United States Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of marriage registers and certificates recorded by Bureau Officials for marriages performed by "any ordained minister of the gospel." Most of the marriages recorded are from 1865 and 1868 while others recorded may have taken place prior to the end of slavery.The date given is the original marriage date, while for others the date is the marriage was legalized. Some entries give the names of children born to the couple.

Most of the marriages are from the Commissioner's Office and are from NARA microfilm publication M1875 Marriage Records of the Office of the Commissioner, Washington Headquarters of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,1861-1869 part of Record Group 105.


 * Additional marriages are from the field offices of:
 * (M1901), Arkadelphia roll 6; Lewisburg roll 7; Fort Smith roll 8; Jacksonport roll 12; Little Rock roll 14; Paraclifta roll 18; Pine Bluff roll 21; Washington roll 23
 * District of Columbia (M1902), rolls 12-13
 * Kentucky (M1904), Bowling Green roll 92; Mount Sterling roll 125; Owensburg roll 128; Winchester roll 133
 * Louisiana (M1905), Mansfield roll 84; Shreveport roll 100
 * (M1908), Cape Girardeau roll 24
 * Tennessee (M1911), Memphis roll 53
 * Virginia (M1913), Goochland roll 89; Lexington roll 101; Louisa roll 104; Lovington roll 105

The registration of marriages is based on an order from the Bureau Commissioner from Circular No.5 dated May 30,1865:

"VIII The unity of families, and all the rights of the family relations, will be carefully guarded. In places where the local statutes make no provisions for the marriage of persons of color, the Asst. Commissioners are authorized to designate Officers who shall keep a records of marriages, which may be solemnized by any ordained minister of the gospel, who shall make a return of the same, with such items as may be required for registration at places designated by the Asst. Commissioners. Registrations made by US Officers will be carefully preserved." The circular will be found in NARA microfilm publication M742, roll 7 Selected Series of Records Issued by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands.

Cohabitation Records 
 * Cohabitation Records Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Further Reading 
 * Reginald Washington. Sealing the Sacred Bonds of Holy Matrimony. Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records Prologue 37(Spring 2005)
 * Elaine C. Everly. Marriage Registers of Freedmen. Prologue 5 (Fall 1973)
 * Christopher A. Nordmann. '' Jumping Over the Broomstick: Resources for Documenting Slave Marriages." National Genealogical Society Quarterly 91 (September 2003): 196-216. FS Library 973 B2ng

General Information About Freedmen's Bureau Records
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established in the War Department in March of 1865. It was commonly called the Freedman’s Bureau and was responsible for the management and supervision of matters relating to refuges, freedmen, and abandoned lands. The Bureau assisted disenfranchised Americans, primarily African Americans, with temporal, legal and financial matters, with the intent of helping people to become self-sufficient. Matters handled included the distributing of food and clothing; operating temporary medical facilities; acquiring back pay, bounty payments, and pensions; facilitating the creation of schools, including the founding of Howard University; reuniting family members; handling marriages; and providing banking services. Banking services were provided by the establishment of the Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company, or Freedman’s Bank. The Bureau functioned as an agency of the War Department from approximately June 1865 until December 1868. In 1872, the functions of the Bureau were transferred to the Freedmen’s Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office. The Bureau assisted over one million African Americans, including many of the nearly four million emancipated slaves, which was over 25% of the population of former slaves in America. The records identify those who sought help from the Bureau at the end of the Civil War. Most supplicants were freed slaves, some of which were military veterans. In addition, a few veterans who were not African Americans also sought help from the Bureau. Freedmen’s Bureau records are usually reliable, because the records were supplied through first-person correspondence or the recording of a marriage.

National Museum of African American History & Culture
The museum is working with the Smithsonian Transcription Center and volunteers to transcribe the records of the Bureau.
 * Freedmen's Bureau Transcription Project.
 * About The Freedmen's Bureau Database Records
 * FREEDMEN'S BUREAU ABBREVIATIONS, STAFF ROSTERS, AND STYLE SHEETS
 * Freedmen's Bureau - Browse Projects

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Each marriage record contains some or all of the following information: • 3

Sample Images
This database combines two record groups created by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, as shown below:


 * “Marriage Records of the Office of the Commissioner, Washington Headquarters of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1815-1869,” which contains marriage certificates for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee and some for Alabama (one marriage license), Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia as well as monthly reports of marriages for Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. (National Archives and Records Administration publication number M1875)
 * “Records of the field offices for the state of Virginia, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands” which includes marriage records from the counties of Augusta, Goochland, Louisa, Nelson and Rockbridge in Virginia. (Only the marriage records from this collection were added to the database.) (National Archives and Records Administration publication number M1913)

