Connecticut, 1635-1860 Marriage Index

This data set contains information on approximately 134,000 individuals who were married between 1635 and 1860 in select Connecticut towns. Fully indexed, it is a valuable resource because this data set brings together previously uncollected marriage records and gives you easy access to information that you would otherwise have to obtain from local sources. It includes information on marriages that occurred before the establishment of the State Board of Health and, thus, before a centralized repository for marriage records had been established.

Record of Connecticut marriages began as early as 1640. Beginning in 1650, registration of vital events (marriages, births, and deaths) was the responsibility of each town's clerk. Since a fine was charged for not recording an event, some town clerks maintained quite comprehensive records. If you find an ancestor listed here who was wed prior to the late 1800s, you may wish to contact the town clerk where the wedding took place in order to determine if more information about a wedding is available. Vital records recorded after July 1, 1897 are held at the Connecticut State Department of Public Health in Hartford, Connecticut.

If you find an ancestor listed in this data set, you'll generally learn the following information:

• Spouse's name
• Marriage date
• Town in which the wedding took place
• County in which the wedding took place
• Family History Library microfilm roll on which you may be able to verify information included here or find out additional information about your ancestors' wedding.

By locating a copy of an actual marriage record, you may be able to learn the following information about the bride and groom:

• Names
• Wedding date
• Ages
• Whether the bride and groom were widowed
• Places of birth
• Places of residence
• Parents' names
• Groom's occupation
• Name of the minister who performed the ceremony
• Wedding location.

More About this Family Archive

• In order to provide you with as much information as possible about a marriage, occasionally, a marriage may be listed more than once. When two listings are available for a couple, it is most likely because one listing records the filing of a marriage application while the other records issuance of a marriage license. Multiple listings could also indicate that they filed for an application in one location and were married in another or that names were spelled differently on an application and a license.
• Please note that the dates listed for each entry is most often a couple's marriage date. However, when no marriage date was given, the date of the license was substituted.
• In some records, you will find three question marks in place of the given name or surname. This indicates that the name was not listed on the original record. You may also find question marks in place of missing letters.
  

A question mark after a name indicates that the name spelling was unclear. You may also occasionally find the same record listed in the index under two different name spellings. Please note that not all unusual and uncertain names were noted by question marks, so always be sure to check under various spellings if you are having trouble locating a name.