Michigan, County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of marriage registers and certificates from county records for the years 1820 to 1935. The content and time period varies by county. This collection does not include the following counties:

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Michigan marriages, click here.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in Michigan marriage records include:


 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Date of marriage license
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Race of bride and groom
 * Residence of bride and groom
 * Birthplace of bride and groom
 * Name of bride's and groom’s fathers
 * Occupation of bride and groom

Later records also include the following:


 * Maiden name of bride's and groom’s mother
 * Number of times previously married
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name of person performing the marriage
 * Witnesses to the marriage
 * Residence of witnesses

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of the marriage.
 * The place where the marriage occurred.
 * The name of the intended spouse.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Year Range, Volume to view the images.

Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

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.

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.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

General Information About These Records
An 1805 law required registration of marriages with the clerk of the local district court. In 1867, an additional law required the counties to send copies of the records to the Office of the State Registrar. A very high percentage of marriages that took place in Michigan were recorded by civil authorities.

Marriages were usually recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the m

Counties in Michigan recorded marriages to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property.

The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom. marriage had occurred.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached 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.

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.

"Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Various archives, Michigan.
 * Collection Citation:

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