United States Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes a collection that is available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. To access the collection, see Freedmen's Bureau Virginia Marriages ca. 1815-1866



Collection Time Period
The records were created 1865-1872, while most are for 1865-1868. Marriage dates are reported in some cases for earlier years.

Collection History
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, generally known as the Freedmen's Bureau, was established March 3, 1865, in the War Department. The bureau's operations began in Virginia in June 1865. The Virginia Bureau was divided into 10 districts, called field offices, which were further divided into sub-districts. Later, additional divisions and realignments occurred. The bureau was responsible for the supervision and management of all matters relating to the refugees, freedmen, lands and property abandoned or seized in the former Confederate States, border states, District of Columbia, and Indian Territory. The aim of the bureau was to help freedmen become self-sufficient. Bureau officials accomplished this by issuing rations, overseeing labor contracts, establishing schools and hospitals, and representing former slaves in legal and other disputes. They also helped freedmen in legalizing marriages entered into during slavery, and provided transportation to refugees and freedmen who were attempting to reunite with their family or relocate to other parts of the country. Letters sent and received by bureau officials often contain information from and about African Americans. The bureau was abolished in 1872, but the bulk of its work was conducted from June 1865 to December 1868. About 4 million slaves were freed during the Civil War. The names of thousands of these former slaves are included in the records.

Why This Collection Was Created
The Freedmen's Bureau was created to supervise labor contracts, settle disputes, administer justice, issue rations and clothing to destitute freedmen and refugees, establish schools, lease land, operate hospitals and refugee camps, legalize marriages and provide transportation to refugees and freedmen returning to their homes or relocating to other parts of the country for employment or other reasons. The bureau was later involved in helping former Union servicemen to file and collect claims for bounties, pay arrears, and pensions. While most of the records created were administrative or statistical in nature, many contain information of genealogical value. For example, there are census records for fourteen counties and marriage registers for the counties of Augusta, Goochland, Louisa, Nelson and Rockbridge.

Collection Reliability
Names and residences found in Freedmen's Bureau records are usually reliable, though ages and birthdates may not be.

Collection Description
The records consist of bound volumes and unbound bundles of loose papers.

Collection Content
Each marriage record contains some or all of the following genealogical information:


 * Name of bride and groom
 * Date marriage was registered
 * Residence of couple
 * Information about previous marriages
 * Names and ages (or birthdates) of children

Census records contain the following genealogical information:


 * Name of each household member
 * Age, gender and residence
 * Occupation and current employment
 * Name of former owner

Transportation records often contain the following genealogical information:


 * Name of person being moved
 * Former and present residences
 * Name of former owner

Registers and applications of persons receiving rations may include the following genealogical information:


 * Name of each family member
 * Residence
 * Ages of children

The correspondence often contains the following genealogical information:


 * Names, residences and occupations of correspondents
 * Names, relationships and residences of relatives

How To Use The Collection
Use Freedmen's Bureau records to learn your ancestor's marriage year, and possibly birth year and place. The records often provide names and ages of family members, and may contain information not found in any other available source.

Bibliographic Information
United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Records of the field offices for the state of Virginia, 1865-1872. Downloaded from URL, date downloaded. Digital identification number if any. Volume/page number.

Related Article
African American Freedmen's Bureau Records