Tennessee Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This collection is an index to selected county marriages for the years from 1838-1888. Counties included in this collection are Crockett, Benton, Sevier, Davidson, and Lauderdale. Some information on slaves at the Hermitage (1845-1877) are also included.

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

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. The Tennessee Civil Marriages collection is available to the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
These records may contain the following information for bride and groom:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Estimated birth year
 * Birthplace
 * Parents’ names
 * Previous spouses
 * Marital status
 * Race
 * Titles and terms
 * Notes
 * Page/Volume/Entry/Certificate number
 * DGS number

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

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information 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 compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. 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

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s marriage 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.

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

 * Use the marriage index information to locate the original marriage certificate in the County records
 * Use the ages of the bride and groom to estimate their birth years
 * 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
 * Sometimes marriage records note the names of the bride and groom’s parents. Use this information to extend your pedigree a generation
 * Be sure to record the bride’s full name as that information is often not recorded in other 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

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

 * 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

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.

"Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 10 August 2016. Citing various counties.
 * Collection Citation:

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