Marriage bonds, marriage licenses, ministers' returns (loose), etc., 1783-1900

Notes

A bond is a legal document wherein a person commits himself, his heir, executors and administrators to pay a required amount of money to another if certain duties are not performed. These were paid by people to ensure a marriage took place.

The marriage licenses were issued by the clerk of the County Court to allow the marriage by an authorized minister and were returned to the clerk after the marriage.

Ministers' returns were lists made by the ministers of marriages they had performed. These lists were filed with the county clerk or clerk of the County Court.

The loose marriage register pages were probably the rough record kept for the year and then copied into the official marriage registers.

Loose bonds are arranged chronologically by year and give names of parties, amount and date of the bond, names of sureties, etc.

Ministers' returns give names of the parties to be married, date and place of marriage, and who performed the marriage.

Loose marriage register pages and marriage licenses are arranged chronologically by year. Information varies but usually gives names of bride and groom, ages, marital status, birthplaces, parents' names, husband's occupation, residences, date and place of marriage, date of license, and who performed the marriage.

Includes parental consents.

Microfilm of original records at the Southampton County Courthouse in Courtland, Virginia.

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Film/Digital Notes