Kentucky Marriage Bonds 1881-1895, Breckinridge County 

Article / WINTER 1999
Book Review


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Breckinridge County Kentucky Marriage Bonds 1881-1895

                 Complied by Jane Meador Newton
                Indexed by Wathena Kennedy Miller


   One of the most valuable documents that can be found in tracing our ancestors
is the marriage record. Although most marriage records are still in existence,
many thousands have been lost, burned, or never recorded.

   THE MARRIAGE BOND is a document that proves to the court that there is no
legal reason or cause that the marriage can't take place. i.e., bigamy and other
sticky matters! Since women had no rights at law during the early days, this
marriage contract could not be arranged by the bride. The two parties were thus
required to obtain the marriage license based on the bond - a male relative or
guardian of the bride and the groom himself. The bondsman (surety, security)
was normally a male relative such as father, brother ... but could be a male friend
if no family was available. If the marriage was performed legally, no bond money
changed hands. But, if something was found that nullified the marriage because
of another spouse lurking around the corner, being left at the alter and other fun
things, the surety had to pay a fee which varied from county to county and year
to year.

   THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE is located on the bottom of the Marriage Bond
page in these Breckinridge County records. The marriage indicates the marriage
took place. This had to be completed by the minister, justice of the peace, judge,
etc. and given to the couple. If the books were completely filled in, they would
often show the parent's names, ages of the bride and groom, if they had been
married before, widowed, sometimes occupations, etc.

    Witnesses were assumed to be family friends or relatives. The couple was
probably married by a minister. If you can search other records to find out who
he was, and what denomination he was if he was a minister, this might also point
you to the church that he pastored (they normally pastored up to 4 churches at
a time), and if these churches had their old meeting books published, you could
find out where they attended church, possibly a notation of the marriage, when
they joined, when and why they left (moving out of the area or going to a closer
church, etc).

        So there is a considerable amount of information to be found in
Breckinridge County Kentucky Marriage Bonds.