Great Britain Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1797 to 1988.

This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as:


 * Family Records
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration

It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.

There may be entries that cite a specific source such as the following:


 * "Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850: a Family Register for the People" by James Arnold
 * "Paul Dingwell Genealogical Collection" by Paul Dingwell
 * A county or state vital record registration

These entries are in this collection for one of the following reasons:


 * They were submitted by private individuals to the LDS Church and as such are part of the IGI resulting in their inclusion in this index.
 * They have been indexed through the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church. If this is the case, the index they are a part of has been included as part of this database.

The Vital Record Index databases are not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records although some sub-indexes (an index to a set of records within the database) have been found. When we identify a sub-index, we remove it from the database and post it separately on FamilySearch under its appropriate title.

For over 30 years, volunteer indexers extracted this information from microfilm copies of the original records. In 2001, some of the entries were published on 16 CDs by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the “British Isles Vital Records Index: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.” This is an index of some marriages throughout Great Britain. The index is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region.

This index is not complete for any particular place or region.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored the indexing of this collection to help individuals find information about their ancestors.

Church records and civil registration were official records and are some of the most reliable sources of information available for those who were born, married, or died in Great Britain.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in marriage index entries may include:


 * Name of bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

Beginning Your Search
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Ancestors name
 * Approximate year and place of marriage
 * Names of parents

Searching the Index
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors 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.

Using the Information
Use this index to help you learn more about your ancestors. The information could help you identify family relationships and lineages, as well as direct you to original records of your ancestors, which may contain additional information.

Finding the Original Source for an Entry in This Collection
Each entry in this index has a source listed which includes a batch number. You will need to trace the batch number for the individual entry to learn its source. Please see the following wiki articles for more information on batch numbers:


 * IGI
 * IGI Batch Number Descriptions
 * IGI Batch Numbers for the British Isles and North America

If an FHL film number is given in the entry for your ancestor, search for it in the Family History Library Catalog.

Related Websites
Great Britain Deaths and Burials, 1778-1988

Related Wiki Articles

 * England Civil Registration
 * United Kingdom
 * Quick Research Links - England
 * Quick Research Links - Wales
 * Quick Research Links - Ireland
 * Quick Research Links - Scotland
 * Quick Research Links - The Channel Islands

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Great Britain Marriages, 1797-1988." index, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 9 March 2011), entry for Frank Roberts Mason and Dora Pape, married 26 February 1927; citing Marriage Records, FHL microfilm 1,450,439; Indexed entries derived from copies of originals housed in various repositories throughout Great Britain.