How to Estimate United States Marriage Information: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:27, 31 May 2013

Find Your Ancestor in All Possible Census Records: Find a Date[edit \| edit source]
Census records 1900 and moving forward in time often list a marriage year or the age at first marriage. Find the birth year of the first child and estimate that the marriage took place one to two years before that birth. Marriage age for a female's first marriage was about 16-21. Marriage age for a male's first marriage was about 18-25.

Marriages most often took place where the bride and her family lived.
Find the state and county where her family lived in the census closest to her marriage date.
Next look in the state and county where the groom lived.
Find the state where the first child was born.
Other records may suggest a state and county where either the bride or groom lived about the time you expect them to have married.

Your ancestor's actual marriage date or place may vary widely from these general guidelines. These are guidelines for rough estimates.

When working with many generations of a family, always begin with younger generations and work backward in time.

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 *Next look in the state and county where the groom lived.
 *Find the state where the first child was born.
-*Substitute records may suggest a state and county where either the bride or groom lived about the time you expect them to have married.
+*[[Marriage Information Substitute Records|Other records]] may suggest a state and county where either the bride or groom lived about the time you expect them to have married.
 |}
@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 *When working with many generations of a family, always begin with younger generations and work backward in time.
-[[Category:United States Vital Records]]
+[[Category:United_States_Vital_Records]]