Liberia, Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1941-1974. The collection contains applications for marriage licenses, marriage licenses, marriage returns, and documents certifying marriages from Liberia. The original records are located in the National Archives located in Monrovia, Liberia.

Record Content
Marriage records may include:
 * Name
 * Date of application
 * Date and place of birth
 * Occupation and place of employment
 * Names of former spouses
 * Father’s name and address
 * Mother’s maiden name and address
 * Name of intended spouse
 * Proposed date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Who performed the ceremony
 * Witnesses
 * Signature of bride and groom

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the year your ancestor married.

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination.

To browse by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate “Year and Volume Number” which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Using the Information

 * Be sure to record the bride’s and/or mother’s maiden names. That information is often not recorded in other records
 * In some cases, the witnesses were relatives of the bride or groom
 * Use the ages of the bride and groom to estimate their birth years
 * Marriage records often include the names of the bride and groom’s parents
 * Couples were usually married in the locality where one or both parties were from
 * Occupations often help to differentiate between individuals of the same name

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * If the officiator of the marriage was a minister, you may be able to determine to which religion your ancestor practiced, and provides a clue to search for church records.
 * If the bride and groom were from different localities try searching the records of both places for the marriage record.
 * Because marriage could be either a civil or religious event, try searching both church and civil records for the couple’s marriage record.

Related Websites

 * Kindred Trails Liberia
 * Africa Genealogy Records

Related Wiki Articles
Africa Historic Maps

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: