How to Find Ancestors' Marriage Records in the United States
If you're tracing your family tree in the United States, often it can be helpful to find your ancestors' marriage records. A marriage record will contain the bride's maiden name, and often will list her parents as well; this may be your key to unlocking the secrets of the previous generation. It can be a difficult task to locate obscure records, but by using your creativity and thinking outside the box you can unravel the mysteries of your ancestors.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Ask your oldest living relatives if they have any idea of where the married couple lived. Most early U.S. marriage records were kept on the county level, and determining where your people lived will give you a clue where to begin your search.
-
2
Check any old family Bibles you can access. Often old Bibles are passed down through many generations, and it was customary to record marriage details in the blank back pages of the Bible. Again, your oldest relatives may be able to help you locate a family Bible.
-
-
3
Research the U.S. Census records for your ancestors' names. Census records exist from the 1700s to the present; records up to 1930 are available online (see resource section). The records will contain the town, county and state in which your ancestor lived; some years of the census also contain detailed information such as the number of years the couple had been married and each one's place of birth.
-
4
Contact the county where you have pinpointed as the location of the marriage. Each state's official website contains a list of counties within the state, as well as contact information for each county. Many counties themselves are now online, and you can request a records search for the information you're seeking. Some counties will have to be contacted via U.S. mail in order to request a search of genealogical information.
-
5
Pay a nominal fee to have the search conducted; you will receive a copy of the marriage record via U.S. mail within a stated period of time (usually between two and six weeks).
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Many counties will allow a search to be conducted in person.
