Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This article is about two collections of New Brunswick marriage records. When complete, the collections will contain marriage records from New Brunswick, including:
 * Marriage Registers — 1789-1889
 * Marriage Certificates — 1887-1950
 * Delayed Registration of Marriages — 1920-1945
 * Returns of Marriages — 1887-1950

Records are written in English.

The provincial government of New Brunswick began recording births, marriages, and deaths in 1888. For 1810 to 1887 records, there is a "Late Registration" compilation which is indexed. It is located at the Provincial Archives. These records were registered after 1888. Vital records are the responsibility of the provinces except for the registration of First Nations individuals (Native Canadians), which is a federal responsibility. In some provinces, authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths since the 1860s. Complete registration in all the provinces and territories was achieved in the 1920s. After this date, almost all individuals who lived in Canada are recorded.

The information recorded in civil records of vital registration varied over time. Later records generally give more complete information. Vital records are usually written in English or French, but content varies by time period and province. For example, before 1907 in Ontario, parents’ names were not usually on death certificates, but they are after that date.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's full name
 * Groom's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's religious denomination
 * Groom's literacy
 * Name of groom's father's and birth place
 * Maiden name of groom's mother and birth place
 * Bride's full name
 * Bride's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Bride's place of birth
 * Bride's religious denomination
 * Bride's literacy
 * Name of bride's father and birth place
 * Maiden name of bride's mother and birth place
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The name of a relative or date of the event

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Cite the record. See below for help citing this collection
 * Look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index. To find a copy of the original record, visit the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick page
 * To help keep track of your research, you may want to keep a research log. FamilySearch has an example example research log which you can download
 * Use the information you have found to find the person in census records
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This can help you find possible relatives
 * Search the records of nearby areas*Check for other names. An individual might appear under an unexpected name for a variety of reasons:
 * They might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name
 * A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in New Brunswick.
 * Record Finder

New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950
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.

New Brunswick Provincial Returns of Marriages and Late Registrations, 1920-1950
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.