Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Use microfilm copy, Nelson County, Reels 21 and 50.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Nelson County (Va.) Marriage Register and Index, 1808-1878. Nelson County, Reels 21 and 50. Local Government Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

The original index was compiled by the Virginia State Library's (now the Library of Virginia) Archives Division from the original court records found in the Nelson County Circuit Court Clerk's Office. The microfilm copy of the original volume was generated by both The Genealogical Society of Utah and The Library of Virginia's Imaging Services Branch--while filming in the Nelson County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

The negative photostatic copy of the register was created by the Virginia State Library's (now the Library of Virginia) Archives Division, under the accession number 20431, from the original volume found in the Nelson County Circuit Court Clerk's Office. The negative photostatic copy of the index was created by the Virginia State Library's (now the Library of Virginia) Archives Division, under the accession number 24089, from the original compilation.

Historical Information

Nelson County was formed in 1807 from Amherst County. The county was named for Thomas Nelson Jr., governor of Virginia from June to November 1781.

Prior to 1853, when the Commonwealth began recording vital statistics, Virginia marriages were recorded at the county or city level. Beginning in 1661, in order to be married by license, the groom was required to go before the county clery and give bond with security that there was no lawful reason to prevent the marriage. The license, issued then by the clerk, was given to the minister who performed the service. Written consent from a parent or guardian was needed for individuals younger than twenty-one years.

Scope and Content

Marriage Register, 1808-1878, is a list of marriage licenses issued in Nelson County. It is divided into two parts with various sections covered in Part I. Part I, pages 1-55, 1808-1850, records the date of the license, the names of the parties involved (groom first), the names of the securities present,the name of the person by whom married and the date of the marriage. Pages 51-71, 1847-1858, note additional information--to whom license fee was issued or paid. Entries for pages 72-116, July 1858-1878, incorporate additional categories--by what authority marriage license is issued, by whom license issued and to whom fee is paid. Also, the fees for marriage licenses are regularly recorded in this section. Entries from pages 100-116, 1872-1878, omit the name of the minister and date of marriage. The microfilm copy of this volume includes only Part I of the register. Part II of the register covering pages 1-81, 1808-1846, is a copy of an early register which was incorporated into Part I. The names of the parties involved (groom first) are listed before the date of the marriage license. In this part, all entries include to whom the license fee was paid. This information was not included when Part II became incorporated into Part I.

An Index to Marriage Register, 1808-1878, is a separate volume. This typescript index contains the first and last names of both parties. It is arranged alphabetically from A-Z and in addition, lists alternate spellings of last names. This index is to Part I of the register with reference to the original (Part II) where there is any variation in names. Unlike Part I of the register, the index was not microfilmed.

Arrangement

Chronological by month and year.

Related Material

Additional Nelson County Marriage Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Separated Material

The original index compilation is found at the Library of Virginia's State Records Center.

Access Terms

• Clergy--Virginia--Nelson County.
• Indexes (reference sources)--Virginia--Nelson County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Nelson County.
• Marriage records--Virginia--Nelson County.
• Marriage registers--Virginia--Nelson County.
• Marriage--Virginia--Nelson County.
• Nelson County (Va.)--History--19th century.
• Nelson County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Adjunct Descriptive Data