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Use microfilm copies, Northampton County (Va.) Reels 62 and 63.
Northampton County (Va.) Marriage Registers and Index, 1706-1922. Northampton County (Va.) Reels 62 and 63, Local government records collection, Northampton County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
Marriage Register, 1706-1853, is a manuscript compilation prepared by notable Virginia genealogist, Stratton Nottingham. Due to the fragile nature of the early original marriage records and the lack of an early register in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office, the clerk contracted with Mr. Nottingham to compile the register. Once compiled, the bound register was created, under the accession number 13942, by the Virginia State Library's (now the Library of Virginia) Archives Division.
The microfilm copy of this volume, Reel 62, was generated in-house by OCLC.
The microfilm copy of Marriage Registers Nos. 2 and 3, 1853-1922, and General Index to Marriage Registers, 1853-1922, found on Reel 63, were generated by the Genealogical Society of Utah while filming in the Northampton County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.
Northampton County which originally included all of the peninsula south of Maryland and which was one of the eight shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634, was first called Accomack. The General Assembly changed the name to Northampton County in 1643. Accomack County was created from Northampton County about 1663, but in October 1670, the General Assembly temporarily reunited the two counties as Northampton County. In November 1673, Accomack County was again separated from Northampton. The county was named probably for the English county, of which Obedience Robins, a prominent early resident of the Eastern Shore, was a native.
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 of guardian was needed for individuals younger than twenty-one years.
In 1853, The General Assembly passed a law requiring the systematic statewide recording of vital statistics. The marriage register, still compiled by the county clerk from ministers' returns and other original marriage records, became more standardized and comprehensive.
The original marriage records, from which these volumes were compiled, were created by the County Court.
Marriage Register, 1706-1853, records marriages in the county from the early eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century. This volume, compiled from marriage bonds and licenses, contains the following information: the date of the marriage bond or license, the full name of both parties, the race of the party (designated by FN for Free Negro or col. for colored) the wife's condition before the marriage, the husband's place of residence and the names of the wife's parents. There are notes found at the beginning of the volume from the compiler. X indicates marriages for which there are no bonds only licenses. XX indicates marriages for which there are no bonds or licenses but where listed in book found in clerk's office, "Marriage Records 1791-1854--Northampton County." The volume is arranged into two sections. The listings are based on the alphabetical letter of the husband's surname and then the wife's surname, A-Y. There is no chronological arrangement to the listings and no index to the volume. Free Negro or colored marriages are noted from 1791-1853. This register is also referred to as "A List of Marriage Bonds and Licenses, 1706-1853." This volume is also found on microfilm, Reel 62.
Marriage Register No. 2, 1853-1898, records marriages in the county from the mid to the late nineteenth century. This volume is found only on microfilm, Reel 63. The register contains information such as a line number for each entry, the date and place of marriage, the full names of both parties, age and condition of parties before marriage, birth places of parties, places of residences of parties, names of their parents, occupation of husband, the name of the person performing the marriage ceremony. By 1870, the remarks section contains the race of the parties (white or colored). This section also notes which parent gave consent for the marriage. The listings in the volume are arranged chronologically. The volume has 160 numbered pages. An internal index is found at the beginning of the volume. This index contains male and female listings and is arranged by the last letter of the surname, A-Y and where it appears numerically within the volume. This index is unnumbered.
Marriage Register No. 3, 1899-1922, records marriages in the county from the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth century. This volume is also found only on microfilm, Reel 63. Like Marriage Register No. 2, the information contained in the volume is basically the same. However, this volume records information only from marriage licenses. According to the entries in the volume, each recorded license was given a number and date. This register also notes the race of the parties (white or colored.) The listings in the volume are arranged chronologically. The volume has 91 numbered pages. A internal index, similar in arrangement to Register No. 2, is found at the beginning of the volume.
General Index to Marriage Registers, 1853-1922, is also only found on microfilm, Reel 63. This volume covers only Marriage Registers Nos. 2 and 3. Similar to the internal indexes found in these registers, it is organized into male and female sections. The volume is arranged alphabetically by surname, A-Y. The listings contain the year of the license or date of marriage and which register found in--including the book, page and line. This volume is unnumbered.
The original Marriage Registers Nos. 2 and 3 and the General Index to Marriage Registers, 1853-1922, are found in the Northampton County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.
Marriage Register, 1706-1853, is found at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services for access information, directions and hours.
Additional Northampton County Marriage Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult
A published volume, by Stratton Nottingham, entitled "Marriage License Bonds of Northampton County, Virginia" is found in the Library of Virginia's collection.