subject: Public Marriage Records Online Archive [print this page] A project was taken on by the Illinois State Archives and the State Genealogical Society to accumulate and combine all Free Marriage Records of Illinois before 1901. That is the reason why anyone can now obtain Illinois marriage records between 1763 and 1900. Truly, these records are for public use as well as persons can volunteer to send information to it to include it on the internet.
This public service is meant to be easily available to users in general and that has been greatly boosted with the advent of the Internet. People can now obtain free marriage records information online without having to leave home or office, saving a great deal of time and costs in travelling and waiting in line. They only have to get onto a computer and log on to the Internet.
The County Clerks are the ones responsible for this type of information which they obtain from the original marriage records that entails marriage registers, certificated, licenses and other useful information. The County Genealogical societies also contribute in this way along with private citizens where they upload such documents voluntarily on the internet.
Data found in these public records include the specifics of the couple such as their names, their parents' names, witnesses to the marriage agreement, the official of the ceremony, the date, county and state the marriage took place in as well as the license insurance. Moreover, if persons with multiple marriage records were to be researched, they would all be produced upon that search with the person's surname. But as states keep their own records, one a record is not found in one state, you can always search for it in another state.
The Illinois Statewide Marriage Index lists information which have been officially kept since they were first documented and filed. The Great Fire of Chicago in 1871 did destroy a good many public records but the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD) today still has in its holdings of more than 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois. The surest bet are the individual County Offices and they are the only authorized agencies for certified copies but fees are required.
Commercial providers online are a good source for marriage records. They are highly professional with their record databases available to the wider public. They also tap into private and proprietary networks along with those from the Illinois State Archives, Genealogical societies and universities. It's an easy and simplistic ways providing a nationwide service which is beneficial to those with time restrictions.
by: Ben Dave
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