A Guide to the Roanoke County (Va.) Marriage Registers and Indexes, 1838-1934 Roanoke County (Va.) Marriage Registers and Indexes, 1838-1934 Barcode numbers 1156262-1156263, 1099645-1099646, 1099679, 1099695, 1099698, 1099708/Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 360-361 and 350-352

A Guide to the Roanoke County (Va.) Marriage Registers and Indexes, 1838-1934

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Collection numbers: Barcode numbers 1156262-1156263, 1099645-1099646, 1099679, 1099695, 1099698, 1099708/Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 360-361 and 350-352


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Repository
The Library of Virginia
Collection numbers
Barcode numbers 1156262-1156263, 1099645-1099646, 1099679, 1099695, 1099698, 1099708/Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 360-361 and Reels 350-352
Title
Roanoke County (Va.) Marriage Registers and Indexes, 1838-1934
Physical Characteristics
8 v. ; 5 microfilm reels.
Collector
Roanoke County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm copies, Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 360-361 and Reels 350-352.

Preferred Citation

Roanoke County Marriage Registers and Indexes, 1838-1934. Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 360-361 and Reels 350-352, Local government records collection, Roanoke County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These volumes came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Roanoke County.

Microfilm Reel 20 was generated by the Genealogical Society of Utah while filming in the Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Microfilm Reels 350-352 were generated by the staff of the Virginia State Library's Microfilm Section while filming in the Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Microfilm Reels 360-361 were generated by the staff of Bill Sowers and Company, based in Columbia, South Carolina, while filming in the Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Historical Information

Roanoke County was formed from Botetourt County in 1838, and part of Montgomery County was added in 1849. The county was named for the Roanoke River. The name is an Indian word meaning shell money.

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 clerk 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. Once the marriage service was performed, the minister submitted a return to the county clerk. Written consent from a parent or guardian was needed for individuals younger thant twenty-one years. In 1853, the General Assembly passed a law requiring the statewide recording of vital statistics. In Virginia, a statewide index of marriage records was compiled from 1853-1935.

The original ministers' returns and marriage licenses, from which this volume was compiled, were created by the County Court until 1904. After this date, marriages were recorded in the Circuit Court.

Scope and Content

Roanoke County (Va.) Marriage Registers, 1838-1934, are a series of original volumes which record marriages in the county during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. All books vary according to types of informational content, titles and formats. The first register, referred to as Marriage Register 0 but titled as Marriage Licenses, is divided into two separate volumes. The first volume, which covers 1838-1853, is based on ministers' returns. The volume contains the following information: the full names of both parties, the date of the marriage, by whom the marriage was performed, the denomination of the individual performing the marriage and the date of the return. The volume is paged--21 leaves. Only this volume is found on Microfilm Reel 20. The second volume, which covers 1850-1865, is based on licenses issued by the county court clerk according to the Code of Virginia passed on the 1st July 1850. The volume contains the following information: the name of the male, the name of the female, the name of the parent, the name of the guardian and the date of the license. Entries are arranged chronologically by month, day and year. The volume is paged--92 leaves. Marriages between "freed" or "coloured people" are noted between 1853-1865.

Marriage Register, 1865-1879, is titled as Marriage Licenses. The volume is based on licenses issued by the county court clerk according to the Acts of Assembly passed on 15th March 1861. The volume notes only white marriages and contains the following information: the date of the marriage, the full names of both parties married, the age and condition of both parties before marriage, the place of marriage, the places of their births, the places of their residences, the names of their parents and the occupation of the groom. All entries are numbered within a given year and are arranged according to month, day and year. The back page of the volume includes information on a few marriages from 1880. Marriage Register, 1880-1896, follows the same format but entries are made according to a generated form. This register is also based on licenses granted by the county court clerk. Entries note the date of the marriage by month and year. Only white marriages are noted. African American Marriages from 1866-1919 are noted in separate volumes--1156264 and 1099667. Marriage Register, 1897-1919, is identified as Marriage Register 1-A. Like previous volumes, the volume is a record of licenses issued in the county to white couples only. However, these licenses were issued by both the county court clerk until 1904 and then by the circuit court clerk. The volume is organized by the date when the license was issued instead of the marriage. Like the previous volume, entries are entered into a form. The volume contains one loose marriage license--issued to Doc. H. Spangler and Vivian Fisher on March 31, 1917. The volume is paged--118 leaves. A note indicates that 1920 licenses begin in Register of Marriages No. 2, 1919-1934. This volume is found on Microfilm Reel 361.

Marriage Register, 1853-1919, is titled Register of Marriages No. 1. Along with Volume No. 2, it is a comprehensive and complete record of all marriages--white, free or African American--within the county. The volume is paged--199 leaves. The volume contains an internal index (A-Z) arranged according to surname as it appears in the volume. The index notes the male surnames--white and freedmen and the female surnames--white and freedwomen. The volume contains all information found on the individual marriage licenses: the date and place of marriage, the full names of both parties--husband and wife, the age and condition of both parties before marriages, their places of birth, their places of residence, the names of their parents, the occupation of the husband, the name of the person performing the ceremony and the denomination of the person is listed in the remarks section. The volume contains the note that information on marriage licenses issued from January to June 1919 can be found in Marriage Register 0. This volume is found on Microfilm Reels 20, 360 and 361. Marriage Register, 1919-1934, is titled Register of Marriages No. 2. This volume is paged--139 leaves. An internal index is found at the beginning and end of the volume and is arranged by year and corresponding page number according to the race of the individuals married. The volume is arranged by the husband's surname and date of the marriage license. Like Volume 1, the information listed is comprehensive but there are slight variations--such as including the number of the license, recording whether the minister's certificate had been returned and including the race of the parties married. This volume is found on Microfilm Reel 361.

Indexes to Marriage Registers, 1838-1968. These volumes reference all white, free and African American marriages found in Marriage Register 0 and Registers of Marriages, Nos. 1-8. These volumes are comprehensive and include the following information depending on the index used: the complete surname of the male or female A-Z, the complete surname of the female or male that the individual marries, the year of the marriage license, the number of the marriage license and the book and page number where the marriage is listed. Individual sections are numbered. Microfilm Reel 350 contains Males A-S. Microfilm Reel 351 contains Males T-Z and Females A-P. Microfilm Reel 352 contains Females P-Z. There is a separate index to Marriage Register, 1919-1934. It alphabetically references the wife's name(A-Z) and indicates that the marriage appears in Marriage Register No. 2 under the last letter of the husband's surname.

Arrangement

Arranged by date of marriage or date when marriage license issued.

Related Material

Indexes to Marriage Registers, 1838-1968, are found in the Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Marriage Registers, 1865-1934 and Index to Marriage Register, Females, A-Z, 1919-1934 are found at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services for access information, directions and hours.

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

Additional Roanoke County Marriage Records can also be found on microfilm on the Library of Virginia's web site under "Vital Statistics." Additional records are noted in the collection guide "Birth and Marriage (Husband-Wife) Indexes", a statewide index compiled from 1853-1935.

Index Terms

    Corporate Names:

  • Roanoke County (Va.) Circuit Court.
  • Subjects:

  • African Americans--Employment--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • African Americans--Marriage--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • African Americans--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Christian sects--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Clergy--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Free African Americans--Marriage--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Free African Americans--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Marriage--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Geographical Names:

  • Roanoke County (Va.)--History.
  • Genre and Form Terms:

  • Indexes (reference sources)--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Local government records--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Marriage records--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Marriage registers--Virginia--Roanoke County.
  • Added Entry - Corporate Name:

  • Roanoke County (Va.) County Court.

Contents List

Barcode number 1156262: Marriage Register, 1838-1853
Barcode number 1156263/Roanoke County (Va.) Reel 20: Marriage Register, 1850-1865
Barcode number 1099645: Marriage Register, 1865-1879
Barcode number 1099646: Marriage Register, 1880-1896
Barcode number 1099679/Roanoke County (Va.) Reel 361: Marriage Register, 1897-1919
Barcode number 1099695: Index to Marriage Register, Females, A-Z, 1919-1934
Barcode number 1099698/Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 20 and 360-361: Marriage Register, 1853-1919
Barcode number 1099708/Roanoke County (Va.) Reel 361: Marriage Register, 1919-1934
Roanoke County (Va.) Reels 350-352: Indexes to Marriage Registers, Males and Females, A-Z 1838-1968