Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This article is about two collections of New Brunswick marriage records.

When complete, the collections will contain marriage records from New Brunswick, including:


 * Marriage Registers — 1789-1889
 * Marriage Certificates — 1887-1950
 * Delayed Registration of Marriages — 1920-1945
 * Returns of Marriages — 1887-1950

Records are written in English.

The provincial government of New Brunswick began recording births, marriages, and deaths in 1888. For 1810 to 1887 records, there is a "Late Registration" compilation which is indexed. It is located at the Provincial Archives. These records were registered after 1888.

Vital records are the responsibility of the provinces except for the registration of First Nations individuals (Native Canadians), which is a federal responsibility. In some provinces, authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths since the 1860s. Complete registration in all the provinces and territories was achieved in the 1920s. After this date, almost all individuals who lived in Canada are recorded.

The information recorded in civil records of vital registration varied over time. Later records generally give more complete information. Vital records are usually written in English or French, but content varies by time period and province. For example, before 1907 in Ontario, parents’ names were not usually on death certificates, but they are after that date.

To browse these records, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Records generally contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's full name
 * Groom's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's religious denomination
 * Groom's literacy
 * Name of groom's father's and birth place
 * Maiden name of groom's mother and birth place
 * Bride's full name
 * Bride's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Bride's place of birth
 * Bride's religious denomination
 * Bride's literacy
 * Name of bride's father and birth place
 * Maiden name of bride's mother and birth place
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
Before you begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of bride or groom
 * Approximate year and place of marriage

Search the collection
To search the collection index: Fill in the requested information in 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.

To search the collection images: Search the collection by individual images, 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.

As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, as well as some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For tips about searching online collections, check out FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have found the information that you are looking for, you could:


 * Find information about the parents and where they were born.
 * Find the maiden name of the bride and her parents.
 * Use this information to look through the Canadian Census collections. That information could help you find out the parents approximate birth date, their birth places, and their children.

County marriage records written before 1888 can be found at the Provincial Archives for several counties.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
Expand your search of marriage records to include family members, such as when and where children were born, records of brothers and sisters and possible relatives found in the area where your ancestor lived. This can help narrow down the place to search in other records.

See what records exist in the family, such as Bibles, letters, obituary clippings, or records from previous research by yourself or a family member

If you believe a marriage took place but cannot find a record of the marriage, search records of intent to marry.

Your ancestor might have lived in a different place from where you were looking for the birth, marriage, or death.

Your ancestor may have used a nickname or a different surname, or the registrar spelled the name wrong. See Name Variations in Canadian Indexes and Records.

Your ancestor might have lived at a slightly different time from the years you were looking.

For more information on how to use this record, go to Canada Vital Records.

Related Websites

 * New Brunswick Provincial Archives
 * Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
 * New Brunswick Vital Statistics

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada History Links
 * Canada Historic Maps
 * New Brunswick Vital Records
 * Canada Vital Records

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.

New Brunswick Provincial Marriages, 1789-1950
Collection Citation

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation

New Brunswick Provincial Returns of Marriages and Late Registration, 1920-1950
Collection Citation Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation