**It is simpler than that: in Scotland, it has ALWAYS been the case that you could marry anywhere, and for a long time you didn't even need to be married by a licensed person for it to be legal. You could have a legal marriage by just declaring in front of witnesses that you were now married. That option became invalid a few years back. Gordon. On 01/01/2011 08:01, scotland-request@rootsweb.com wrote: > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Marriage in Scotland in 1800s (gc-gateway@rootsweb.com) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:16:36 -0000 > From: "gc-gateway@rootsweb.com"<gc-gateway@rootsweb.com> > Subject: Re: [SCOTLAND] Marriage in Scotland in 1800s > To:<SCOTLAND-L@rootsweb.com> > Message-ID:<1293800796.43632@rootsweb.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; > > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Author: judithstrachan1 > Surnames: > Classification: marriage > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.general/22279.1.1/mb.ashx > > Message Board Post: > > I believe the difference between English and Scottish marriage laws after the 1850s was that in England a marriage had to be conducted by a licensed person and take place in a licensed building (which included churches and registry offices) whereas in Scotland a marriage only had to be conducted by a licensed person (which included church ministers as well as registrars). Therefore in Scotland you could get married wherever you liked, provided someone licensed conducted the ceremony. > > In my own family tree, marriages conducted by a Kirk Minister took place in the houses of the bride or the groom, in a public house, in a community hall and in the Minister's manse. > > Important Note: > The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > To contact the SCOTLAND list administrator, send an email to > SCOTLAND-admin@rootsweb.com. > > To post a message to the SCOTLAND mailing list, send an email to SCOTLAND@rootsweb.com. > > __________________________________________________________ > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SCOTLAND-request@rootsweb.com > with the word "unsubscribe" without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > email with no additional text. > > > End of SCOTLAND Digest, Vol 6, Issue 1 > **************************************