West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
Marriages began to be recorded as each County was created, some as early as 1780. This collection includes marriages as late as 1970.

Record Description
Early county marriage records were handwritten into bound books with multiple entries on each page. Early marriage bonds and licenses were usually handwritten on loose papers that were later bound. Pre-printed register books containing many entries per page were introduced in 1853. Beginning about 1895, the registers contained one entry per page.

Record Content
Genealogical facts in county marriage entries before 1853 are:


 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Name of the clerk or the person performing the marriage
 * Sometimes the name of the bride's father

Marriage records from 1853 on give this additional information:


 * Age, birthplace, marital status and residence of bride and groom (some later records also give birth date)
 * Names of bride and groom's parents (later records include mothers' maiden name)
 * Occupation of groom (not given in later records)

How to Use the Records
County marriage records are the best source of marriage information. Use the marriage as the basis for compiling a family group. Use the birth date or age and birthplace of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names. Use the place of residence to search for other records that may have information on parents and siblings.

Record History
Clerks of each County Court recorded marriages performed by religious or civil authorities. Records consist of bonds, applications, licenses, returns and marriage entries. The state of West Virginia began collecting marriages from the counties in 1964. Most marriages in a county were recorded except for certain religious groups that may have recorded marriages in their records but did not register them with the civil authorities.

Why This Collection Was Created?
Counties in West Virginia recorded marriages to legalize marital relationships and to safeguard the interests of wives.

Record Reliability
The marriage date, residence, and other facts that were current at the time the marriage occurred are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation. Other data such as age or birth place have more chance of error because they are based on the memory of the informant.

Related Web Sites
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Related Wiki Articles
West Virginia Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki: Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages

Sources of Information for This Collection:
"West Virginia Marriages, 1853-1970," database, FamilySearch, 2009. Digital images of originals housed in County Courthouses in various counties throughout West Virginia. Marriage records. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

Marriage