finding a marriage.cert from canada

[pat atkin]

Is there a way to search for a wedding certificate from America. I have only approx dates and year.

[herky]

Hi Pat.
Is it America or Canada and what time period are you talking about?
Edit to omit error

[herky]

oops - just saw your edit.
Sorry - I can't help if it is US but check the wiki here as it will have advice I am sure.

[Christine in Herts]

American (USA) BMD certs have to be obtained from each State - it's when you find that "United States of America" is a union of lots of separate states, and not a single state. The rules and fees - and start-dates of availability - can vary from State to State.

Obtaining Canadian records will be more like those of Australia, say, because of its heritage. I think you have to get the certs from the individual territories, rather than a single central office... But I'd want to check on that, but I've just closed down the browser that would make it easy to check; I'd rather not reopen it because I'm trying not to stay up too late, because of a busy day tomorrow.

Christine

[jenoco]

It looks as if you're looking for certs in the US rather than Canada, but Christine is right, in Canada registration is looked after by individual Provinces and there's a "closure" period for privacy purposes - in British Columbia marriages have to be at least 75 years old before they appear on the indexes so more recent ones are more difficult to find.

[PhotoFamily]

US BMD records are held in local governments - city, county or state. The later the record, the more likely it is to be held by the state. Very early (in many locations, the 1800s!) records were not collected by the local government. Uniformity of the information collected also developed slowly over time.

FamilySearch.org has many transcribed marriage records (US and worldwide), as does Ancestry. Otherwise, you'll need to investigate the area you think the ancestor may have lived. Reference section here has many websites to check.

[Christine in Herts]

For example - I have a copy of a 1937 marriage record from Tennessee - but it is very sparse in info. It consists of the "License" and its counterfoil and gives:

• the names and (alleged*) ages of the bride and groom
• a certification that the marriage took place (when but with not much of "where")

There's no info about parents, or witnesses, or occupations, or addresses... When I rang the source they said that that would be all the documentation that would be available. It refers to the ceremony being recorded in "Marriage Record Book 10, page 3", but that book appears not to be available.

If someone knows otherwise, and can steer me in the direction of that book I'd be really pleased!

Christine

*My grandfather certainly lied about his age (16 years understated), and there's some doubt about the young bride's age (possibly overstated), too.

[PhotoFamily]

Supporting documents from the same period can be quite useful. Determining local newspapers, finding them, and scanning them for the time period around the event can provide much information.

Some church records survive, but good luck with that. I've not had any! but I guess others have.

Christine, what area of Tennessee?

[Christine in Herts]

Supporting documents from the same period can be quite useful. Determining local newspapers, finding them, and scanning them for the time period around the event can provide much information.

Some church records survive, but good luck with that. I've not had any! but I guess others have.

Christine, what area of Tennessee?

Sullivan County, Tennessee.

According to Errant Grandfather's naturalization document, she was born in "Dant, Va." (which I presume is meant to be "Dante" which is just over the State boundary from Sullivan County).

Christine

[pat atkin]

Is there a way to search for a wedding certificate from America. I have only approx dates and year.

Thank you for all you suggestions. I will keep plodding on.

Marriage took place between 1883 and1900 could be Rhode island where the first child was born, or over the border when he first arrived in Canada Regards Pat

[Christine in Herts]

As I recall, Ancestry.ca has quite a few of the Canadian BMD registration records available - including images. I am able to use Ancestry.com (which would include .ca) if I visit my local library.

Christine

[PhotoFamily]

and familysearch.org has some Canadian records, too
I'll look at what Tennessee records are available later, but the resources are at the library. I can't get there till next week

[Christine in Herts]

and familysearch.org has some Canadian records, too
I'll look at what Tennessee records are available later, but the resources are at the library. I can't get there till next week

That's very kind! The names in question are Leonard Keith BENNETT, and Edith Louise FEBUARY (spelling of this name is difficult to determine from the handwriting; I haven't been able to identify her in pre 1937 censuses).

Christine

[Kate P]

Christine, I don't know you've already seen it but searching the new familysearch site for Edith Louise Febuary, nothing else, gives a return for a marriage for a Blanche Louise Febuary in Washington, Tennessee on 10 May 1911. Any relation?

[Christine in Herts]

Christine, I don't know you've already seen it but searching the new familysearch site for Edith Louise Febuary, nothing else, gives a return for a marriage for a Blanche Louise Febuary in Washington, Tennessee on 10 May 1911. Any relation?

I don't know! It certainly looks like a possible, doesn't it!

Christine