Marriages

Historic marriage register and bond papers arranged on a wooden desk

Laurel County Marriage Book AA, 1826–1853

This book was first published in 1986 and revised in 1995. It included the names of the bride, groom, witnesses, and person officiating. It also recorded the date the license was obtained and the date the marriage was performed.

The distinction between those dates matters. A license, bond, ceremony, return, and later index entry can represent different stages in the same marriage record. The Society’s description made clear that the book carried more than a pair of names: witnesses and officiants could provide additional family or community context.

Marriage Index for Brides and Grooms, 1826–1937

The Society published this index in 1996 in separate volumes for brides and grooms. Both volumes were arranged alphabetically. The information was transcribed from a microfilm copy of the Groom’s Index, while the original index was held by the Laurel County Court Clerk’s office.

The index listed only the names of the bride and groom and the date of license or marriage. The Society stated that it did not attempt to verify the information in the index. The actual records contained more information and could vary from what appeared in the index. That warning was part of the original page and remains important: an index directs a search but does not replace the underlying record.

Using the publication description

The old page supplied prices, postage and handling charges, check instructions, and a mailing address. Those transaction details are omitted. What remains is the publication history and the explanation of scope. A researcher can use the named date ranges and record types to distinguish the early marriage book from the later alphabetical indexes, then seek an original record through an appropriate public archive.

The page also linked back to the wider publications catalog, where the marriage book was described among census, cemetery, newspaper, military, newsletter, and guardianship material.

For related Laurel County record groups, see the Census and Publications pages.