Michigan, County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of marriage registers and certificates from county records for the years 1820 to 1935. The content and time period varies by county. This collection does not include the following counties:

• 3 An 1805 law required registration of marriages with the clerk of the local district court. In 1867, an additional law required the counties to send copies of the records to the Office of the State Registrar. A very high percentage of marriages that took place in Michigan were recorded by civil authorities.

Marriages were usually recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage was performed.

Counties in Michigan recorded marriages to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property. The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom. marriage had occurred.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of the marriage
 * The place where the marriage occurred
 * 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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search the county where the marriage occurred for church, land, and probate records
 * Search for other vital records, such as birth and death

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Michigan.
 * Michigan Guided Research
 * Michigan Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Marriage records, 1868-1925
 * Grand Rapids Public Library. Brides' names 1850-1869
 * Daughters of the American Revolution. Louisa St. Clair Chapter. Detroit. Marriage records of early Michigan; mainly of Detroit, Michigan, 1838-1840

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Michigan, County Marriages Index, 1820-1937
 * Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925
 * Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995
 * Michigan Civil Marriages, 1834-1974
 * Michigan Church Marriages, 1865-1931

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Michigan Historical Records Survey Project, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Vital statistics holdings by government agencies in Michigan; marriage records. Detroit, Michigan : Michigan Historical Records Survey Project, 1941

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.