Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Returns of Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Nouveaux-Brunswick Retours provinciaux de mariages

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1887 to 1919.

The returns of marriages are arranged alphabetically within each year by surname of the groom. New Brunswick introduced registration for all vital statistics in January of 1888. There are very few returns for 1887.

Marriage Registers (registres de mariages). Civil officials recorded the marriages they performed in registers, usually preprinted forms bound in a book and kept in the civil office. If the marriage was performed by someone else, such as a minister or justice of the peace, that person was required to report the marriage information to the local official.

The marriage returns have printed numbers and handwritten numbers which sometimes differ. The index refers to the handwritten numbers. The handwritten numbers also correspond to the numbers listed by each person in the county registers. Marriage dates are often out of chronological order in the county registers. The years listed are marriage years and not registration years.

The "Mc/Mac" names are filed before the "M's." The years listed are the marriage years and not the registration years.

For a list of records by dates and surnames currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage, including county
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's marital status, occupation and residence
 * Groom's religious denomination
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's place of birth
 * Bride's marital status, occupation and residence
 * Bride's religious denomination
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Witnesses' names and residences
 * By whom married

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


 * Name of bride or groom
 * Approximate year and place of marriage

Search This Collection
To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate "Year" ⇒Select the appropriate "Surname Range" which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one 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. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the information
When you have found the record of your ancestor, the following tactics will aid you in your research:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth year.
 * Use the residence to search in the Canadian Censuses.
 * Use the place of birth and the calculated birth year to search for a birth record.
 * Search for a marriage record using the names of the parents.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
If you can't find the information that you are looking for, try the following tactics:


 * Search for the names of the parents instead of the child.
 * Look for alternative spellings of the name.

Related Websites

 * Brunswick Provincial Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * New Brunswick Church Records
 * New Brunswick Vital Records
 * Canada Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"New Brunswick Provincial Returns of Marriages, 1887-1919," Images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), 1887-1888 &gt; A-Z &gt; Image 507 of 527; George A. White and Zora M VanWart, married 25 January 1888; citing New Brunswick Vital Statics Branch. Returns of Marriages. Provincial Archives or New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada