Sent by Gay Mathis

Marriage License: A license authorizing a marriage was and is still issued by a county or town upon application and payment of a fee. The application form varies, but usually includes the name (and sometimes birth date, birthplace, address, occupation, and parents names) of both bride-to-be and groom-to-be, date and place where license was issued, and signature and title of issuing official. The license sometimes includes the name of a third party who applied for the license. The license is not proof of marriage, but proof of intent to marry.

Marriage Return or Certification: After the ceremony, the officiator of the marriage returns the facts of marriage to the county or town so that it can be recorded. The marriage return usually includes names of bride and groom, date and place that marriage occurred, and signature and title of officiator. Some ministers and justices of the peace used to file marriage returns annually; unfortunately some returns were never filed. Some recent marriage license documents include the marriage certification as part of the document. The return or certification is proof of marriage.

Marriage Register: Some counties and towns destroyed marriage licenses and returns after recording the information in a marriage register. The marriage register may have only included the bride and groom’s names and date of marriage. Later registers record detailed information from the license or return. The register is proof of marriage.

Marriage Intention: The marriage intention was recorded in town meeting books and published prior to the marriage ceremony. In New England, the intention was the equivalent of the marriage banns published in church. The intention is not proof of marriage, but proof of intent to marry.

Marriage Bond: Some southern states executed a marriage bond as a guarantee that there were no impediments to marriage. The bond included names of bride and groom, date and place of issue, and name of bondsman or sponsor (who was often the father, brother, or other relative of the bride or groom). It was usually signed by the bondsman/sponsor and groom. The marriage bond was often the only document to survive early marriages and was often dated on the date of marriage or a few days before marriage date. A note sometimes indicated the marriage date. The bond is not proof of marriage, but proof of intent to marry.

Consent: Court records may include a consent document from the parents or guardian for the marriage of a minor. It is useful to identify the parent of the bride or groom and to indicate the approximate age of the person for whom consent was required. The consent is not proof of marriage, but proof of intent to marry.

Marriage Certificate: The license and certificate of marriage now used by states with centralized registration usually includes name, age, date and place of birth, residence, parents (and their birthplaces) for the bride and groom as well as date and place of marriage, signatures of bride and groom, officiator, and witnesses. The certificate is proof of marriage.