Iain Smith: Norrie McLeish - Promises, Promises

Last week’s meeting enjoyed a talk from Norrie McLeish from Jedburgh. His interest is in historical research and writing and he has published several books such as “The Haunted Borders” or “Death in the Borders” (Murder Cases). His talk featured a new publication called “Promises Promises” featuring breach of promise cases across Scotland.

It may seem odd today that you could be sued if you changed your mind after promising to marry someone. Accounts of breach of promise cases are now mostly found in old newspapers and court records.

In the 19^th century in Scotland, marriage for woman was the perceived route to a fulfilled life. That was not always the case for men. When a woman after a long engagement found herself dumped, it was not only humiliating but could also mean prolonged spinsterhood and reduced financial circumstances.

In the early 19^th century it was a brave woman who went public and sued the man who had jilted her. Norrie has researched the lives of ordinary people and their families who were in extraordinary situations. In so doing he turns a spotlight on a neglected aspect of Scottish social history and brings back individual lives that history would have forgotten.

He cited a local breach of promise case from 1899 which dealt with a 55- year -old widowed farmer near Bonchester who employed a 48-year-old Hawick woman as housekeeper. Within a week of moving in with two of her children she was sharing her employer’s bed, having received, what she later claimed was, a verbal promise of marriage. The farmer disputed this claim and she left her employment, returned to Hawick and sued the farmer for breach of promise claiming compensation of £1000.00 and £27 for wrongful dismissal.

She lost the case, which was heard in Roxburgh Sheriff Court, the farmer having employed the services of an Edinburgh advocate who put a strong case against her as the farmer drank a lot of alcohol, and proved that he was not in sound mind when issuing his promise of marriage. A doctor who was called as a witness was the grand-father of past-President Sandy Bannerman!

Norrie also outlined the development of the law on breach of promise in Scotland and its subsequent decline and abolition in the 20^th century and in doing so illustrated how the laws of the land adapted to the changing social circumstances.

Questions were asked and the vote of thanks for an enjoyable and interesting talk was given by President Mairhi.