This document is from Jean Church’s research.

Marriage Records

The first public records of marriages in North Carolina 1741-1868 were by Bonds. Marriage Bonds are the only public records of marriage prior to 1851. A bond could be obtained at the courthouse. You had to have a bondsman to put up the money, if you did not go through with the marriage. A bondsman was sometimes a relative or neighbor, but had to be able to pay the stated amount. This would be a person who would pay the state a sum of money if the groom could not go through with the marriage due to legal impediments being found. Such as already being married, not being who he said he was, Etc. The Marriage Bond alone are not proof a marriage took place, only that a marriage was intended. If these bonds were returned to the courthouse after the couple married, there is a legal record of the marriage. All the bonds are in NC State Archives, Raleigh.

Most public records of marriages for the different counties in NC have now been published in books, or can be obtained by micro-film or micro-fish for each county.

Marriages could be performed after the publication of Banns in a church for three consecutive Sundays. You may find a record of this type in Church records, but there will not be a public record.

In the year 1869- present marriages were by a licenses. There are no records for marriages from 1869-1874 in Wilkes Co. NC.

The only record for most Wilkes Co. NC marriages 1874-1900 is a copy of an old register, which was made from the handwritten original. This copy was made in the depression years 1930’s by WPA workers. The old original Marriage Register is no longer at the courthouse, and all the original licenses are missing except for about 38. The courthouse says they were sent to the NC Archives, but the Archives does not have them. You need to be mindful that the WPA workers could not read the old style handwriting, so their copy is very poor. Some of the mistakes are easy to find, a capital R was almost always translated as capital A. They seemed to have used a lot of short cuts, such as A. T. Church for Robert Thomas Church m. A. A. Miller for Rachel Rebecca Miller. A lot of dates have been transcribed wrong such as date of licenses issue 23 April 1875, m. 12 April 1875. There are numerous mistakes in this copy of the old register.

Wilkes Co. NC Marriages 1901- present day are still in the Register of Deeds Office, Wilkes Co. Courthouse. You will find Indexes and the original licenses.

When researching marriages be sure to write date of issue and date of marriage, and all names on bond or licenses. Some bonds and licenses give the couples parents, some give age and DOB. Some of the Witness are relatives. Some give location of residence of couple, some give the place the marriage took place, a church, at father of the bride’s home, at mother of groom’ home, the courthouse, name of township. Most give name of person who married the couple.

Always compare the marriage record with census data, Wills and estate records, deeds and all other information you have obtained on your ancestors.