More Details
Marriages Volume 5 covers marriages that occurred from 1883 through 1887.
Before this publication was compiled, the only index to these marriages was in the Tazewell County Clerk’s office. Marriages were only indexed by groom—according to just the first letter of the surname (not even alphabetical order!).
The marriages are organized by grooms’ alphabetical surname.
Marriage information included:
(1st line) Groom’s Name, his age, his residence, his occupation, number of marriages, his birthplace, father’s name and his mother’s maiden name (if known).
(2nd line) Bride’s Name (maiden and/or previous married), her age, her residence, number of marriages, her birthplace, father’s name and her mother’s maiden name (if known).
(3rd line) Date of the marriage, place of the marriage, name of the official, page in the record book, and the names of the witnesses.
A second index lists the brides alphabetically. After locating a bride’s name, the researcher turns to the groom’s name in the earlier section to find the corresponding marriage information.
A third index lists the presiding officials alphabetically. In most cases, only one spelling of an official’s name was used for the index even though there were many different spellings used in the original records.
A fourth index lists parents and witnesses whose surnames are different than the groom’s surname or the bride’s maiden name. In order to cross-reference to the marriage, the groom’s surname will always be listed at the end of the index entry.
Researchers should keep in mind that all indexes are somewhat limited in accuracy because of the varied interpretations of the hand-written squiggles and scrawls of the original recorder of the information—some of which were done almost two hundred years ago. However, that does not make this transcription any less useful or valuable.
We are extremely grateful to the Tazewell County Clerk Duane Gray’s office for permission to microfilm these early marriage records.
