English and European Ceramics and Glass - 2nd May 2018
Lot 155
A Staffordshire Gretna Green figure group c.1820
Estimate £200 - £300 | Hammer £750
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Description
A Staffordshire Gretna Green figure group c.1820, of a couple standing before a blacksmith beneath a tree in which is suspended a plaque inscribed 'John MacDonald aged 79, A Scotch run of with a English girl aged 17 to Gratnall Green to the old blacksmith to be married', raised on a rectangular base, some restoration, 19.5cm.
Since the Marriage Act of 1753 prevented those under the age of 21 marrying without parental consent, Gretna Green became a destination for elopers. The Gentleman's Magazine of 1819 records an elderly nobleman running away with a much younger woman, which possibly sparked the inscription on this figure.