New York, Church and Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to selected marriage records for the years 1704 to 1995.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Marriage
 * Name of the groom
 * Name of the bride, often including the maiden name
 * Name of the officiator
 * Names of the parents or guardians of the bride and groom
 * Date of the marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of the bride and groom
 * Residences of the bride and groom
 * Ages

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person at the time of marriage
 * The approximate marriage date
 * The marriage place
 * The name of the intended spouse

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * 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
 * 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

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

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known
 * Look for a different index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Consult the New York Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New York.
 * New York Guided Research
 * New York Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Brooklyn death registers, 1847-1853, 1857-1861; births 1869
 * Broome County, Births, marriages, deaths, 1847-1850
 * Chenango Co., New York, marriage record, 1908-1935
 * Lewis County, Birth and death card index, 1848-1851
 * New York Almshouse, Certificates of deaths, 1853-1873
 * Niagara Falls, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church records, 1859-1921
 * Orleans County, Birth, marriage, and death returns from various towns, 1847-1849
 * Tompkins County, New York, marriage record and licenses, 1908-1935

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * New York Marriages, 1686-1980
 * New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936
 * New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938
 * New York, New York City Marriage Licenses Index, 1950-1995

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.