Why was the Blacksmith authorised to conduct weddings?
A. Anyone could conduct a handfasting ceremony. It just happened that in Gretna Green the first building over the border was a blacksmiths Shop. Weddings took place in the workshop, while the blacksmith and his men continued their work. The first notable ‘Blacksmith Priest’, Joseph Paisley was not a blacksmith but adopted this title and since then all these marriage men inherited the title of ‘Blacksmith Priest’.
Anyone could conduct a handfasting ceremony. It just happened that in Gretna Green the first building over the border was a blacksmiths Shop. Weddings took place in the workshop, while the blacksmith and his men continued their work. The first notable ‘Blacksmith Priest’, Joseph Paisley was not a blacksmith but adopted this title and since then all these marriage men inherited the title of ‘Blacksmith Priest’.
Related Questions
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- Why was the Blacksmith authorised to conduct weddings?
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