We are deeply indebted to Gordon L. Basnight, Mike Schoettle and Becky Dobson for their outstanding work
transcribing these marriage licenses. The four of us have teamed up in an ongoing project
that you will have to check periodically for additions. The date at the
bottom of the page will tell you when the last addition was made. The
years listed in the table below with hot links are also an indication of
progress.
The marriage licenses of Tyrrell County are not complete. A few exist for the years
1868 and 1869 and then there are none until 1877. We assumed they were complete from
that point except for those that have "disappeared" from the court house. However, we have
found large periods of time with no licenses. Fortunately, the Tyrrell County Marriage
Register contains entries for marriages during these periods. In comparing the marriage
licenses to the marriage register, we also found that there are marriage licenses for
which there is no marriage register entry. Our conclusion, therefore, is that the marriage
register can't be considered a definitive source and that there are probably a few marriages
for which no license currently exists and which didn't get entered into the marriage
register. In order to provide the best information available from both sources, we are transcribing
all marriage licenses and ONLY those marriage register entries for which no license exists.
The project to transcribe these licenses and marriage register entries terminates at
the year 1920 to avoid living persons.
The sequence of events in this project is to transcribe the existing licenses first. This
task has been completed. We are still in the process of comparing the licenses to the
marriage license register to determine the missing licenses for which only a register entry
exists. Information from these entries in the marriage register are being transcribed
and placed in a separate set of files. We are currently done checking the register
through the year 1900. So until the last phase is complete, don't give up
hope of finding a marriage license for that missing ancestor.
We are also indexing all brides, grooms, mothers and fathers listed in the
marriage licenses and all brides and grooms listed in the marriage register in one
consolidated index. (Parents are not shown in the marriage register, but may be listed
in a transcription of parental consent where the bride or groom was under 18 years of age.)
Witnesses, applicants, the county Register of Deeds, Justices of the
Peace and Ministers are not indexed. The index also shows the type of the surname for
females and the source of the surname. Entries for type surname will indicate whether
a female's surname appears to be a MAIDEN surname or a MARRIED surname based on age and
other information in the marriage license or marriage register. Entries for source will
be either LICENSE, REGISTER or IMPLIED. LICENSE means the surname is as written on the
license. REGISTER means the surname is as written on the marriage register. IMPLIED means
the surname is implied from other data on the license. Examples of this are:
(1) - The new surname the bride acquires by virtue of the marriage. The entry in type
surname in this case is MARRIED and the source is IMPLIED. Every bride has an entry of
this type, even if she is marrying someone with the same surname.
(2) - Where the bride's surname is different from her father's surname the license is
probably for a second or third marriage so the bride's maiden surname can be implied from
the father's surname.
(3) - Where a mother's surname is different from the father's surname it may be her
maiden surname, so a married surname can be implied. If the father is dead and the
mother living, it can also indicate a subsequent marriage.
There are, of course, other circumstances such as bastardy, etc. which can make these
assumptions not valid. But since the purpose of the index is solely as a finding aid
the resulting errors do no harm. By indexing the way we have, you can find those second
and third marriages you didn't know about and locate females whose maiden name is unknown.
Indexing is currently complete for all licenses and for marriage register entries
through 1900.
You may read through the marriage licenses and register entries by using the table below.
All pages are linked to the next page and previous page. If you are searching
for a specific person or surname use the index. Pick the approriate index in males or females
below. This will take you to an alphabetical index of names. Once you find a name of
interest, click on it and you will be taken to the license or marriage register entry in which
that person appears. To return to the index where you left it use the "back" button
on your browser.
The licenses you will view are virtual copies of the actual licenses. The only thing
missing is the numbered superscripts to each blank, underlined area on the license
where information was to be entered and the legend to the superscripts explaining what
information to enter in the blanks. These were omitted to save space. A facsimile of
a complete blank license with superscripts and legend may be viewed by clicking
here. A few licenses were hand written. These have been
transcribed as if a form was used and annotated below the license. Marriage register
entries contain all information in the actual register.