Living in the County Archive: Marriage Consents and Returns
It’s time for another “Living in the County Archive”, where we take a look at a new record series examining what it is, where it comes from, and why it’s important. For the month of February, and in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we are unveiling Marriage Consent and Return records. These records originate in Probate Court where couples still go to obtain a marriage license before their big day and copies of their marriage certificate after. The above image is of a “marriage record” or “marriage license”; the process to obtain this record was similar to the process we go through today. This record is kept by the county and lists the names of the couple being married; it also declares that they are old enough to marry, that they are not married to someone else, that they aren’t closely related, and that there is no other legal reason they should not be married. The “return” as pictured below is the slip of paper returned to the county after the marriage has been performed