Scottish Marriage Register confusion

[DgJay]

I have never come across a Marriage Register from Scotland before, but this one seems to have confusing 'facts' in it, unless somebody can see a logical expanation to it all.
The bottom entry of marriage for John Williamson and Mary Stephen appears to have taken place at 51 South Street Elgin, which also appears to be where Mary lived as a domestic servant, banns were presumbly read in a church as normal.
Now just 100 yards along the road is the local Church of Scotland, so where were John and Mary married? Also assuming that the Minister PJ Mackie travelled to different locations (see the entry above). Would this mean that in the 1800's people were not married in a church in Scotland although the banns were still read there?

[GallowayLass]

Nothing out of the ordinary there DGJay. Very common for the ceremony to be held in the bride's home/place of residence. Although you don't quite have it here for date, it was also popular to marry on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and also on Hogmanay as well as around Term Days (the days that - in the world of farmworkers especially but also servants of many kinds - moved job as their contract came to an end).

Not sure if you are aware of this but despite the Welsh looking name, the groom's residence of Lhanbryde is not far from Elgin, the parish name is St Andrew's-Lhanbryde.

[AntonyM]

My G-Grandparents married in a pub/hotel in Scotland in 1882, yet it was still "after banns" and "according to the forms of the established Church of Scotland". Scottish marriage rules and practices were very different from those in England/Wales (and to some extent still are).

This gives some info : http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialp...eath/marriage/

[GallowayLass]

And so did my own parents as late as 1956!! They were married in the drawing room of a country house by the minister of the parish on 26 December. My mother kept house for and lived with her uncle who was the estate gamekeeper.

[DgJay]

Thank you both, it begins to make sense after all.

Antony..obviously I knew about Greta Green, but never knew the reason why, a very interesting article.

Gallowaylass..yes I knew about Llanbryde, just wish that I could get up there to visit, this couple and their daughter and son-in-law all lived on the outskirts in a building called Pittensair, which I believe is quite a famous site because of who it was built by and who lived there, unfortunately since my cousins died in 1973 the place has been empty and is now a ruin on the 'buildings at risk' list.