Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915
Name index and images of Massachusetts statewide marriage registers. The marriage registers are in numbered volumes arranged by year then by individual town.
Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915
What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index & images of Massachusetts statewide marriage registers. It covers the years 1841 to 1915. The marriage registers are in numbered volumes arranged by year then by individual town. Early marriage records were handwritten; later they were typed on printed forms with multiple entries on each page.
Beginning in 1841, in accordance with a new law, municipal clerks sent in the registrations they had collected to the state once a year. As a result, after that date records were available at the town and state levels. Boston did not comply with the law until about 1848. Population coverage is near 100% for later years. Coverage is not as complete for some earlier years. Marriage records were recorded to document marriages and property ownership. The marriage date, place, residence of bride and groom and occupation are fairly reliable. Other information such as age or birth place is dependent on the memory and reliability of the informant.
The following are included in this collection:
- Massachusetts State Archives. Marriage Records. Digital images of originals housed at the Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts. Secretary of State. Marriage register, 1901-1905. Digital images of originals housed at the Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Marriages, 1841-1895. Digital images of originals housed at the Massachusetts Division of Vital Statistics, Boston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts. Various Town Clerks. Marriage Records. Digital images of originals housed at the Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Date and place of registration
- Date and place of marriage
- Full names of bride and groom
- Ages of the bride and groom
- Residence of each at the time of marriage
- Occupation(s) of the bride and groom
- Place of birth
- Number of marriages (in later records)
- Names of parents
- Name, residence, and official status of person by whom married
Collection Content
Sample Image
1894 Marriage Register
Digital Folder Number List
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Massachusetts Marriages Digital Folder Number List.Collection Details
Location of Original Records
Secretary of the Commonwealth. State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts
"Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 23 April 2025. Citing Secretary of the Commonwealth. State Archives, Boston.
