Broadside entitled 'A Comical Wedding'

Commentary

This report begins: 'The inhabitants of this town were highly delighted and amused on the night of Tuesday last, by a Wedding of rather a singular and uncommon description which took place here on that day, and afforded no little sport to the young and old of both sexes, who had assembled in great numbers to meet the wedding party returning from the house of the Rev. Mr ____'. The broadside was published by Sanderson of the High Street in Edinburgh.

Weddings between people of vastly differing generations seemed to be regarded with great amusement and interest by Scots of the early nineteenth century, and the National Library of Scotland holds more than one broadside on the theme. It is impossible to tell how much basis this report has in fact, and how much it has been embroidered for the enjoyment of its readership. The wedding described culminates with the bride absconding with the groom's money and her former lover as the guests fight among themselves and the groom sleeps. This seems such a perfect farce that it is difficult to believe it is true.

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.

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