Delaware Marriage Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes a collection that is scheduled to become available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search.

Collection Time Period
This collection includes marriage records from 1861 to 1954.

Record History
State registration of marriages began in 1847 as the recorder of deeds for each county began to send copies of marriages to the secretary of the State Board of Health. Vital registration was generally complied with after 1913 when the central Bureau of Vital Statistics was established according to state law, which required registration of vital records. Copies of marriage records for the most recent 40 years can be obtained by writing to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, or for earlier records, from the Delaware Public Archives.

Population coverage is nearly 100% after statewide registration began in 1847. Coverage is not as complete for some earlier years.

Why This Record Was Created
Counties in Delaware recorded marriages to safeguard the interests of the wife and other legal heirs by documenting marriages and property ownership.

Record Reliability
Marriage records are considered to be primary source records. Information in these records is usually reliable, including the marriage date and place and residences of the bride and groom.

Record Description
Originally, marriage records were handwritten. Later they were typed on pre-printed forms with multiple entries on each page. Marriage records were generally well preserved, though fires, floods, or other disasters may have destroyed some records.

Record Content
Delaware marriage records may include the following:

• Name and age of the groom

• Place of residence and sometimes occupations of the bride and groom

• Name and age of the bride, often including maiden name of the bride

• Date of birth of the bride and groom • Place of birth of the bride and groom

• Names of the parents and sometimes the grandparents of the bride and groom

• Marital status of the bride and groom

• Names of previous spouses of the bride and groom

• Name of the officiator

• Color or race of the bride and groom

How to Use the Record
Marriage records are the best source for validating the date and place of marriage. The age and place of birth can be used to obtain further birth information about the bride and groom and possibly information about other siblings. The marriage number can be useful in identifying previous marriages.

Related Websites
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Related Wiki Articles
Delaware Vital Records

Sources of This Collection
• Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. “Marriage records, 1913-1954” These are digital images of originals housed at the Delaware Hall of Records, Dover, Delaware.

How to Cite Your Sources (Heading 4)
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