Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover marriages from 1790, when the first marriages were recorded in Knox County, to 1957.

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 and place 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 Description
Early county marriage records were handwritten into bound books with multiple entries to a page. Preprinted register books began to be used about 1850. By 1905, the printed format included only one entry on each page.

Record Content
Genealogical facts in county marriage entries before 1882 are:


 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Names of the bride and groom

Marriage records from 1882 to 1905 give the additional information:


 * Age, birthplace and residence of bride and groom
 * Names of parents of bride and groom, including mothers' maiden name
 * Race, color and nationality of bride and groom
 * Occupation of bride and groom
 * Number of the marriage for bride and for groom

Marriage records after 1905 contain the additional information:


 * Birth date of the bride and groom (instead of the age)
 * Birthplace and residence of parents of bride and groom
 * Occupation, color and nationality are no longer given

Record History
Clerks of the Circuit Court recorded marriages performed by religious or civil authorities. Records consisted of licenses, marriage returns and marriage entries. The state of Indiana began collecting marriages from the counties in 1958.

Why This Record Was Created
Counties in Indiana 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 due to the lapse of time between marriage and birth.

Known Issues with This Collection
Images for the Indiana Marriages 1811-1959 were published for a short time online but were removed in September 2010 due to contractual restrictions.

This collection was indexed in partnership with the Indiana Genealogical Society and is a Name Index of marriages recorded in the Indiana Territory and in the State of Indiana between 1811 and 1959. The collection includes searchable index data for marriage returns and licenses from the following counties: Adams, Allen, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clay, Daviess, Decatur, Dubois, Franklin, Harrison, Henry, Huntington, Marshall, Ohio, Owen, Rush, and Sullivan. This collection also includes searchable images for marriage returns and licenses from the following counties: Adams, Allen, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Daviess, De Kalb, Dearborn, Delaware, Dubois, Harrison, Huntington, Marshall, Ohio, Owen and Rush.

Microfilm copies of original records are available at the Family History Library and at family history centers or film copies can be obtained from the Indiana Vital Records State Department of Health through VitalChek.com. Original marriage records can be obtained from the county courthouse in the county where the marriage took place.

Note: Publication of images online is governed by the Indiana Genealogical Society; the index is provided free by FamilySearch

Related Web Sites
Indiana Genweb Project Indiana Genealogy Links>

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Related Wiki Articles
Indiana Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection:
"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959." index and images, Family Search (www.familysearch,org: accessed 11 March 2011). entry for Lewis M O Bannon to Lillian Keller, married 27 October 1897: citing Marriage Records, FHL microfilm 1,404,872; Digital copies of originals housed in Circuit Court Clerk Offices in various counties throughout Indiana.

Sources of Information for This Collection:

 * "Indiana Marriages, 1811-1959," database, FamilySearch, 2009. Digital copies of originals housed in Circuit Court Clerk Offices in various counties throughout Indiana.

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