Its effects were
clearly demonstrated in a letter he had written, which appeared in the
Registrar-General's Report, of which he showed us a copy, stating that
while in the year 1856, the year of the passing of Lord Brougham's Act,
there were 757 marriages celebrated in the district of Gretna Green,
thirty-nine entered as taking place in one day, November 8th, in the
following year there were only thirty and in the next forty-one, showing
conclusively that the Act had been effectual. We could have listened
longer to our host's stories, but we had to rise early next morning to
make up for our loss of mileage, and retired early to make up for our
loss of sleep on the previous night.
(_Distance walked six miles_.)
_Friday, October 13th._
We left Longtown at 7.30 a.m. by the long and wide thoroughfare which
gives rise to its name, and followed the Carlisle road until we turned
to the right for Gretna Green. Our road lay between Solway Moss and the
River Esk, to both of which some historic events were attached. Solway
Moss is about seven miles in circumference, and is covered with grass
and rushes, but it shakes under the least pressure, and will swallow up
nearly anything.
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