History
The history of Gretna Hall Marriage House & Hotel
Originally a Family Home…
Gretna Hall, historically known as “Graitney Hall,” boasts a rich tapestry of historical associations. For many years, the Estate of Gretna was under the stewardship of the Johnstone family, who constructed Graitney Hall in 1710 as their family mansion. The Johnstone family’s coat of arms, along with the year the hall was built, is prominently engraved above the main entrance—a detail that endures to this day.
John Linton Takes Charge in 1825…
In 1793, the subjects were fitted up as an inn or hotel. It was not, however, until 1825, when one of the most famous of Gretna “priests” John Linton, took a lease of the subjects, that they became well known. Linton had the acumen to arrange for the regular coaches to stop at Graitney Hall, and the passengers’ praise soon established its reputation.
Historical Marriage Records…
The Marriage Registers maintained at Graitney Hall during Linton’s tenancy still exist, along with certificates for some of the marriages that took place there. The Register contains 1,134 entries, with the first dated 12th July 1825 and the last dated 30th April 1855. The known certificates total 1,120, with the earliest dated 1st January 1829. Additionally, a small index book corresponding to the Marriage Register, the table used by Linton, and a tin box that stored the Register, certificates, and other related documents, are also preserved. Among the notable individuals married at Graitney Hall, and recorded in the Register, are:
17th May 1835 – Richard Brinsley Sheridan, grandson of the poet Sheridan, to Marcia Maria Grant, only surviving child and heiress of Sir Colquhoun Grant, of Frampton Court.
7th May 1836 – Carlo Ferdinando Bourbonne, Prince of the Two Sicilies and Prince of Capua, to Penelope Cardine Smythe: Prince Carlo was a younger brother of Ferdinand II of Naples.
26th August 1847 – Duke of Sforza-Cesarini, to Caroline Shirley: this gentleman was the scion of one of Italy’s noblest families, allied to several sovereign houses.
28th May 1840 – Lord Archibald Drumlanrig, son and heir of the Marquis of Queensbury, to Caroline Clayton, daughter of General Sir William Robert Clayton.
6th November 1844 – Captain Charles Park Ibbetson, to Lady Adela Corisande Maria Child Villiers, daughter of the Earl of Jersey, while two years later Captain Francis Frederick Lovell was married to Lady Rose Somerset, daughter of the Duke of Beaufort.
In June 1848 – E. Arabella St. John, daughter of Viscount Bolingbroke, was married to Francis Smith, and in the same year, a lady with the unusual names of Julia Octavia Anne Grace Duncan Guise claimed the “Priest’s” services to unite her to Charles Septimus Smith.
Find Out More…
If you’d like to learn more about the history of Gretna Green, click the button below