The book Arran; - Cook Clan

154 THE BOOK OF ARRAN
practice which the Kilbride Session seek to divert by making
official arrangements for these necessities, and not leaving
them to private enterprise. Equally with funerals were
marriages apt to encroach ; apparently owing to the fact
that this was the only day of full leisure. But action against
this custom is made the excuse for a serious claim upon
those embarking on the adventure of married life. Kilmorie
leads off, and we may observe how artfully and ungrammatically
the terrible fiat is interwoven with the matter on
hand.
19th November 1713.—The Session considering that a great many
young Men & Women within the parish neglect thro' sloth and
Laziness to commit to their memories, & that such as design
Marriage have a bad custom of making their contracts on Saturday
which occasions their encroaching on the Lords Day & that they
do likewise come to give in the Marriage Bonds on the Sabbath morn-
ing & also finding that such as after Marriage lose their consignations
occasion a great deal of trouble to that Session before they can
get them up from them. They therefore in order to redress the said
Enormaties do by these presents enact «fe appoint that all such as
design Marriage, before they be booked in order to proclamation,
repeat all the Questions in the Shorter Catechism, both man or woman,
whether old or young, likewise that they make no agreement on Saturday
& that they give in their Bonds of Proclamation before Sabbath
come & that they consign the dollars or a sufficient pledge to the
value of them in hands of the Session Clerk. Such as ' Contravene
this Act, and fail in the premises they shall be censured as the Session
shall think fit and this to be intimate the next Lords Day both here
& at Clachan.'
There was a preaching-house at Clachan. Kilbride is somewhat
later in thus hedging the marriage ceremony with
briars, and laxer too in so far as a way out is provided, though
a hard one.
Dec. 5, 1731.—' It is enacted by the Session to prevent
abounding ignorance that none in this parish shall obtain