Coverage Tables - Cohabitation Records

 * Cohabitation Records
 * Alabama Cohabitation Records
 * North Carolina Cohabitation Records
 * Virginia Cohabitation Records

How Do I Search This Collection?
The Freedmen’s Bureau records are a major source of genealogical information about post Civil War African Americans. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate age of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor lived
 * The name of the former slave owner
 * Locate your ancestor in the 1870 Census. Most local Bureau activities ended (except from claims and education) in December 1868.
 * Check the records of the local field office in the area(s) where you believe your ancestor lived between June 1865 and December 1868.
 * Determine, if possible, the name of the former owner. The 1860 Slave Schedule may be helpful. Also consider searching the 1860 and 1870 Agricultural Schedules.
 * The Bureau created many different types of records. Review the record types in the Collection Content section in this article.
 * While searching Bureau records remember to search other records of the local government, including marriage and court records and especially the 1867 or later voter registrations.
 * Consider ancestors who may have been employed as a civilian agent or served as local agent while still in the military. Look for statewide rosters of bureau personnel in the records of Assistant Commissioners and the Field Office Personnel Coverage Table for this state.  Others may have worked with aid associations or taught school supported by aid associations in the north.
 * Freedmen would have determined what their name would be and may have changed it multiple times.

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the place of residence, age, and other information for each person to search for the individuals in census records
 * Use the information found on the marriage record to search church records
 * Use the information found on the marriage record to search land and probate records
 * Use the information found on the marriage record to search additional state and county records

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

 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * Former slaves may have had used multiple names or changed their names until they decided upon one particular name. Search all possible names along with variations or spellings of their known names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * United States Research Tips and Strategies

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog
Alabama Kentucky  Missouri North Carolina
 * Woodtor, Dee Parmer, Finding a place called home : a guide to African-American genealogy and historical identity, New York, New York : Random House, c1999 FS Library 973 F2wd See Chapter 8
 * Byers, Paula K. ed. African American genealogical sourcebook New York, New York : Gale Research, c1995 FS Library 973 F27afg See pages 68-98 the Freedmen's Bureau
 * Bentley, George R. A history of the Freedmen's Bureau Reprint, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : University of Pennsylvania, 2016 FS Library 973.714 F875b
 * Ira Berlin and Leslie S. Rowland, edited, Families & freedom : a documentary history of African American kinship in the Civil War New York, New York : New Press, c1997 FS Library 973 F2fb
 * Zuczek, Richard ed. Encyclopedia of the Reconstruction Era. 2 volumes. Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Press, ©2006 FS Library 973 N26z
 * Reyer, Philip. Colored marriage book 1866 to 1868.Athens, Alabama : Limestone Department of History & Archives, 1990. FS Library 976.198 V2rp
 * Morgan County Court, ''Index to black marriages, 1863-1932
 * Gwendolyn Lynette Hester. Freedmen and colored marriage records : 1865-1890, Sumter County, Alabama. Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, Inc., c1996. FS Library 976.141 V22h
 * Michelle Gorin Burris and Sandra K. Gorin, compiled Barren County, Kentucky, African-American marriage index, 1866-1932. 2 volumes. Glasgow, Kentucky : Gorin Genealogical Publishing, ©1997-2003. FS Library 976.972 V22b
 * Kathleen Brandt. Colored people marriage records : 1865-1970.Independence, Missouri : Two Trails Pub., c2014 FS Library 977.847 V2b Saline County
 * Barnetta McGhee White, comp. Somebody knows my name : marriages of freed people in North Carolina, county by county. 3 vols. Athens, Georgia : Iberian Pub. Co., c1995. FS Library 975.6 V2wb
 * June Clodfelter Watson, Cohabitation bonds for Rowan County, North Carolina : recorded in 1866 Salisbury, North Carolina : Genealogical Society of Rowan County (North Carolina), 1996? FS Library 975.671 V2w


 * Organge County, Freedman's marriage records, 1866-1868
 * Pasquotank County. History account book, cohabitation of Negroes, 1856-1867

 Virginia 
 * Culpepper County, Register of marriages (colored), 1866 (1821-1864)
 * Surry County, Records of marriages made in obedience to Circular no. 11, 1866
 * Janice Abercrombie, trans. Cohabitation lists of former slaves, in Goochland, Hanover & Louisa counties Virginia : as recorded in the Freedmen's Bureau. FS Library 975.5 V2aj

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Elaine Everly, Willna Pacheli, comp. Preliminary inventory of the records of the field offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands : record group 105. Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Service, 1973

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.

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