Ghana, Accra, Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes marriage records from Accra, Ghana, covering the years 1863 to 2003.

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

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. There the dowry is agreed upon, which must be paid by the groom to the bride's family. Upon marriage, the dowry is given to the new wife as a security against hardships which may occur in the marriage. It is also evidence to the bride's family that the groom is capable of supporting his wife.

If you want to learn more about how a marriage is performed in Ghana, BYU Research Outline has more information.

For a list of record categories 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 information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These marriage records generally contain the following information:


 * Name and age of groom
 * Residence of groom
 * Name and age of bride
 * Residence of bride
 * Date and Place of Marriage
 * Other existing marriages of groom
 * Condition of wife (Spinster or Divorcee)
 * Names of witnesses

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 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.

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.

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 Wiki Articles

 * Ghana

Citing Family Search 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
“Ghana, Accra, Marriages, 1863-2003,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 14 May 2012), Divorce Records &gt; Dates and Volumes &gt; 1979-1987 (no 2, 149-1-141) &gt; image 32 of 99 images, Edward Frimpong and Linda Nyonko Frimpong, Divorce Records, 1883; citing Ghana, Accra, Marriages. Accra, Ghana.