Ghana, Accra, Marriages, 1863-2003
Marriage records as acquired at the office of the Public Records and Archives Administration (PRAA), Accra, Ghana.
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Ghana, Accra, Marriages
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Ghana,_Accra,_Marriages_-_FamilySearch_Historical_Records
What is in This Collection?
The records were acquired from the Public Records and Archives Administration (PRAA) and are both typed and handwritten in printed forms. In Ghana, a couple could be married under customary law. However traditional, or customary, Ghanian marriages are performed by family elders. The elders of the two families, along with the potential bride and groom, meet together for a bargaining. The customary marriages were typically not recorded at the time of the marriage. In order to get these marriages recognized by state law, the couple had to get their marriage registered and recognized by the state. In 1985 marriage laws were altered, requiring by law that all marriages be registered.
Many marriages still continue to be customary today and may or may not actually be registered. The marriage records in this collection appear to be primarily church records mixed with some registered marriages. Find out more about customary marriage laws as well as the marriage ordinance and Islamic marriages at Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
To Browse This Collection
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Ghana, Accra, Marriages, 1863-2003. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
Marriage
- Date of marriage
- Place of marriage
- Name of the bride
- Name of the groom
- Age of bride (may indicate of full age or a minor)
- Age of groom (may indicate of full age or a minor)
- Marital condition of bride and groom (i.e. spinster, widowed, etc.)
- Occupations of bride and groom
- Residences of bride and groom before marriage
- Name of the father of the bride and his occupation
- Name of the father of the groom and his occupation
- Indication of cultural ceremony or otherwise
- Name of the religious or governmental official who officiated the marriage
- Witnesses
Divorce
- Name of husband and wife
- Date of marriage
- Residence of both parties
- Date of dissolution
Collection Content
Sample Images
1985 Marriage
1902 Marriage
1942 Marriage
1978 Divorce
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Collection Details
Language
English
Location of Original Records
Public Records and Archives Administration Department, Accra
"Ghana, Accra, Marriages, 1863-2003." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 19 December 2025. Public Records and Archives Administration Department, Accra.
