Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This index covers recorded marriages in Philadelphia from 1885 to 1951.

Record Description
The index entries are type written and arranged in columns.

Record Content


Genealogical facts in the marriage index are:


 * Surname
 * Given name (first name)
 * Surname of the spouse
 * Year of marriage
 * Sex
 * Marriage record or certificate number

How to Use the Record
Marriage records are the best source for the identification of a family unit and marriage event details. The records are a great source for the legal names of the bride (including her maiden name) and groom. Other research clues may include the name of the officiator, parent’s names, ages, occupations, birth places, birth dates, residence, and consent statements.

Record History
The city and county of Philadelphia were combined in 1854. In 1860, the city passed a law requiring the Board of Health to register all marriages. In 1885, Pennsylvania authorized the Orphans’ Court in each county to register marriages. By 1885, all marriages were supposed to be licensed in Pennsylvania.

Why This Record Was Created
Marriage records validate a spouse’s legal claim to property. Marriage licenses grant permission for a marriage to be performed and replaced the previous requirements to post banns or intentions. The index was created to provide public officials with a quick and easy access to any specific marriage record.

Record Reliability
The index is very reliable since it was created from the marriage records. As with any printed index there may be some typographical errors.

Related Web Sites
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Related Wiki Articles
Pennsylvania Vital Records

Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki:Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages.

Sources of Information for This Collection
"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885-1951", database, FamilySearch: (http://familysearch.org), from Philadelphia County Pennsylvania Clerk of the Orphans' Court. "Pennsylvania Philadelphia marriage license index, 1885-1951." from Clerk of the Orphans Court, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above.


 * United States. Bureau of Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From Family Searc Internet (www.familysearch.org: Setpemper 29.2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B,line 71.
 * Mexico, Districto Federal, Catholic Church Records 1886-1933, digital imagbes, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Femandez Jimenez, 1 Feb, 1910, San Pedro Apostol, Cuahimalpa, Districto Federal, Mexico Film number 0227023