A: U.S. RECORDS 1: Records   2: Location, Maps, Geo   3: Regions / States   4: Timelines & Histories  |   B: VITAL RECORDS   1: Vital Rec.   2: Birth   3: Adoption   4: Marriage   5: Death, Obits   6: Cemetery  |   C: CENSUS   1: Records   2: By Decades  |   D: IMMIGRATION   1: Records   2: Passenger / Nat.   3: Other   4: Migration  |   E: MILITARY   1: Records   2: By Conflict  |   F: OTHER RECORDS   1: Religious   2: Land, Probate, Tax   3: Court   4: News.   5: Arch. / Lib.   6: Help   7: Misc.           KB    Translation Tips    Music      Print Friendly and PDF











United States


Goal B4: Marriage Records

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Goal B4: Explore marriage records.


Marriage records are helpful in establishing family relationships for ancestors, and they often provide evidence for parents of the married couple.


ChoicesVault


A Learn about marriage records and customs.


Summary
  1. Introduction: Get an introduction to marriage records in these articles.

    FS—Finding Your Family in U.S. Marriage Records
    TH—Marriage Records

  2. Watch this video for an overview of U.S. marriage records.

    AAC—Vital Records - Marriages—4:05

  3. Here is some advice for beginning marriage record research.

    AF—Marriage Research Advice for Beginners - 2022

  4. Records: Learn more about marriage records in the United States.

    AC—Marriage Records
    AF—6 Frequently Asked Questions About Marriage Records - 2018

  5. Learn about marriage licenses and marriage certificates.

    AC—Marriage License
    AC—Marriage Certificates

  6. Learn about different types of marriage records that are available.

    Marriage Records: What They Are and 7 Resources to Help You Find Them - 2022

  7. Learn about marriage records created by the government.

    BOU—Government Marriage Records for Your Family History Research—12:43 - 2020   



Exercises

B Find marriage records, indexes, and alternatives.


Summary
  1. Learn how to find U.S. marriage records.

    FS—How to Find United States Marriage Records
    QUIZ   
    FS—Finding US Marriage Records: Places to Look

  2. Here are some basic strategies for locating marriage records.

    FHD—5 Strategies for Locating Marriage Records - 2019
    LT—Tying the Knot: Ancestral Marriage Records and Where You Might Find Them

  3. Learn how to look for different types of marriage records in your research.

    AJC—Are You Finding All Your Ancestor's Marriage Records?

  4. Learn about alternative marriage records and marriage bonds, and how to use them.

    FL—Back to the Basics with Marriage Records Part 2: Substitute Marriage Records
    AF—Marriage Bonds: A Closer Look at Marriage Records #2

  5. Learn how engagement announcements can provide research clues.

    MH Wiki—Engagement Announcements

  6. Ancestry: Watch this Ancestry video for tips on finding marriage records on Ancestry.

    AC—Finding Marriage Records—30:00



  7. Worksheets: Download marriage worksheet forms from the Family Tree Magazine site.

Marriage Indexes and Alternative Records
  1. Learn about using marriage indexes to provide clues about ancestors.

    AC—Marriage Index—22:00   



  2. Explore the Western States Marriage Index.
  3. Alternative Records: Watch the video or read the article to finding clues about marriages in other records.

    AC—Clues in Non-Marriage Records—29:00   


    22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information

  4. This video helps you with hard-to-find marriage records.

    AC—Little-Used Marriage Records—29:00



Exercises


C Learn how to trace female ancestors in your family tree.

Vault
  1. Strategies: Learn strategies for finding females in your family tree.

    AAC—Finding the Females in Your Family Tree—Video series

  2. Learn more about tracing females in your ancestry.

    AJC—3 Practical Strategies for Finding Female Ancestors
    BYU—Who's the Wife?—16:58   



  3. Learn how to find all the daughters in a given family in your tree.

    AJC: Finding All of the Daughters in the Family Tree - 2018

  4. Here's a case study on combining strategies to find a female ancestor.

    LT: Searching for Sarah: Strategies for Researching Female Ancestors

  5. Maiden Names: Learn how to find female ancestors by maiden names.

    AC—Finding Maiden Names
    GC—Maiden Name

  6. Here are some additional techniques for finding maiden names in research.

    TH—Top 10 Sources for Locating Maiden Names
    FHD—7 Little-Used Tricks for Finding That Missing Maiden Name - 2023

  7. Watch these videos for tips on finding maiden names.

    AAC—How to Find a Maiden Name—2:03
    AC—Finding Women's Maiden Names—24:08



Exercises


D Learn about using divorce records for research.


  1. Introduction: Get an overview of divorce records.

    MH Wiki—Divorce Records
    AC—Divorce Actions

  2. Clues: Learn about research clues available in divorce records.

    AC—A Divorce Is Never Just a Divorce—25:06   



  3. Early America: Get insights into divorce records for early Americans.

    AR—Divorce; Dilemma For Early Americans

  4. Tracing: Learn how to trace the splits of divorced ancestors.

    LT—Divorce and Your Ancestors: Tracing the Split

  5. By State: Explore divorce records by state on Ancestor Hunt.

Exercises


QUIKLinks