Tennessee Church Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes an index and images of selected marriages from 1810-1974. Many of the records are for Bradley and Lincoln counties.

Record Content
Church Marriage records may contain the following information:


 * Name
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Witnesses
 * Name of Minister
 * Residence

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name of bride and groom
 * Other identifying information such as the Marriage place and the approximate marriage date

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "County, Town" category ⇒ Select the "Church and Parish" category ⇒ Select the "Record Type and Year Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search 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.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

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

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. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the church marriage information to locate the original marriage certificate in the County records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Marriage records sometimes note witnesses or bondsmen. In some cases, witnesses or bondsmen were relatives of the bride or groom. Remember to note those individuals because they may help identify the extended family.
 * Be sure to record the bride’s full name as that information is often not recorded in other records.
 * Couples were usually married in the locality where one or both parties were from. Search records from that locality for other information about the family such as marriages of siblings or the bride or groom’s birth records.*Marriage was often times both a religious and a civil contract. Search for records created by both jurisdictions because they may provide different information.
 * If no age is listed try to determine the legal age of marriage for that jurisdiction. This will provide a minimum age for your ancestor at time of marriage.
 * Many marriage forms state that the bride and groom were of a certain age (commonly 21 or 18 years old). This may not be your ancestor’s age but a statement that the couple is of legal age to marry.
 * If the minister is named, you may be able to determine to which religion or congregation your ancestor belonged. This information can lead to more records about the family.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they were married, then try searching the records of a nearby locality.
 * If the bride and groom were from different localities try searching the records of both places for the marriage record. It was common for a couple to be married in the bride’s home town.
 * Because marriage could be either a civil or religious event, try searching both church and civil records for the couple’s marriage record.
 * Sometimes marriage records for a particular locality are missing. Try searching newspapers for an announcement of the marriage.
 * 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.

Related Websites

 * Tennessee State Library and Archives
 * Tennessee GenWeb Project
 * Tennessee Marriages

Related Wiki Articles

 * Tennessee Genealogy
 * Tennessee Vital Records
 * Tennessee County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Tennessee State Marriage Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Tennessee Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: