England, Devon and Cornwall Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains church marriage records from the Diocese of Exeter, covering the period 1660-1912. These records were filmed at the Devon Record Office. Availability of records may vary by year and locality.

A marriage bond and/or allegation are forms that were completed when applying for a marriage license. Allegations were statements saying that there were no legal reasons why the couple should not be married. Bonds were financial agreements requiring the signers to pay a sum of money if the allegation was incorrect.

Until 1876, the Diocese of Exeter covered the counties of Devon and Cornwall on the southwestern peninsula of Great Britain. After 1876, the Diocese of Exeter lost much of its territory to the newly created the Diocese of Truro. Exeter retained most of the county of Devon, and Truro was given the county of Cornwall plus the Devon parishes of Virginstow and St Giles on the Heath. For information on all the parishes historically covered by the Diocese of Exeter, see Cornwall Parishes and Devon Parishes.

Coverage Table
There is a coverage table which shows in detail the years covered by this collection.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The following list indicates potential information given in these records. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all of the listed information.

Marriage bonds and allegations may include:
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage location
 * Bride’s name
 * Groom’s name

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the full name of the individual in question, as well as an approximate time range for the marriage. When entered into the search engine on the Collection Page, this information provides the quickest, most reliable path to finding the correct person.

Search by name by visiting the Collection Page Fill in the requested information in the initial search page to return a list of possible matches. Compare the individuals on the list with what is already known to find the correct family or person. This step may require examining multiple individuals before a match is located.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page If granted the rights to view the digitized records in this collection (see below), the images may be accessed by following this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate film number to go to the images Compare the information found on the images with what is already known determine if a particular record relates to the correct person. This process may require examining multiple records before the correct person is located.

Some of the records in this collection may be written in an old script that is challenging to read. Refer to BYU’s Script Tutorial for assistance with reading the records.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images of digitized records available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on this website are granted by the record custodians. Due to their restrictions, some images in this collection may not be available for general viewing, but can be accessed by registered FamilySearch Patrons at the Family History Library or a family history center. Registration for a free FamilySearch account can be done here.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

I Found the Person I Was Looking for, What Now?

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the index entry record for future reference. Save or print a copy of the image if possible.
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the estimated age given in a marriage or burial record to calculate an approximate year of birth, if that is yet undetermined.
 * Use the information which has been discovered and locate the original parish record or certificate, if possible.
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil records. Particularly useful for research in nineteenth-century England are the England Census and the England Civil Registration records.
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Note that family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Remember that marriage bonds and allegations only signify an intention to marry. They do not guarantee that the marriage actually took place.
 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records.
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Remember that it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name in a church record. See Abbreviations Found in Genealogy Records for some common examples of abbreviations. Note that some women reverted to their maiden name when their husband died, and therefore could be buried under their maiden name.
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Alternatively, try expanding the date range; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth.
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. While it was uncommon for an individual in this period to move more than about 40 miles from their place of birth, smaller relocations were not uncommon. For this particular collection, this step may require finding records in the bordering English counties of Somerset and Dorset, particularly for the period after 1876. Note that marriages usually took place in the parish where the bride resided.
 * Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible.
 * The individual in question may not have records in the Church of England at all, but rather might have belonged to a nonconformist denomination. See England Nonconformist Church Records for more information on nonconformist records.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
 * Collection Citation:

"England, Devon and Cornwall Marriages, 1660-1912." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing The Devon Record Office, Exeter.

Top of Page