Illinois Marriage Records
An ongoing project by The Illinois State Archives in collaboration with the Illinois State Genealogical Society compiles all Illinois marriages records that occurred prior to 1901. It currently has in excess of a million pre-1901 data on file, dating as far back as 1763. This information is open for viewing and any member of the public can access or even contribute to them.
This public service is meant to be easily available to users in general and that has been greatly boosted with the advent of the Internet. People can now obtain free marriage records information online without having to leave home or office, saving a great deal of time and costs in travelling and waiting in line. They only have to get onto a computer and log on to the Internet.
The information are mainly tapped from the original marriage files that are placed under the official custody of the various County Clerks. Marriage registers, licenses, certificates are examples of documents included in the compilation. Publications of county genealogical societies and private individuals provide additional information.
Typically, the information consists of the personal particulars of the marrying couple, their parents’, names of witnesses and officiant of the marriage and the date and place of the occasion. Although a ceremony or wedding is not mandatory, it must be in the county for which the marriage license is granted if one is conducted but neither of the couple need to be a local resident of the county. Therefore, if a search fails in the known county of residence, it’s worth a shot to extend it to a statewide one instead.
The Illinois Statewide Marriage Index lists information which have been officially kept since they were first documented and filed. The Great Fire of Chicago in 1871 did destroy a good many public records but the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD) today still has in its holdings of more than 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois. The surest bet are the individual County Offices and they are the only authorized agencies for certified copies but fees are required.
Illinois marriages records are public records. As such, they are freely available from commercial information providers. The top tier of such private data-houses is highly professional. On top of public sources, they also have access to proprietary databases and networks. Competition is intense so only bona-fide can hold their own. This makes for good value for money. It’s no wonder why this form of information search is gaining popularity.
Tags: marriage licence records
Posted in marriage licence records