Certificates of marriage contain the vital links you need to enable you to progress to the previous generation. Marriage was the only event recorded on the day that it occurred, and registered at the General Register Office in the same quarter-year.

Searching the GRO indexes
• If both spouses are known, check both names in the GRO index, either at local record offices or online at www.thegenealogist.co.uk.
• Local/county record offices hold microfiche copies of GRO indexes. Many hold separate surname indexes of local marriages compiled by local family history groups/societies.
• When searching for an unknown spouse, note all possible entries within the area and year range. Seek advice from local registrars who compiled their own indexes which may offer extra information.
• Use the SmartSearch feature at www.thegenealogist.co.uk to identify possible spouses.
• Consult www.genuki.org.uk for a full list of registration districts and boundary changes. Ensure that the given reference for both spouses is identical – use this when applying for a certificate.
• Use the censuses (available at TheGenealogist) for additional clues – in Victorian times, it was common to use mother’s maiden name as child’s middle name, or a mother-in-law living with the couple will provide clue to maiden surname of the female spouse.
• Search backwards [and forwards] from the first-born child when searching parents’ marriage. Always bear in mind the possible child-bearing ages of parents.
• When searching online, as with births, use wildcards, variant spellings, etc. Search first the expected area, widening by parish, town or county.
• Consult the International Genealogical Index at www.familysearch.co.uk for a parish register entry of marriage.
• Check parish registers to establish whether the marriage occurred by banns or licence. Bishop’s Transcripts where they survive recorded a copy of the event – these are found at county/diocesan record offices.
• Many marriage registers, banns and licence records can be found online at www.thegenealogist.co.uk
• Usefully, the 1911 census indicates the approximate length of marriage of a couple, but may be inaccurate.
• Marriages after 1911 state the spouse’s surname and any child indexed after 1911 will include the mother’s maiden surname.