ministers, others by self-appointed officials who ran Marriage Houses. Scotland's marriage laws were more relaxed than England's (for example, for a long time it was enough that a couple stayed at a "respectable lodging" as a couple and be heard to calll each other "Husband" or "Wife" for the marriage to be regarded as legal. I have a book of 19th century legal cases that detail many such proceedings). Some of the registers of these marriages exist - one set (Lamberton I think) were published by the Northumberland FHS, another set were bought by an organisation down in Kent in the not too distant past). The Minister might have recorded what he'd done in his own registers, you'd have to track them down and check. It might be worth contacting the Northumberland FHS as a starting point. Lesley Robertson _________________________________________________________________ Explore the seven wonders of the world http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE