Kansas County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911
CID1851040
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Kansas,
United States
Flag of Kansas
Flag of Kansas
Locator map of Kansas
Location of Kansas
Record Description
Record Type Marriage Records
Collection years 1855-1911
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
District clerk, court clerk, county clerk and register offices from various counties


What Is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]

The collection consists of an index & images of marriage registers and records made by county clerks in Kansas from 1855 to 1911. The type of record and time period varies between counties. Records for the following counties are included: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Linn, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson. Counties recorded marriages to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property. The marriage date, place, and residence of the bride and groom 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. The earliest marriage bonds and licenses were usually handwritten on loose papers that were later bound into lettered volumes. Some marriage records had multiple entries on each page, while others had single records per page. Marriages were usually 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. Marriage records were generally well preserved, although fires, floods, or other disasters may have destroyed some records.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911.

What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]

The following information may be found in these records:

Early marriage records

  • Date of marriage license
  • Name of bride and groom
  • Age of bride and groom
  • Residence of bride and groom
  • Marriage date
  • Marriage place
  • Name of person performing the marriage

Later marriage records

  • Birthplace of bride and groom
  • Name of bride and groom’s parents
  • Occupation of bride and groom
  • Number of times previously married
  • Witnesses to the marriage
  • Residence of witnesses

Collection Content[edit | edit source]

Sample Image[edit | edit source]

  • 1884 Marriage License

    1884 Marriage License

How Do I Search This Collection?[edit | edit source]

Before searching the collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of your ancestor
  • The approximate date of marriage
  • The place where the marriage occurred

Search the Index[edit | edit source]

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images[edit | edit source]

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select County
  2. Select Record Type, Year Range, and Volume Number to view the images
Tip: More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a digital image to find a camera icon to see images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]

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?[edit | edit source]

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Use the age to calculate a birth date and to find other records such as birth, christening, land and death
  • Use the information to find additional family members in census records
  • Search for church records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

  • 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
  • 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
  • Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps[edit | edit source]

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Kansas.

Other FamilySearch Collections[edit | edit source]

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

Selected

FamilySearch Historical Records[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Digital Library[edit | edit source]

Known Issues[edit | edit source]

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your 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.

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