Illinois, Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is an index to selected civil marriages from published transcripts for the counties of Boone, Champaign, Christian, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, and Hancock. The collection covers the years 1833 to 1889. Images for some counties are unavailable due to privacy restrictions. You many also find births, deaths and church records mixed in with the marriages.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Marriage
 * Full names of bride and groom
 * Ages of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Parents’ names
 * Previous husband or wife, if any
 * Birthplace of both bride and groom
 * Notes

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The birth date or age of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of marriage
 * The name of the intended spouse

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s marriage record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for other vital records, such as birth and death
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search the locality for church, land, and probate records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Illinois.
 * Illinois Guided Research
 * Illinois Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.