Irregular Marriage Venue

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:29 pm

Hi Everyone,

I've found my first irregular marriage

(well not mine exactly you understand......!).
Having looked up and read all I can about them I have a question or two:
where were these marriages likely to take place? Could they take place anywhere?
This one was in the 1930's and took place at 10 Holyrood Place Dunfermline. Should I read any significance into the address? I've googled it and find a police station and a Catholic church in Holyrood Place now!

Best wishes,
Meg

Post by **paddyscar** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:27 am

Hi Meg:

Further infomation on irregular marriages - http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... r+marriage

My understanding is that they could occur anywhere in front of witnesses; the two I have are both in private residences.

Frances

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 2:01 am

Hi Meg,
Congratulations on your (irregular) marriage!

=D>

In 1901 10 Holyrood Place was a single family residence: Robert & Grace Rankine and their 4 children.

Sarah

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:21 am

I couldn’t find anything useful but just down the road in 1886 someone by the name of Wood placed these Ads in a London newspaper.

The Era, Saturday, October 23, 1886
WANTED, for New Theatre, Cattle Market, Dunfermline, Scotland, Sober Dramatic People with own Wardrobe; Stars with own Pieces; to open Nov. 1st. Also Variety Artists and Novelties, Salaries must be low.
Other Towns arranged. Address, Manager,
40, Holyrood-place, Dunfermline.

The Era, Saturday, November 13, 1886
WANTED, Star Actor, or Lady with Good Pictorials, for New Theatre, Dunfermline, Nov. 22d. Henry Loydall a great success. Also Variety Artists and Novelties and People for Pantomime. Can arrange other towns. Address, Wood, 40, Holyrood-place, Dunfermline, Scotland.

I’m not sure I get the gist of all of that. Maybe it’s in code.

Alan

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:14 am

Thanks for everyone's responses.
Frances,

So you've got 2 to my 1

Congratulations!

Sarah,

So it looks like a private residence. I wonder who lived there in the 1930's as both participants did not live in Dunfermline. Another line of enquiry!

Alan,

What fun adverts! When looking for articles in newspapers I always get distracted by the adverts - some of them are just so amusing!

Regards,
Meg

Montrose Budie · Post by **Montrose Budie** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:35 am

paddyscar wrote:Hi Meg:

Further infomation on irregular marriages - http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... r+marriage

My understanding is that they could occur anywhere in front of witnesses; the two I have are both in private residences.

Frances

Witnesses were highly preferable from the point of view of any subsequent court process, Sheriff or Session, to produce a document that would result in the registrar being happy to make an entry in the Register of Marriages; but, in terms of Scots Law, such witnesses weren't strictly required.

Except that, if there weren't witnesses, any court process involved in proving the existence of the marriage would be that much more complicated !

In Scots Law, all that was required by the couple was a mutual declaration of marriage, with or without witnesses

mb

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:57 pm

I am more and more intrigued by this irregular marriage.
I have been told that the bride was pregnant and unable to work through illness so the family applied to the court/sheriff for financial support. The bridegroom admitted paternity but refused to marry or support her or the child when born. Consequently a sheriff's decree was applied for and upheld in the bridegroom's absence and a formal marriage was recorded/ witnessed in his absence.

Is this right? Could it happen like this?

Meg

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 2:27 pm

Hi Meg

I have been told that the bride was pregnant and unable to work through illness so the family applied to the court/sheriff for financial support. The bridegroom admitted paternity but refused to marry or support her or the child when born. Consequently a sheriff's decree was applied for and upheld in the bridegroom's absence and a formal marriage was recorded/ witnessed in his absence.

Is this somehting that you read somewhere, were told by someone, or a story handed down the family? Just interested to know what the source of the story was.

Best wishes
Lesley

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:12 pm

Hi Lesley,

I was told this by a close relative to the bridegroom.

Best wishes,
Meg

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:41 pm

Hi Meg
I wonder if there may soem surviving legal papers. Perhaps try a search on the NAS website's catalogue, using the surname(s). But bear in mind that not everything they hold is listed...

...other thought might be if such a case would be reported in a local newspaper?

Best wishes
Lesley