Augusta County (Va.) Marriage Licenses and Ministers' Returns, Volumes 1-4, 1785-1853

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Ministers' Returns, Volume 1, 1785-1820, records the returns made by individual ministers of marriages performed within the county. Some returns took the form of lists which record the date of marriage and names of both parties. Other returns took the form of registers which record the date of marriage, the names of both parties and by what authority married--a license or "by publication"(also known as marriage banns.) Marriage Banns, published in the parish church where the couple lived, constituted a legal substitute for a marriage license prior to 1848. Volumes 2-4, 1820-1853, record marriage licenses as well as ministers' returns.

Biographical / historical:

Augusta County was formed in 1738 from Orange County. Because the region was sparsely inhabited, however, county government was not actually established there until 1745. The county was named in honor of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, wife of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and mother of George III.

Prior to 1853, when the Commonwealth began recording vital statistics, Virginia marriages were recorded at the county or city level. Beginning in 1661, in order to be married by license, the groom was required to go before the county clerk and give bond with security that there was no lawful reason to prevent the marriage. The license, issued then by the clerk, was given to the minister who performed the service. Written consent from a parent or guardian was needed for individuals younger than twenty-one years.

Until 1780, marriages could be performed only by ministers of the Established Church, who were required by law to record marriages in the parish register. In 1780, dissenting ministers(only four per county from each sect) were first permitted to perform marriage ceremonies. Ministers' returns were required by law beginning in 1780, so all marriages from that date would be of record in the county court clerk's office--thereby creating an official record. Some ministers adopted a custom of making collected returns--a list of marriages performed within a period of time such as a year or several years.

Acquisition information:
These xerox and typewritten copies were compiled and created from the original court records found in the Augusta County Circuit Court Clerk`s Office.
Arrangement:

Chronological.

Physical description:
4 vol. (619 leaves) These volumes are comprised of xerox copies of original returns and typewritten lists of original returns.