A marriage celebrated at Gretna, iu Dumfries, (bordering on the county of Cumberland,)iu Scotland. By the law of Scotland a valid marriage may be contracted by consentalone, without any other formality. When the marriage act (20 Geo. II. c. 33) renderedthe publication of banns, or a license, necessary in England, it became usual forpersons who wished to marry clandestinely to go to Gretna Green, the nearest part ofScotland, and marry according to the Scotch law; so a sort of chapel was built at GretnaGreen, in which the English marriage service was performed by the village blacksmith. Wharton.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
