Marriage Records

In genealogical research, the most important factor is documentation. The more written or printed information you can locate on a family, the more you will be able to verify the stories of their past. Even a tiny detail can open the doors to a wealth of related information. One of the most valuable documents to a genealogist is a marriage record.

What Can Marriage Records Do For Me?

You can learn a great deal from a marriage record. Learning the bride’s maiden name will enable you to seek out more records of her past and family background. You’ll also find dates of birth for both parties, and possibly even places of birth and parents’ names. If the couple was married in a church, there may be additional information about the officiating pastor. For a genealogist, this is gold. You may even be able to verify or correct information on your family tree that seemingly had little to do with the couple in question.

Beginning Your Search for Marriage Records

Marriage records are public documents. Many are free and open to the public as long as protocols are followed. They are generally kept in state, city or county offices, or in libraries.

The first place to look for a marriage record is online. Literally millions of marriage records have been made available, often with specific links aimed at people using these records for genealogical research. MarriageRecords.net has provided a tool here that to get you started on your search.

If you know the county where the marriage took place, you can communicate with the county clerk’s office by telephone, email or postal mail. Or you can visit the county clerk in person to get directions to the right bureau or department. Some offices will want you to submit your request by postal mail. They may also require you to know the full names of both bride and groom, and some ask you to supply the year the marriage took place.

You may be able to access the records yourself. This is still allowed in many places. The records may be filed on paper, but today are more likely to be on microfilm and indexed.

Not all marriage records are free. Some city and county record offices will want you to pay for copies that will be used for genealogical research. Marriage records are more likely to be free if they pre-date the current year by fifty or so years. More recent information may be available only for a fee, or restricted to immediate family members.

Other Sources for Marriage Records

Churches often keep detailed records of marriages. If you know the church where the marriage you’re researching took place, ask to see the parish records.

Another great source of marriage records is the U.S. census. The first census was taken in 1790 and every ten years following. Most census records through 1940 are now freely accessible. Anything past 1940 is considered confidential, as Title 44 of the U.S. Code requires that census information be kept private for 72 years. Access to more recent census data is limited to family members and must be paid for. The Census Bureau offers hundreds of useful publications on how to conduct research, the types of records available, and other sources of information.

The National Archives keeps microfilms of census records and can rent and sell copies. Contact their reference department for help. Check the Census Bureau’s regional offices and your local libraries as well, or those in the nearest large city.

Every fact you discover will both answer questions and raise new ones. A few census records required people to provide unusually detailed information. The 1930 census actually asked for “age at first marriage” and “number of years in present marriage”. That’s a gold mine to a genealogist.

You can use these methods to look for divorce and remarriage information and possibly name change records. Birth and death certificates are generally not open to the public, only to relatives and their legal representatives.