Marriage Information
on the
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick Website


Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday made for two special events. First the coasting party at school and tonight we were going to the Hall to a variety concert which would be followed by a pie social of boxes trimmed with red hearts and filled with all kinds of goodies to eat. Any fellow who was sweet on a girl would be bidding on the chance to share the lunch and possibly walk her home. Sometimes he received incorrect information from a “reliable” source and was the high bidder on the wrong girl’s pie but according to Gram, more than one romance that led to a marriage proposal was the result of making this error.

I hope for the sake of family researchers that they didn’t make any errors in the information they gave for their marriage certificate.

If the marriage took place in New Brunswick between 1888 and 1919, the form was quite simple. Basically it included name, age, residence, single or previously married, occupation of bridegroom, religion, name of parents, names and residences of witnesses, date of marriage, by license or banns, and signed by the clergyman with his postal address. The signatures of the bridegroom, bride and witnesses were on the Marriage Certificate as well as “with consent of” and the place of the marriage ceremony.  It was the officiating person’s responsibility to see the forms were filled in fully and accurately and forwarded to the proper authority.

In 1920, changes were made in the information required for the Official Notice of Marriage. The bridegroom and bride needed to also include their place of birth, whether they could read and write, name of father with his place of birth and mother’s maiden name but not her place of birth, and the place of marriage. The officiating person was responsible in having the bridegroom, bride and witnesses sign the document and to give his religious denomination and address before he sent the form to the Department of Health in Fredericton.

Information on the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website states: “The Vital Statistics Act of 1887 required that all marriages be registered with the registrar and/or deputy-registrars of Vital Statistics and filed for public consultation. Although this process began in 1888, a few marriages dating as far back as 1882 were included. Previously, between 1812 and 1887, marriages were registered within each county.”

The Index at  archives.gnb.ca includes the names of all bridegrooms and the maiden names of all brides. In the cases where the woman was divorced or widowed, all former names have also been included in the index. These latter cases are indicated by the asterisk (*) after the bride's name. The use of the asterisk indicates that it is not always clear whether the woman's former name was her previous married name or her maiden name.

The names of more than180,000  bridegrooms and brides includes marriages from 1882-1941 and 1946-1951. The index was compiled from the records of Vital Statistics in RS141 located at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Those records from 1942-1945 and after 1951 will be included in the index as they are processed.

The Marriage Certificates can be viewed on microfilm at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Copies may also be ordered from PANB.

Another source for marriage information is the Index to Marriage Bonds, 1810-1932 on the PANB website at archives.gnb.ca with the names of 13706 Brides-To-Be, 13714 Grooms-To-Be and 14005 Co-Signers. Marriage bonds, which were required when banns were not read in the churches or when the clergyman did not know both of the parties, guaranteed a payment of £500 from the would-be-groom or his co-signer if the proposed marriage did not take place. The bonds are especially valuable to genealogists, since they provide the names and residences of the proposed groom-to-be and the co-signer(s) in addition to that of the bride-to-be.
1888 to 1919

MARRIAGE

REGISTRATION DIVISION   ______________ COUNTY

Bridegroom
             
                    His Name and Age       ___________________________________
                    Residence                    ___________________________________
                    Place of Birth               ___________________________________
                    Bachelor or Widower  ___________________________________
                    Occupation                 ____________________________________
                    Religious Denomination  __________________________________
                    Name of Parents        ____________________________________ 

Bride
                    Her Name and Age       ___________________________________
                    Residence                    ___________________________________
                    Place of Birth               ___________________________________
                    Spinster or Widow       ___________________________________
                    Religious Denomination  __________________________________
                    Name of Parents           ___________________________________ 

                    Names and Residences of Witnesses   ________________________
                                                                               ________________________
                    Date of Marriage             __________________________________
                    By Whom Married         __________________________________
                    By License or Banns      __________________________________
                    Signature and P. O. Address of Clergyman  ___________________
                                                          __________________________________   

Note - The above form is to be filled in fully and accurately by the Clergyman solemnizing the Marriage and forwarded to the Division Registrar, as required by Act of Assembly, 50th Vic. Cap V., intituled "An Act to provide for the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages.                

1888 to 1919
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

Name of Bridegroom           ____________________________________
of the   ___________  of    ______________________
Name of Bride                    _____________________________________
of the ____________ of     ______________________
were married by (Banns or License)    
with consent of   ___________________
at the ___________ of __________________
this ____________ day of ___________ A. D. ______
By me,  ____________________________
                (address)  _____________________

This marriage was solemnized between us _____________________
                                                                _____________________

In the presence of    ____________________________
                               ____________________________                                

   

1920 -1951
PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MARRIAGE
Registered No.  _______________

Sub-Health District of __________________   Sub-Deputy Register area of  ____________
_____________________________________________________________________________

BRIDEGROOM

1    Full name  ______________________________________________________________
2    Occupation  ______________________________________
3    Bachelor, Widower, Divorced   _______________________
4    Age  _______    5    Religious Denomination  __________________________
6    Residence   ___________________________________________________
7   Place of birth  __________________________________________________
8   Name of father _________________________________________________
9   Place of birth of father ____________________________________________
10 Maiden name of mother  _____________________________________________
11 Can bridegroom read?   _________________ Write?  ______________________


BRIDE

12    Full name  ______________________________________________________________
13   Occupation  ______________________________________
14   Spinster, Widow, Divorced   _______________________
15   Age  _______    16    Religious Denomination  __________________________
17    Residence   ___________________________________________________
18   Place of birth  __________________________________________________
19  Name of father _________________________________________________
20  Place of birth of father ____________________________________________
21  Maiden name of mother  _____________________________________________
22  Can bride read?   _________________ Write?  ______________________

______________________________________________________________________________

23   When married      _____________   day of ___________________  19___
24   Place of  marriage      _________________________________________
25   By License or banns   _________________________________________
26  Signatures of
                           Groom   _______________________________________
                            Bride     _______________________________________

27    Witnesses
                            Name          ____________________________________
                            Address      ____________________________________
                     
                             Name          ____________________________________
                             Address      ____________________________________


I certify the above stated particulars are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
                    Clergyman   __________________________________
                     Address      __________________________________
                      Religious Denomination  ________________________

Registered No.  ______   Filed at this office  _____ day of __________ 19__



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