Marriage in Scotland and Proclamation of Banns.....

[DavidWW]

The second part of the subject line first .

The question often arises of the period during which the 3 separate proclamations of banns could or should be made.

While checking in G.T. Bisset-Smith's Vital Registration - A Manual of the Law and Practice concerning The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages: Registration Acts for Scotland; with Relative Notes on Vaccinations and the Census, Forms, and Tables of Fees &c., Edinburgh, William Green & Sons, Law Publishers, 1907, in connection with James Henderson's query, I came across the following:-


It shall be in the power of the minister, but in no case obligatory upon him, to complete the proclamation of banns in a single Sabbath, in the case of persons who are well known to him, or in regard to whom he has reason to be satisfied, on the information of others, that there is no impediment recognised by the laws of this Church [sic - looks like this has been "lifted" from a communication from the Auld Kirk?] to the proposed marriage. In this case the certificate [of due proclamation of banns] shall not be granted until forty-eight hours after proclamation has taken place, and it shall have the same effect as if proclamation had been made on two separate Sabbaths..

So there you have it, along with the implication that the 3 crying of the banns was commonly over just two Sundays.


Later, in the marriage section of Bisset-Smith there is this rather neat summary regarding marriage in Scotland, itself extracted from Bells' Principles:-

"By the law of Scotland marriage is a consensual contract, requiring no particular solemnity, nor even written evidence, but deliberate and unconditional consent alone. There is no restraint on account of non-age, but that which proceeds from incapacity of consent in persons under puberty. There is no absolute necessity for publication, or solemnity, or particular place or time of celebration. There is no necessity for the consent of parents or of guardians."


Note the date of publication of G.T. Bisset-Smith's book, i.e. it obviously can't take account of later legislation.

Amazing what you can get up to at 2:30 in the morning, - it's been a difficult evening/night involving an extremely ill old cat who is most probably going to have to make his last ever journey to the vet in a few hours ...................

David

[JayPee]

I began to reply three separate times, but broke off (up?) each time.

Amazing what you can get up to at 2:30 in the morning, - it's been a difficult evening/night involving an extremely ill old cat who is most probably going to have to make his last ever journey to the vet in a few hours ...................

David

Sincere condolences.

- JayPee

[Alison Plenderleith]

So sorry your cat is ill David. I'm hoping for the best.

Kind regards,

Alison

[Jockbird]

Hello David,

My thoughts are with you and your wee friend.

Donna
x

[PaulaD]

I'm so sorry David.
I lost my beloved old puss recently and your post made me cry.
Paula

[marilyn morning]

Ah David,

Sorry to hear about your feline friend. My cat Heidi lived to be 16 and I miss her so.

I feel your pain.........

Regards
Marilyn

[LesleyB]

David,
So sorry to hear about your cat. They are such wee characters & become so much a part of the family.

Best wishes
Lesley

[DavidWW]

Thanks to everyone for their sentiments.

Gilbert the Cat Webster left this world near midday by means of a massive overdose of phenobarbitone administered by the vet he's known for 11 years, while I was holding him. It only takes seconds and is completely painless.

We'll never know quite what the cause was, but the fact that he was run-over twice when abandoned 12 years ago in an industrial estate near Glasgow was quite probably a contributory, if not the major cause, as two X-rays on Friday showed up some spinal problems. Basically he lost the ability to use his back legs, then his forelegs. A brain lesion (incurable) was also suggested by the vet as typical of that and a range of other symptoms.

Like all our other cats GtCW was a rescue cat, but very special to me, since he was my first ever pet animal.

We knew he was getting old, - the nature of being a rescue cat is such that we can only say that he was between 13 and 16, - but what completely floored us was the speed of his decline, from nothing more than a minor looking limp on Monday to immobility on Friday, and no further interest in food or water. But then the vet was telling me that this is very typical of cats, - they can "hide", maybe better to write "disguise", a problem until it has become severe, or, as in this case, fatal.

As the vet suggested might be the case when he was taken home on Friday, along with some strong steroids to see if they would help with possible inflamation, it was maybe time to think about "letting go". Given a further deterioration, despite the steroids, and our wish to give his welfare the priority over our natural wish to keep him hanging on as long as possible, we saw no alternative but to do just that, - "let go".

'Bye wee Pal ............

Over the last 11 years I've been fascinated to learn that cats are like us in the sense that every single one has a different character, often radically different, - as I've been fascinated to observe with Gilbert and Sullivan and D'Oyly Cat (get it?!). Sullivan was an old cat when he joined us and long since gone, but D'Oyly, Angus and Oliver continue to educate me in the tremendous differences in feline character and behaviour.

David

[Jockbird]

David,

So sorry to hear of the loss of your wee pal. Your description of Gilbert's decline took me aback as that is exactly how I lost my first ever pet cat Mister Mong, who died in April this year aged 16/17 years (we got him from gypsies and he needed a wee bit extra care & attention....I'm sure he had Scot's blood in him, very stoic). It is heartbreaking to watch and mine & my husbands thoughts are with you.....I have to say this is the very first thread that my husband has ever taken interest in as, regrettably he takes on that vacant , glazed expression when I talk family tree.

As for cat behaviour, there are two fridge magnets I have seen which are so true, one that my 6 year old bought in memory of our dear Mong which reads "Cats leave invisible paw prints on your heart".....or generally on my freshly laundered white bedding and they are not so invisible!!!

The other, which always makes me smile is "Dogs have owners, Cats have servants".....how true!

I bet all your other wee friends will get extra cuddles tonight. We spoilt our remaining cat, Loki, rotten...still are.

Take care
Donna
x

[nancy]

Hi David
What can I say that's not already been said. All animal lovers can feel your pain,and thoughts are with you and your little cat
My cat Tommy died 2 yr ago,and i thought i was going to need counselling I still can't get over it as he slept with his head on pillow,and paws round my neck,so every night i miss him there.
My dog Nico died in May very suddenly,and i'm still shattered,and still had'nt got over my cat.
I think the only reason i made the Mitchell/Oneills TS meeting the following wk was,i couldnt let Marilyn and Catriona come that distance and let them down!
I still listen for him running down stairs to greet me as i return from shops,looking for a biscuit,and when i go out front gate my hand feels so empty without his lead.
The thing is we loved and treated them well.Will go now before keyboards washed away. Do you think theres a pets TS