I sent away for the marriage records (civil) of my aunts, uncles, and parents and grandparents. I wanted the marriage dates and places as well as the mother's maiden names. Eventually everything came in. My shock was learning that my parent's did apply for a marriage license but there is no record of them actually having got married. I got a note back stating that an extensive search had been made.
I'm sure they did marry. But now I'm not sure they married the same year they got the license. This is because there's a story about how they got married and then went back to work on Monday, no honeymoon, and that they got married on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The year on the license and the date I recall they celebrated their marriage doesn't line up with the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday or the story that they met and married in a year. I remember celebrating their Silver Anniversary but I can't remember what year we did!
What can I do to prove they married?
Ruth - Pittsburgh PA
Answer from ANCESTRY WORSHIP GENEALOGY
Hi Ruth,
I checked FAMILYSEARCH which does have SOME records of marriages for Allegheny County - Pittsburgh area - Pennsylvania, just in case, and nothing came up. Sending away was the right thing to do.
I suspect that your parents got married in a local church and the priest didn't send the paperwork in that he should have to the Allegheny County people to make a CIVIL RECORD of it. But as usual it could simply be a missing, burned up, or otherwise document.
But there are a few things I want you to do.
First, check the date you remember as their anniversary for several years after that license to see if the dates work for the story. It might give you a date, it might not.
Second, call and ask Allegheny County this question, "Once a couple applied for a marriage license, was there a time limit that they could use it, say a few months or a year or two, before they would have to apply again? (This could vary by location, so anyone else reading this, call the location)
Three, check city directories and or census or possibly Social Security APPLICATION, to try and figure out about where they were living. Then check to see what churches might have been in the area. Additionally, if the area is right next to another county, then maybe they married in another county. So you also want to ask, "In PA, if a couple got a marriage license in Allegheny County, could they use it in Washington County?"
Four, If they likely married Catholic, call the CATHOLIC DIOCESE ARCHIVES and ask them if they have records of marriages. Explain that the CIVIL RECORD does not include evidence that the marriage actually occurred. Possibly the actual PARISH still has records, but with so many churches closing, I'll bet on the archives first, especially if you cannot be sure of the church.
LINK! http://diopitt.org/department-chancellor/office-archives-and-record-center
I hope this helps!
Christine
