The Mad Genealogist

So, you go to the courthouse to get a copy of a simple marriage record….. and you are hit with the fact that the courthouse was destroyed at some point in the past. What are you to do?

Well old Newspapers are a good option but unless you are in a major city, actual copies can be spotty at best. Well here is a great option that is often overlooked…. DIVORCE RECORDS!

Divorce Records are a great substitute for a missing marriage record. Divorce records were not always filed in the local courthouse. Courthouse filings didn’t start until later years in most states. Divorces that occurred early in a states history were recorded in published journals of the statehouse or senate. The marriage date and place were often part of the divorce record.were not

Sometimes the divorce was never finalized for whatever reason. In those cases a petition may have survived. Petitions far outnumber divorces granted. Some divorces were appealed to a higher court such as  a Superior or Supreme Court. So look there as well.