Georgia, Church Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records
What is in This Collection?
This collection includes an index & images of selected church marriages records from 1754-1960. Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred. The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom. This collection contains various church records, meeting minutes, membership rolls, and church histories. It may also include some newspaper articles, church programs, and photographs.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
Index and Image Visibility
FamilySearch provides images and indexes subject to contractual limitations and changes. Access to images and indexes may vary. Some collections may only have partial indexes without images. See Restrictions for Viewing Images for details.
To Browse This Collection
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Georgia, Church Marriages, 1754-1960. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Full name
- Age
- Birth date
- Birthplace
- Parents’ names
- Parents’ residence
- Marital status
- Previous spouse
- Date of marriage
- Place of marriage
- Race
Collection Content
Inventory
This table lists the contents of all films and digital folders in this collection. Titles marked with an asterisk have additional films and folders that were not included in this collection. The link in the Title column will open a new window where you can see the FamilySearch Catalog record which describes the contents of that title.
| Author | Title | County | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Church records, 1870-1959 | Bibb | Macon |
| Jackson Methodist Church | Church records and Jackson circuit records, 1846-1952 | Butts | Jackson |
| Independent Presbyterian | Church membership rolls, 1800-1926, and baptisms, marriages, etc., 1828- 1866 | Chatham | Savannah |
| St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Church records, 1852-1985* | Chatham | Savannah |
| Fayetteville Methodist | Church history, 1824-1958, and church registers, 1869-1907 | Fayette | Fayetteville |
| St. Peter's Episcopal Church | Church records, 1843-1959* | Floyd | Mount Berry |
| Methodist Church | Church records, 1878-1924 | Jasper | |
| Christ Church | Parish register, 1887-1904 | Richmond | Augusta |
| St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Parish records, 1868-1913 | Richmond | Augusta |
How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
- The name of the individual
- The date of the event or the name of a parent or spouse
Search the Index
Search by name on the Collection Details Page.- Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
- Click Search to show possible matches
View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:- Select County or Town
- Select Church or Parish
- Select Record Type and Year Range to view the images
| Tip: Many marriages recorded in the South, are separated by race in volumes, books, or registers. Be sure to check to determine if you have the right set of marriage records. |
How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.
What Do I Do Next?
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
- Add any new information to your records
- Use the birth date and to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death
- Use the information to find additional family members. Witnesses or bondsmen on marriages were usually relatives
- Search for civil marriage records
I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
- Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
- Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
- If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
- Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Georgia.
- Georgia Guided Research
- Georgia Research Tips and Strategies
- Step-by-Step Georgia Research, 1880-Present
Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.
FamilySearch Catalog
- How to find your family history in U.S. church records: a genealogist's guide, Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson, CG. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., 2019 FS Library 973 K27m
- History of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Augusta, Georgia, 1750-1945, Wm. K. Miller. Augusta, Georgia : s.n., 1945. FS Library Film 177489 Item 1
- The story of St. Paul's Church, Augusta, Georgia, 1750-1906, Clarence C. Williams. S.l. : s.n., 1906. FS Library Film 177489 Item 2 At various repositories (WorldCat)
- Rome. St Peter's Episcopal Church. Church records, 1843-1959
- Jackson Methodist Church. Church records and Jackson circuit records, 1846-1952
- Fayetteville Methodist Church. Church history, 1824-1958, and church registers, 1869-1907
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Macon. Church records, 1870-1959
- Savannah. Independent Presbyterian Church. Church membership rolls, 1800-1926, and baptisms, marriages, etc., 1828- 1866
- Savannah. Saint Paul's Episcopal church. Church records, 1852-1985
- Augusta. Christ Church. Parish register, 1887-1904
- Augusta. Parish register of the Church of the Atonement, 1851-1902
- Augusta. St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Parish records, 1868-1913
- Jasper. Methodist Church. Church records, 1878-1924
FamilySearch Historical Records
- Georgia, Church Vital Records, 1828-1991
- Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967
- Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950
- Georgia, Hall County Marriages, 1950-2005
- Georgia, Houston County, Marriage Records, 1832-2015
FamilySearch Digital Library
- Inventory of the church archives of Georgia : Atlanta Association of Baptist churches, affiliated with Georgia Baptist Convention, Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Atlanta, Georgia : Georgia Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library
Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying you sources helps others find the records you used.
| Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection. |
| Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information. |
| Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. |