Do Not Forget A Marriage Record Search for Your Ancestors

Where and When Were They Married?

A marriage record search may provide you with information you may never have known about your ancestors and their families. Do not neglect such a search of marriage records where your ancestors resided.

You have probably thought of searching for the record of marriage of your ancestors, in whatever form it may exist. But have you thought about what other information may be found in your marriage record search besides just the date and place the marriage occurred?

In the Ontario marriage registrations as an example, the following information was requested to be filed along with the date and place of the marriage:

• age of each party to the marriage
• residence of each party at the time of the marriage
• place of birth of each party
• whether a bachelor, spinster, or widow(er)
• the rank or profession of the groom, but not until much later, the same of the bride
• the names of the parents of each party
• religion of each party
• names and residences of the witnesses to the marriage
• whether the marriage was through banns or licence
• by whom married
• county of marriage
• remarks

In later times in Ontario, the following items were also asked at various times:

• maiden name of each party's mother rather than simply the names of the parents, which usually showed up as the married name of the mother
• the rank or profession of the bride as well as the groom
• the rank or profession of each of the fathers of the parties
• date of the registration of the marriage

As you can see in the case of Ontario marriages which were required to be registered beginning in 1869, there is a great deal of information about the bride and groom, their families, their location in Ontario, professions, and religions of the two parties in the marriage.

Why is this important to you?

A marriage record search may give you clues and leads for further research especially to locations. For instance, if the marriage took place in Simcoe in southwestern Ontario, but your ancestor was born and resided in eastern Ontario near Ottawa, it probably means that your ancestor's bride was from southwestern Ontario. It can then lead you to search further in the records of all types for that area of Ontario for other happenings to this family, such as births, deaths, business information, and so on.

Sometimes our research is too narrow. You look only where you know the family originally settled, and where the older generation died and was buried. But even a century ago, there was considerable relocation of some family members to other areas of the state or province, the country, or even to another country, Do not dismiss such in your family out of hand, or you could miss some great opportunities to find additional information about the family.

Did You Find Any New Information That Surprised You?