England and Wales Marriage Registration Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of an index to marriages registered in England and Wales beginning 1 July 1837 through 1920. The index is arranged in volumes by years with the entries listed alphabetically. These indexes can be used to order a copy of the actual certificate. Index courtesy of Findmypast.com.

Record Content
The marriage index generally lists:


 * Surname and given name
 * Record type
 * Spouse’s surname (post-1911 marriage indexes)
 * Year, quarter, volume and page number
 * District
 * Line and event number
 * May also list other names

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know


 * Your ancestor’s names
 * The approximate year of marriage

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the information in the index to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate from the appropriate registration district.
 * Use the spouse's surname to help find the spouse's name.
 * Use the names of the bride and groom and the marriage place to locate the family in census and church records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Knowing the district name and at least an approximate year in which the death occurred will reduce your search time.
 * Events are filed by the date registered, not the date they occurred (for example, a marriage on 20 March which was registered on 6 April will be in the April-May-June quarter).
 * Indexes were prepared by hand and may contain copying errors (for example, "T" for "F") or omissions.
 * Persons with common names may be difficult to identify in the index.
 * Some marriages were indexed by the name of only one spouse.
 * A woman’s surname in the marriage index may be her surname from a previous marriage.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. Surnames are often found under unexpected spellings.
 * You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * A person may have been registered under a different name than he or she used later in life.

For additional information about the use of this index see the wiki article England Civil Registration.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * FindMyPast
 * Beginning British Research
 * Beginning British Research

Related Wiki Articles

 * England Civil Registration
 * England
 * Beginning British Research

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.