Ontario Marriages - What else you can try
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This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find marriage information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the marriage section of the Ontario Guided Research page.
Additional Online Resources
Additional Databases and Online Resources
- 1760-1923: Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials at Ancestry ($)
- 1802-1967: Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection) at Ancestry ($)
- 1827-1870: Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Marriages at Ancestry ($)
- 1858-1869: Ontario, Canada, County Marriage Registers at Ancestry ($)
- 1869-1873: Ontario, Canada, Civil Marriage Registrations at Ancestry ($)
- 1896-1948: Ontario, Canada Marriage Registers by Clergy at Ancestry ($)
Online Images (Browsable Only)
Some collections have not been indexed but are available to browse image by image.
- 1760-1923: Ontario, Roman Catholic Church Records at FamilySearch Historical Records
Click the question mark for instructions for how to search Historical Records browsable images when there is no index. - 1784-1834: Register of marriages, 1784-1834 at FamilySearch Catalog
Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index. - 1803-1865: Marriage bonds, license and correspondence of Ontario, Canada (Province of Upper Canada), 1803-1845, 1865 at FamilySearch Catalog Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index.
- 1854-1873: Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths, and coroners' returns, Ontario at FamilySearch Catalog Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index.
- 1858-1930: Division registrar vital statistics records, 1858-1930 at FamilySearch Catalog Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index.
- 1907-1910: Marriage license books, 1907-1910 at FamilySearch Catalog Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index.
Substitute Records
Additional Records with Marriage Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for marriage events may not have been created at the time of the marriage. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.
| Use these additional records to locate marriage information about your ancestor: | ||
| Why to search the records | ||
| Wedding announcements and golden anniversaries often appear in newspapers. | ||
| May list maiden name of spouse as well as date and place of marriage | ||
| Obituaries include death information. More recent obituaries may also include the name of a surviving spouse and the date and place of the marriage. | ||
| Death records may include the name of the spouse and whether the deceased was married, widowed, or divorced. Click on the link to the left to return to the Death page. | ||
| Ontario can be found in Canada censuses in 1842 and 1851-1921. Census records may list the name and marital status of everyone in the household; however, relationships are not listed until 1891. | ||
Marriage in a different place - Gretna Greens
When an eloping Ontario couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places called a "Gretna Green". People from Ontario may have married in a different location for similar reasons.
Improve Searching
Tips for finding marriages
Successfully finding marriage records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
- Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
- Search given name. Search by given name by leaving out the last name.
- Search for bride. Search by the bride’s name rather than the groom’s name.
- Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate year of marriage or the county the marriage took place in.
- Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
- Search province. Search using the province name only instead of by smaller locality.
Marriage in a different place - Gretna Greens
When an eloping Ontario couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places called a "Gretna Green". People from Ontario may have married in a different location for similar reasons.
Why the Record may not Exist
Known Record Gaps
Records Start
- 1858-1869 Counties required to keep marriage registers. Clergymen of all faiths were supposed to record information from their parish registers in county marriage books, although not all complied.
- 1869 Civil registration began.
Marriage in a different place - Gretna Greens
When an eloping Ontario couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places called a "Gretna Green". People from Ontario may have married in a different location for similar reasons.
