[1641/8/35]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Prayer said and rolls called.
The king being present.
Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, considering the great abuse and dangerous evil that has followed and may follow upon frequent marriages of the persons, inhabitants within this kingdom, going to the neighbouring kingdoms for getting themselves married there, which they could not obtain in this kingdom by the laws and constitutions thereof; therefore and for remedy of that evil, and for preventing such in time coming, prohibit and discharge all men and women having both their ordinary residence within this kingdom to get married themselves with others within the kingdom of England or Ireland without proclamation of banns here in Scotland and against the order and constitutions of this church and kingdom under the pains following, namely: for each nobleman so married, £1,000; for each landed gentleman, 1,000 merks; for each burgess, £500; and for each other substantial person, 500 merks; for one yeoman, £100; for each person of inferior quality, 100 merks, the one half of the which penalties shall belong to the king, the other to the parish or parishes where the married parties did reside. And ordain the king and kirk's advocate to pursue before the civil judge thereof, and in case of the poor condition of any man so married in manner foresaid, ordain him to be punished by stocks and irons, which pains corporal or pecuniary shall in no way be prejudicial or derogate from the order and censures of the kirk to be inflicted against the delinquents.