Ghana, Accra, Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes records for the years 1863-2003. The images are available for viewing.

The records were acquired from the Public Records and Archives Administration (PRAA) and are both typed and handwritten in printed forms.

In Ghana, a couple could be married under customary law. However, traditional, or customary, Ghanian marriages are performed by family elders. The elders of the two families, along with the potential bride and groom, meet together for a bargaining. The customary marriages were typically not recorded at the time of the marriage. In order to get these marriages recognized by state law, the couple had to get their marriage registered and recognized by the state. In 1985 marriage laws were altered, requiring by law that all marriages be registered. Marriages can also take place in a church and may be recorded in church records.

Many marriages still continue to be customary today and may or may not actually be registered.

The marriage records in this collection appear to be primarily church records mixed with some registered marriages.

Find out more about customary marriage laws as well as the Marriage Ordinance and Islamic marriages by looking at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly website or the BYU Research Outline also has more information.

Record Content
Marriage records in this collection may contain the following information:


 * Date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Name of bride
 * Name of groom
 * Age of bride (may just indicate of full age or a minor)
 * Age of groom (may just indicate of full age or a minor)
 * Marital condition of bride and groom (i.e. spinster, widowed, etc.)
 * Occupations of bride and groom
 * Residences of bride and groom before marriage
 * Name of the father of the bride and his occupation
 * Name of the father of the groom and his occupation
 * Indication of cultural ceremony or otherwise
 * Name of religious or governmental official who officiated the marriage


 * Witnesses

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information: To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * All names your ancestor could have used.
 * An approximate time period for your ancestor's marriage.
 * The person(s) your ancestor married.
 * An area where your family resided.

Search the Collection
To search the collection image by image select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type" ⇒Select the appropriate "Dates and Volume" which will take you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have found the information that you are looking for, the following will help you in your research:

Use the age to calculate the birth year.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org.] Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Ghana Research Outline - This outline was written by BYU Family History Library. It describes Ghana's genealogical records.
 * Public Records and Archives, Ghana
 * Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (Another explanation of marriage laws in Ghana.)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Ghana
 * Ghana Civil Registration

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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