9780282392017 - The Gretna Green Memoirs: with an Introduction and Appendix Classic Reprint by Robert Elliott (3 results)

PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book tells the fascinating story of marriages performed by a blacksmith in a small Scottish village from the mid-18th century onwards. Although quick to deny being a blacksmith himself, the author was known colloquially as the Gretna Green Blacksmith and reveals the secrets of the illicit marriages he performed at Gretna Green for runaway couples, a practice that thrived until the mid-19th century. The book provides an account of the scandals and elopements that took place during this period, including tales of aristocratic and well-known figures who sought the 'blacksmith's' services, such as Lord Chief Justice Erskine and a sea captain from Sunderland. It provides an insightful historical glimpse into the changing attitudes to marriage and family in the 18th and 19th centuries. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item.