Lynne - check this article out for some explanation (no fee required) of irregular marriages: http://www.ancestry.co.uk/learn/library/article.aspx?article=8397 and this: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/marriage/ The first article specifically mentions that Edinburgh was the "center for most irregular marriages" So one possibility would be if they were married in a church but did not have banns called as per usual custom. It was not unusual for a couple with an irregular marriage occuring in any one of the 3 or more ways described, to be called in front of the church elders and fined. Good luck, Brigid On Jun 15, 2010, at 3:34 PM, Lynne Ingalls wrote: > Hello - I am new to the list, and I'm wondering if someone could > answer a question for me about irregular marriages in Scotland. I > found a marriage record for Duncan M'Carter and Elisabeth Simpson on > 31 Oct 1796 in Edinburgh. Then I found they were rebuked by the > minister in Whittingehame for an irregular marriage. If they were > married in a church in Edinburgh, why would they be rebuked by the > parish in Whittingehame? And why would they be considered residents > in both parishes? > M'Carter, Duncan, labourer, College Kirk p., and Elisabeth, same p., > d. of deased John Simpson, baker at Dunbar married at Trinity > College Kirk, 31 Oct 1796. From the Register of Marriages for the > Parish of Edinburgh. > > Whittingehame Register of Marriage - 1796 Nov 20. The Session > being met & constitute by Prayer. Present the Minister Archd Storie > & Jas Archibald elders, compear'd before them Duncan McCarter & > Elizth Simpson both in the Parish acknowledged their Irregular > Marriage and produced their lines dated Edinburgh 31 Oct 1796. They > were rebuked by the Minister & exhorted to live as man & wife. > > Any help would be greatly appreciated. > > Lynne in Tucson, AZ > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDLOTHIAN-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

Thanks, Bridid. For some reason, I cannot get into the first article although I am subscribed to Ancestry.com. Is there another way to view it? The second article doesn't quite explain why a marriage in one church would be considered irregular by another. As far as I know the College Kirk was a Church of Scotland church. Would the church in Edinburgh have allowed a marriage without banns? Lynne in Tucson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brigid O'Donnell" <mbod@erols.com> To: <midlothian@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 2:05 PM Subject: Re: [MIDLOTHIAN] Irregular marriages > Lynne - > check this article out for some explanation (no fee required) of > irregular marriages: > http://www.ancestry.co.uk/learn/library/article.aspx?article=8397 > and this: > http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/marriage/ > > The first article specifically mentions that Edinburgh was the "center > for most irregular marriages" > > So one possibility would be if they were married in a church but did > not have banns called as per usual custom. It was not unusual for a > couple with an irregular marriage occuring in any one of the 3 or more > ways described, to be called in front of the church elders and fined. > > Good luck, > Brigid > > On Jun 15, 2010, at 3:34 PM, Lynne Ingalls wrote: > >> Hello - I am new to the list, and I'm wondering if someone could >> answer a question for me about irregular marriages in Scotland. I >> found a marriage record for Duncan M'Carter and Elisabeth Simpson on >> 31 Oct 1796 in Edinburgh. Then I found they were rebuked by the >> minister in Whittingehame for an irregular marriage. If they were >> married in a church in Edinburgh, why would they be rebuked by the >> parish in Whittingehame? And why would they be considered residents >> in both parishes? >> M'Carter, Duncan, labourer, College Kirk p., and Elisabeth, same p., >> d. of deased John Simpson, baker at Dunbar married at Trinity >> College Kirk, 31 Oct 1796. From the Register of Marriages for the >> Parish of Edinburgh. >> >> Whittingehame Register of Marriage - 1796 Nov 20. The Session >> being met & constitute by Prayer. Present the Minister Archd Storie >> & Jas Archibald elders, compear'd before them Duncan McCarter & >> Elizth Simpson both in the Parish acknowledged their Irregular >> Marriage and produced their lines dated Edinburgh 31 Oct 1796. They >> were rebuked by the Minister & exhorted to live as man & wife. >> >> Any help would be greatly appreciated. >> >> Lynne in Tucson, AZ >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MIDLOTHIAN-request@rootsweb.com >> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and >> the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MIDLOTHIAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message