Virginia, County Marriage Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
The Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1943 collection consists of images of marriage records from county courthouses. The records include registers, bonds, licenses, and returns.

Digital Folder Number List
This collection contains a digital browse. Only the DGS numbers are displayed. Clicking the link in the DGS column will open a new window where you can see the images.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The following information may be found in the records:
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Name of the clerk or the person performing the marriage

Later records may also include:
 * Name of the parents of the bride and groom
 * Ages
 * Birthplaces
 * Marital status
 * Residence of bride and groom (some later records also give birth date)
 * Occupations

How Do I Search the Collection?
To use these records it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person at the time of marriage.
 * The name of the intended spouse.
 * The approximate date of marriage.
 * The place where the marriage took place.

View the Images
To view images in this collection:
 * 1) Look at the Digital Folder Number List section to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
 * 2) Go to the Collection Browse Page
 * 3) Click the Film number to view the images

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s marriage record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Virginia.
 * Virginia Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.