Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Canada New Brunswick

What is in this Collection?
This article is about two collections of New Brunswick marriage records.

When complete, the collections will contain marriage records from New Brunswick, including:


 * Marriage Registers — 1789-1889
 * Marriage Certificates — 1887-1950
 * Delayed Registration of Marriages — 1920-1945
 * Returns of Marriages — 1887-1950

Records are written in English.

The provincial government of New Brunswick began recording births, marriages, and deaths in 1888. For 1810 to 1887 records, there is a "Late Registration" compilation which is indexed. It is located at the Provincial Archives. These records were registered after 1888. Vital records are the responsibility of the provinces except for the registration of First Nations individuals (Native Canadians), which is a federal responsibility. In some provinces, authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths since the 1860s. Complete registration in all the provinces and territories was achieved in the 1920s. After this date, almost all individuals who lived in Canada are recorded.

The information recorded in civil records of vital registration varied over time. Later records generally give more complete information. Vital records are usually written in English or French, but content varies by time period and province. For example, before 1907 in Ontario, parents’ names were not usually on death certificates, but they are after that date.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Records generally contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's full name
 * Groom's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's religious denomination
 * Groom's literacy
 * Name of groom's father's and birth place
 * Maiden name of groom's mother and birth place
 * Bride's full name
 * Bride's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Bride's place of birth
 * Bride's religious denomination
 * Bride's literacy
 * Name of bride's father and birth place
 * Maiden name of bride's mother and birth place
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * At least one other piece of information

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
For the years 1789-1950, View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Record Type
 * 2) Select Year or Year Range
 * 3) Select Certificate Range

For the years 1920-1950, View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Record Type
 * 2) Select Year or Year Range
 * 3) Select Certificate Range

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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name, especially French or Latin versions.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of New Brunswick, Canada Genealogy.
 * Search in the New Brunswick Archives and Libraries.
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog

Citing This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation

Collection Citation Record citation (or citation for the index entry): Image Citation

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