ERC: Genealogy and Family History: Records
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
There are three
types of documents associated with a marriage in New York City: An
"Affidavit for License to Marry," a "Certificate and Record of
Marriage," and the marriage license itself.
Marriage indices can be found in at least two places:
The
New York City
Municipal Archives: Here you can first look up the
number of the marriage certificate on microfilm and then do the same
for the marriage certificate itself. At the Archive you can look at
or purchase any marriage certificate (of Affidavit for License to
Marry) using their microfilm machines, as long as the marriage
occurred prior to 1930. You can request a copy of a marriage record by
postal mail by filling out the necessary forms. Visit the
NYC Department of Records - Application for a Search and/or
Certified Copy of a Marriage Record web page.
You can request a search and certified copy online, or if you
already have the certificate number, you can just request the
certified copy online.
The Office of the City Clerk: If the marriage occurred in 1930 or at
anytime thereafter, you can obtain the documents here. Visit
www.nycmarriagebureau.com
. Here are the links for requesting marriage records:
Marriage Record Requests in Person
Marriage
Record Requests by Mail
An option for obtaining the certificate number is by using the
databases at www.italiangen.org
, i.e.
the "grooms index" for the years 1866-1936, or the "bride index"
for the years, beginning for Kings County in 1891, Bronx County 1899
and Queens County 1904, and ending in 1937.
> What is the significance of all three marriage documents?
According to the New York City Office of the City Clerk:
"Both the prospective bride and groom must appear together in
person to apply for a
Marriage License. The
application must be completed in our offices. The application
consists of an affidavit
wherein the applicants list various personal details such as their
name, address, birth place, date of birth, social security number,
and marital history and make a sworn statement that there are no
legal impediments to the marriage. Applicants who have been married
previously must list all prior marriages on the Marriage License
Application. They are required to supply their prior spouse's full
name, the date the divorce was granted and the place the divorce was
filed and may be asked to produce the final divorce decree. All
divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before
applying for a new Marriage License. If you are a widow or widower,
you must provide your deceased spouse's full name and date of death.
The Marriage License is generated based on this information. It will
be prepared while you wait, and you will take it with you upon your
departure. Unless you obtain a judicial waiver, you must wait a full
24 hours before your Marriage Ceremony can be performed," and "A New
York State Marriage License is valid for 60 days only and can only
be used in the state of New York."
The Certificate of Marriage and Record is filled out by the person
who was certified to perform the civil ceremony, whether it be a
Rabbi, City Clerk, magistrate, or or some other person.
AFFIDAVIT FOR LICENSE TO MARRY:
Let's compare the information that was entered on three
affidavits, roughly twenty-five years apart, filled out and filed between the years of 1910 and 1951:
ABRAM & IDA
19 Nov 1910
New York, New York
|
LOU & FAY
16 Mar 1926
Brooklyn, New York |
SAM & FANNIE
11 Dec 1951
Brooklyn, New York |
|
MARRIAGE LICENSE:
|
Wedding
cir 1920s |
LOU & FAY
16 Mar 1926
Brooklyn, New York
|
SAM & SYLVIA
29 Sep 1946
Brooklyn, New York |
|
CERTIFICATE AND RECORD OF MARRIAGE:
|
ABRAM & IDA |
LOU & FAY |
Front of a Certificate and Record of Marriage
15 Sep 1931
Queens, New York |
Example of back of Certificate and
Record of Marriage
21 Nov 1936
Brooklyn, New York |
|
|
On the back side of the forms of
the 1920s, it reads:
"We hereby certify that we are the Groom and Bride named in this
Certificate, and that the information given therein is correct,
to the best of our knowledge and belief." The groom and bride
sign underneath this statement, as well as two witnesses. The
rest of the form says, "It shall be the duty of the clergymen,
magistrates and other persons who perform the marriage ceremony
to keep a registry of the marriages celebrated by them...Every
person authorized by law to perform the marriage ceremony shall
register his or her name and address in the office of the Bureau
of Records (Sect. 159?, Sanitary Code)...It shall be the duty of
every person required to make or keep any such registry signed
by each person...within ten days after the...marriage...which
shall thereupon be placed on file in the said Bureau (Section 38
or 151) Sanitary Code...
N.B.--Section133, Chap.532?, Laws of 1905, makes the failure to
report within ten days a written copy of the registry of the
marriages provided to be registered a misdemeanor, punishable by
fine or imprisonment." |
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