T. Elmer Cox
Genealogical &
Historical Library

Early marriage records are complicated because of the uneven development of municipalities in the United States. Individual states had the responsibility of recording marriages and many had different rules and regulations.

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Before state governments existed, record keeping duties fell to the town or county government. Typically, as the government - whether it was at the state, county or town level - became more developed, so did their record keeping systems. Marriage records from frontier or early colonial territories will be notably short on details, providing not much more than marriage registers. Later records, however, will include substantial detail about all individuals involved.

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Our marriage collection spans over 200 years of American history and includes several different kinds of marriage records.

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To access our marriage records, click the photo.