Richard Rennison | |
|---|---|
 Image of Richard Rennison in 1933, standing above the marriage anvil. | |
| Born | 29 October 1889 Shankhouse, Northumberland, UK |
| Died | 5 August 1969 (aged 79) Haltwhistle, Northumberland, UK |
| Known for | Last "anvil priest" |
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 couple proclaimed that they were single and wanted to get married in front of witnesses. As "anvil priest", Rennison generally requested a fee of £1, but was known to earn up to £20 for a ceremony (approximately £3,030 in 2012).
The popularity of the marriages grew whilst he was performing them, to the point that a special committee was formed to look at marriage in Scotland, to which Rennison was called as a witness. By the time "irregular marriages" were outlawed in Scotland by the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939, Rennison had conducted 5,147 ceremonies.