Washington, Pierce County Marriage Returns - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes marriage records recorded within Pierce County for the years 1891 to 1950. Civil marriage records were created 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.

Marriages were 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 had occurred.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Date of license
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and age of groom
 * Number or marriages for groom
 * Race, residence and occupation of groom
 * Birthplace of groom
 * Name of groom's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Name and age of bride
 * Number of marriages for bride
 * Race, residence and occupation of bride
 * Birthplace of bride
 * Names or bride's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Name and title of person performing ceremony
 * Names of witnesses and their residence(s)

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page'''
 * 1) Select County
 * 2) Select Record type, year range and volume number or letter

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?

 * If an age is listed, search for a birth record
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the Washington Census records. Witnesses were usually family members
 * Use the birthplace and residence to locate families in prior and future census records
 * An occupation may lead to records associated with trades and businesses
 * A birthplace may lead to immigration records
 * The title of the person officiating may give you clues to church records

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Washington.
 * Washington Guided Research
 * Washington Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1907 &#124; 1907-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.
 * Collection Citation:"Washington, Pierce County Marriage Returns, 1891-1938." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 25 July 2018. Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Region, Bellevue.