Marriage Consents and Returns

A marriage return is a document that officially records a wedding. It is completed by the person, such as a pastor, who solemnized the marriage.  It is called a “return” because it must be returned to the court that legally records marriages.  Returns in Licking County have typically indicated the names of the bride, groom and person who solemnized the marriage, along with the wedding date.  Sometimes the names of witnesses are also included.  Older marriage returns were called "Marriage Certificates" in Licking County, because they provided the Probate Court with certification that the couple actually got married.  Today, a marriage certificate is typically the document which the court gives to a couple after they are married.
A Marriage Return, sent by the minister to the Probate Court.  Note that
these records were called "Marriage Certificates" in the 1920's.
Marriage consents are documents proving that a parent or guardian gives consent for a person who is a legal minor to marry.  The minor must also meet a minimum legal age for marrying with such a consent.  Some earlier consent records are simply notes which were written by parents or guardians, and then given to the court.  Others are standardized forms which were filled out by the parent or guardian.  Consent documents indicate the names of the guardian, parent or parents who give consent, and the name of the minor for whom they are responsible.  Sometimes the name of the other prospective spouse is included, along with additional information such as the home of the parent or guardian.

A Marriage Consent, signed by the parents of a
prospective bride, and filed with the Probate Court
Licking County Returns and Consents from the years 1869 to 1950 were found in the former county jail, and are now cataloged and located in our department (only a very tiny proportion of records date from before the 1875 courthouse fire).  The consents and returns can be useful if there are gaps in the court marriage registers, or for other reasons.  Sometimes the intention of a couple to marry was recorded in the register, but the occurrence of an actual wedding was not recorded.  A marriage return will confirm that the marriage was solemnized.  Consent records will give a clue to the age of a minor who was getting married with proper, legal consent, although these records will not necessarily show the actual age of the minor.

Popular posts from this blog

Researching the History of Your House and Property

Image
Learning about the history of your house and the land it sits on can be fascinating.  The characteristics of your house can offer clues about the times in which it was built.  You can also usually find out who owned your property, from the early years of Licking County onwards. Be advised, though:  it can be difficult and time-consuming to find a lot of information.  In many cases it is not possible to learn exactly when a house was built, but you can usually at least surmise an approximate date.  And when you learn the names of the people who lived on your property, you can often gather more information about their lives. Government records were not usually kept which specifically indicate when a house was built.  Sometimes, though, you can find a good clue about the construction date by looking at old tax records.  If a tax record from a certain year indicates a major increase in the value of a property, this suggests that a substantial new structure was built. For Licking C
Read more

Licking County Children's Home

Image
The Licking County Children's Home on East Main Street in Newark was built between 1886 and 1888.  Orphans and other children from homes that suffered major difficulties were sent to live there from 1888 to 1975.  Thousands of children lived there during that period--some for a few days, and others for their entire childhood.  The Home also hosted events such as "lawn socials" which were attended by many people of the community.  An adjacent farm provided much of the food that was consumed at the Home.  Boys from the Home worked on the farm, and girls worked indoors.  Individuals, businesses, churches and organizations donated large amounts of money and gifts to help support and brighten the lives of the children. This year the building must be demolished because it is not salvageable.  To add to the historic record of the Children's Home, the Licking County Commissioners are asking that anyone who lived or worked there be interviewed.  Recordings of these inter
Read more