Utah, Uintah County Marriage Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of images of marriage applications and certificates located in the county courthouse in Vernal for the years 1888 to 1920.

Record Content
Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Groom's name and place of residence
 * Bride's name and place of residence
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiator

They may also include:


 * Parents’ names
 * Residence
 * Previous marriage

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


 * The name of the person at the time of marriage
 * Other identifying information such as the approximate marriage date and name of spouse

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Category" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" 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. 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.

Using the Information
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. For example:


 * 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.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * 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.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * Western States Marriages
 * Utah State Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * Uintah County, Utah Genealogy
 * Uintah, Utah
 * Utah Genealogy
 * Utah Church Records
 * Websites for Utah Research
 * Western States Marriage Index

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: