What records actually prove a marriage, and which ones are simply evidence that it likely occurred?
In this video, I walk through common genealogy records and explain what each one truly records. We’ll look at marriage licenses, returns and certificates, bonds versus banns, civil and church marriage registers, divorce records, probate and land records, obituaries, family bibles, cemetery markers, newspapers, and more.
You’ll also see why a marriage bond is not proof that a ceremony occurred, why a legal divorce does prove there was a marriage, and how a bastardy bond can establish that a couple was not married at that particular time. The key is to look closely at what a record actually says, then build your conclusion from the best available evidence.
Start your search here:
FamilySearch Research Wiki
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page
Ancestry Card Catalog
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/catalog/
Academy members – Use this link below to watch the replay of Connie’s presentation from September 2, 2026 on Grouping DNA Matches on Ancestry.com https://genealogytv.org/courses/2026-academy-exclusive-lessons/lessons/grouping-dna-matches-on-ancestry-com/
Reposting one of the more popular recent episodes with tried-and-true strategies in genealogy research. Most genealogists start with the “Big Four” record groups—census, vital, land, and probate. But what happens...
