Gretna Green
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Gretna Green is a small town in the south of Scotland, on the border with England.
Its main claim to fame is the Old Blacksmith's Shop where many runaway marriages were performed. These began in 1753 when an Act of Parliament, Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act, was passed in England, which stated that if both parties to a marriage were not at least 21 years old, then consent to the marriage had to be given by the parents. This Act did not apply in Scotland where it was possible for boys to get married at 14 and girls at 12 years old with or without parental consent. Since 1929 both parties have had to be at least 16 years old but there is still no consent needed. In England and Wales the ages are now 16 with consent and 18 without.
This led to many "elopers" fleeing England and making for the first Scottish village they came to — Gretna Green. The blacksmith's shop, built around 1712, became the focal point for the marriage trade. It was opened to the public as a visitor attraction as early as 1887.
Gretna Green Way is the name of the street in the California community where Nicole Brown Simpson once lived.