A death certificate records the end of a life. But it can also reveal clues about the life that came before it. Beyond the date and place of death, a death certificate may identify an ancestor’s parents, birthplace, spouse, occupation, residence, and burial location. But there’s a catch: Not everything on a death certificate is […]
Before governments routinely recorded deaths, churches were often keeping track of who died in their communities. A church death register might reveal an ancestor’s death date, burial location, age, family relationships, or religious affiliation. Some even contain details about the circumstances of death. These records can be especially valuable when civil death certificates don’t exist, […]
Not every marriage that ended was dissolved through divorce. Some were annulled—and the records explaining why may reveal surprising family history. Marriage Annulment Records may contain information about previous marriages, ages, parental consent, family relationships, residences, and circumstances that called a marriage’s validity into question. Some proceedings include sworn testimony, birth records, earlier marriage documents, […]
A divorce may have ended an ancestor’s marriage, but the records documenting it can reveal an entirely new chapter of family history. Divorce and Dissolution Records may identify children, previous residences, occupations, relatives, property, and details about a marriage that never appeared in a marriage certificate. Some files contain sworn testimony, correspondence, and other documents […]
A marriage record may be written in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, or another language—and contain family information that never appeared in a civil marriage certificate. In many Muslim communities, a Nikah Record documents a marriage conducted according to Islamic traditions. Depending on the time, place, and form of the record, it may identify the bride […]
Your ancestors may have sworn they were free to marry—and left behind a document identifying their ages, residences, marital status, and sometimes family connections. A Marriage Allegation was a sworn statement used in the historical marriage licensing process, particularly in England and Wales. Although the word allegation may sound like an accusation today, these documents […]
A marriage license tells you that a couple had permission to marry. But how do you know the wedding actually took place? The answer may be hiding in a Marriage Return. This often-overlooked document was completed by the person who performed the ceremony and reported back to the issuing authority. It may provide the actual […]
Ancestry.com continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of October 1-15, 2026, the new and updated collections are: I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
FamilySearch continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of October 1-15, 2026, the added/updated collections are: For a complete list of all added/updated collections, go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and […]
Marriage Applications can be among the most information-rich documents associated with a wedding. Depending on the time and place, they may identify parents, birthplaces, occupations, previous marriages, residences, and other details that never appeared on the marriage certificate. For genealogists, the application can provide clues to an entire generation of family history hiding behind a […]