User:Evancol/Sandbox/marriage

= Beginner's Corner - Marriage Records =

Marriage records are an important part of your research, often providing much more information than simply names and a date. Marriage licenses are the most common marriage records in the United States. The marriage certificates were often given to the couple after the ceremony and are usually found among family records. You should conduct a search for a marriage license in the town or county clerk's office in the locality where the couple was living at the time, or if they resided in different localities, search in the bride's county or town of residence first.

Information You May Find on Marriage Licenses

 * Age at time of marriage
 * Church of marriage ceremony
 * County where the marriage took place
 * Date and/or place of birth for bride and groom
 * Date of the marriage
 * Full names of bride and groom
 * Name of minister or priest
 * Names and birthplaces of the bride’s and groom’s parents
 * Names of the witnesses to the marriage, often relatives
 * Occupation
 * Residence of the parties
 * Whether single, widowed or divorced

Starting Places to look for Marriage Records

 * Church records of marriages
 * City and County civil registrations
 * Family Bibles and personal histories
 * Locating United States Vital Records
 * Newspapers often listed articles about marriages
 * Obituaries sometimes give marriage dates
 * Online records sites like Ancestry, Footnote, World Vital Records, Heritage Quest... ($)
 * State Archives
 * Submitted genealogies posted by others UsGenWeb, Genealogy links, Gengateway, Usgennet, FamGen, Rootsweb, Genealogy.com, Kindred Konnections.
 * Gretna Greens in the United States. When an eloping couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places like out-of-state counties.

More Information on Obtaining and Using Marriage Records

 * United States Marriage Records
 * Frequently Asked Questions about United States Marriage Records
 * How to Find United States Marriage Records
 * How to Use United States Marriage Records
 * Substitute Records for United States Marriage Records