Orville Reed to Nicholas Fish, April 22, 1884

Mr. Reed to Mr. Fish.

Dear Sir: I have a special case to put before you, and to which I ask your kind attention. Will you permit the marriage of an American gentleman and lady to take place at the legation, the ceremony being performed by an American missionary from Constantinople? The lady is the daughter of a missionary at Constantinople and I am a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church. Necessity compels me to take but a short leave of absence, not long enough to go to Constantinople, but only that I may go as far as Brussels and meet the lady there and return immediately to the United States.

I am encouraged to write to you by a letter which I have received from James O. Putnam, esq., formerly minister to Belgium.

In it he says: “In exactly such a case as you name I submitted the facts to the Belgian Government. The foreign minister replied that if the parties were Americans and the marriage took place at the legation, the Belgian Government took no cognizance of it. The marriage took place in presence of myself and the United States consul, as required by our rules in such cases. The case is recorded at length in the legation miscellaneous letter-book of my time. Several marriages have taken place there under diffierent American ministers. If the minister allows the marriage at the legation, I should not hesitate about it.”

We hope to meet in Brussels about the last week of May. I shall sail from New York before an answer from you could reach me, and so will ask you to have the kindness to send your reply to London, that I may find it there upon my arrival.

Please direct: Rev. Orville Reed, care of Mr. George P. Baker, No. 35 Milk street, Cheapside, London.

Hoping that the answer may be an affirmative one, I am, dear sir, very sincerely yours,