North Carolina, County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of marriage records from North Carolina county courthouses for the years 1762 to 1979. These records include licenses, marriage applications, marriage bonds, marriage certificates, marriage packets and cohabitation registers. Please be aware that owing to the absence of actual marriage record books in some localities the bond date may be given as the marriage date in some index publications. As with all secondary sources, the original should be always be consulted to verify the index data.

For a list of what is currently contained in this collection see the wiki article North Carolina County Marriage Records Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records.

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

Bonds
 * Names of bondsmen (one is usually groom)
 * Name of bride
 * Date of bond
 * Place of residence of bride and groom
 * (normally the bond was supposed to be filed in the county where the bride resided)
 * Parent’s names were occasionally given on bonds from the 1850’s and 1860’s

Rregister of marriages
 * Name of groom
 * Name of bride
 * County of residence
 * Ages of bride and groom
 * Date of license
 * Date of marriage
 * By whom married
 * Place of marriage
 * Witnesses

Licenses
 * Name of groom
 * Name of bride
 * Names of parents of bride and groom
 * Places of residence of bride and groom
 * Date of license
 * Place where license was issued
 * Date married (if a marriage then took place)
 * Person performing marriage
 * Age of bride and groom (on later licenses after about 1872)
 * Race of bride and groom (on later licenses after about 1872)
 * Date of birth (on later certificates)
 * Whether parents were living (on later certificates)

Cohabitation
 * Name of bride
 * Name of groom
 * Place married
 * Name of person who performed the marriage
 * Date of marriage

Coverage Table
A coverage table for this collection is available in the wiki article North Carolina County Marriage Records Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records.

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

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the marriage records
 * 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 parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * 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

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

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

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.