GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Isle of Man Marriages

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find marriage information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the marriage section of the Isle of Man Guided Research page.

Mandatory marriage registration started in 1884. Before 1884, marriages and banns can be found in church records (mainly the Church of England). The oldest marriage records date to 1598.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1538-1973: England Marriages, 1538–1973  at FamilySearch
 * 1598-1936: Isle of Man, Select Parish Registers, 1598-1936  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1606-1984: Isle of Man, Marriage Index, 1606-1984  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1911: Isle of Man, Select Marriages, 1849-1911  at Ancestry ($)

Additional Records with Marriage Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for marriage events may not have been created at the time of the marriage. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Tips for finding marriages
Success with finding marriage records in online databases depends on a few key points:
 * Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Try the following search tactics:
 * Try searching using the spouse's name.
 * Try different spelling variations of the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Try a given name search (leave out last names).
 * Try broadening the name search, such as using wildcards or searching for similar sounding names (instead of exact matches only).
 * Example: check "Name Variants" on FindMyPast or "Sounds like" or "Similar" on Ancestry


 * Expand the date range of the search.
 * Try searching with the county name only instead of by parish.
 * If your ancestor's name is common, try adding more information to narrow the search.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start Mandatory marriage registration started in 1884. Before 1884, marriages and banns can be found in church records (mainly the Church of England). The oldest marriage records date to 1598.

Records Published

Records Destroyed Some church records may have been lost, destroyed, or damaged (especially in the early 1600s). More specific information is not known. Civil registration records are generally complete.