The Runaway Marriage figural pitcher modeled by Ernest T. Bailey and produced by Burgess & Leigh of Burslem, England, circa 1955. A forbidden young love. A frantic carriage chase across England. A hasty wedding ‘over the anvil’ at Gretna Green in Scotland. Such a scene is a staple of many a Regency romance. A chance of geography and an act of Parliament led Gretna Green to become famous as a haven for young lovers who could not win their parent’s consent for marriage. In 1753, Lord Chancellor Hardwicke’s Act for the Prevention of Clandestine Marriages passed, requiring persons to be 21 years of age and consent to marriage. The act had been passed, after a good deal of debate and struggle, to regularize marriages and to protect wealthy families from having their underage offspring preyed upon. A Gretna Green sign post forms the handle of the pitcher.
Maker:
Burgess & Leigh
England
circa 1955
Model #:
Derivative
figural pitcher
Size:
large
Height:
8 1/2"
