Editing Civil marriage (section)

===In England===
In [[Middle Ages|medieval Europe]], marriage was governed by [[canon law]], which recognized only those marriages where the parties stated they took one another as husband and wife as valid, regardless of the presence or absence of witnesses. It was not necessary, however, to be married by any official or cleric. This institution was canceled in [[England]] with the enactment of the [[Marriage Act 1753]], which required that, in order to be valid and registered, all marriages were to be performed in an official ceremony in a religious setting recognized by the state, i.e. [[Church of England]], [[Religious Society of Friends|the Quakers]], or in a [[Jewish|Jewish ceremony]]. Any other form of marriage was abolished. Children born into unions that were not valid under the act would not automatically [[Inheritance|inherit]] the property or titles of their parents. For historical reasons, the act did not apply in [[Scotland]]. Consequently, until 1940, it continued to be enough in [[Scotland]] for a man and a woman to pledge their commitment to each other in front of witnesses to legalize their marriage. This led to an industry of "fast marriages" in Scottish towns on the border with England; the town of [[Gretna Green]] was particularly well known for this. The [[Marriage Act 1836]] removed the requirement that the ceremony takes place in a religious forum, and [[Register office|registrar]]s have given the authority to register marriages not conducted by a religious official.