Richard Rennison led to the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939, which outlawed the process of "irregular marriages". When the new law came into force in 1940, Rennison had performed 5,147 marriages. His role then changed to a symbolic one, "blessing" marriages and acting as caretaker of the forge. He also regularly appeared at court to ensure the marriages he performed were judicially recognised. Richard Rennison Richard Rennison (29 October 1889 – 5 August 1969) was the last "anvil priest" at Gretna Green, Scotland. Between 1926 and 1940, he performed "irregular marriages" of couples over the anvil at the Old Blacksmith Shop, where the
Gretna Historic District Gretna Historic District Gretna Historic District is a historic district in downtown Gretna, Louisiana, roughly bounded by 1st Street, Amelia Street, 9th Street, Gulf Drive, 4th Street and Huey P. Long Avenue. The area comprises a total of 737 buildings and structures, of which 553 are considered contributing properties, and 4 are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as individual properties. Building dates vary from c.1845 to 1935 and are mostly creole cottages, shotgun houses, bungalows and corner commercial buildings. Styles vary from the Greek Revival and Italianate of 1845-1879 structures, to the Italianate, Eastlake and Colonial