Connecticut, Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Connecticut 

What is in the Collection?
Index of marriages from the Charles R. Hale collection of marriage abstracts from notices in local newspapers from 1755 to ca.1870. The marriage index is divided into two parts, by newspaper and the other by surname. The collection is located at the Connecticut State Library. For a list of Connecticut newspapers the following guide prepared by the library will be helpful; Connecticut State Library. A Preliminary Checklist of Connecticut Newspapers,1775-1975. Some of the event dates may be the issue date of the newspaper instead of the marriage date. The marriages notices are located on film at the Family History Library. See the microfilms in the FamilySearch catalog Hale Collection "Newspapers with death and marriages notices."

The following parts of the surname index are not included in this collection:
 * DUNHAM - FARNSWORTH
 * KINGSBURY - LESSIN
 * MITCHELL - NEVILL
 * PECK - PONDEXTER
 * POMEROY - PRIOR
 * SALE - SHAW
 * SHAWCROSS - SMITH
 * THOMPSON - TULLE
 * WELLS - WILCOX
 * WILCOX - M. WISE

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Connecticut marriages, click here.

Collection Content
The following is usually included in the index:


 * Name of the groom
 * Name of the bride, often including the maiden name
 * Date of the marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Name of the Newspaper
 * Issue date the Newspaper
 * Page number in the newspaper
 * Residences of the bride and groom

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the person at the time of marriage
 * Identifying information such as the approximate marriage date or place

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information on 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. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

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. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * 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 parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * 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.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known.
 * Check for an 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 counties.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):