Texas, County Marriage Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
| Access the Records | |
| This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
| Texas, United States | |
| |
| Flag of Texas | |
| |
| Location of Texas | |
| Record Description | |
| Record Type | Marriage |
| Collection years | 1837-1977 |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
| |
| Archive | |
| Texas State Library and Archives, multiple county Clerks | |
Contents
What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]
This article covers multiple collections.
- Texas County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 is an index to a variety of marriage records (registers, licenses, intentions to marry, etc.) from select counties in Texas.
- Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 consists of various types of marriage records from 183 of the 254 counties in Texas.
The records include marriage registers, intentions and licenses which are either handwritten in a journal style or handwritten on pre-printed forms in a register style. Journal style usually has a single entry per page and registers usually have multiple entries on each page. County clerks generally used the same printed form during the same time periods. The records are arranged by county, then by volume and year range.
Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred. Civil marriage records were also created to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property.
The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom.
Image Visibility[edit | edit source]
Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images.
For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.
What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]
The following information may be found in these records:
|
|
 |
Many marriages recorded in the South, are separated by race in volumes, books, or registers. Be sure to check to determine if you have the right set of marriage records. |
Collection Content[edit | edit source]
Sample Images[edit | edit source]
1913 Marriage Record (Certificate Style)
1873 Marriage Record (Journal Style)
1933 Marriage Intent
1935 Marriage Register
_(10-0046)_Journal_DGS_4539474_527.jpg)
_(10-0046)_Intent_DGS_4150173_31.jpg)
_(10-0046)_Record_DGS_4148119_116.jpg)
Coverage Table[edit | edit source]
This table shows the number of record in this collection for each county. To search a specific county click the link in the Search column.
Digital Folder Number List[edit | edit source]
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Texas County Marriage Records Digital Folder Number List.How Do I Search These Records?[edit | edit source]
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
- Name of the person
- The location
- Date of event
Texas County Marriage Index, 1837-1977[edit | edit source]
Search the Index[edit | edit source]
Search by name on the Collection Details Page.- Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
- Click Search to show possible matches
|
More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images. |
Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965[edit | edit source]
Search the Index[edit | edit source]
Search by name on the Collection Details Page.- Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
- Click Search to show possible matches
View the Images[edit | edit source]
To view images in this collection:- Look at the Digital Folder Number List article to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
- Go to the Browse Page
- Select the Film number to view the images
How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.
What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- Add any new information to your records
- Use the age or estimated birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records. (Make sure that if it’s a marriage article, you take the word marriage out, if it’s a birth article, take the word birth out, etc.)
- Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
- Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses. Witnesses were usually family members
- Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
- If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
- Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
- Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well
- Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records
- Consult the Texas Record Finder to find other records
Research Helps[edit | edit source]
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Texas.
Known Issues[edit | edit source]
Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.
Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]
| Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection. |
| Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information. |
| Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. |
How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?[edit | edit source]
| We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. We are looking for additional information that will help readers understand the topic and better use the available records. We also need translations for collection titles and images in articles about records written in languages other than English. For specific needs, please visit WikiProject FamilySearch Historical Records/Guidelines for Articles. Please follow these guidelines as you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide. |
- FamilySearch Historical Records Published Collections
- FamilySearch Historical Records Articles for Multiple Collections
- Texas FamilySearch Historical Records
- FamilySearch Historical Records
- FamilySearch Historical Records Image Visibility Notice
- Collections with a Digital Browse
- FamilySearch Historical Records Known Issues
- FamilySearch Historical Records Coverage Tables
