We are deeply indebted to Mike Schoettle and Chuck Sawyer for their outstanding work in
transcribing these marriage licenses. We are teaming up on another ongoing project
that you will have to check periodically for additions. The date at the
bottom of the page will tell you when the last addition was made.
The non-white marriage licenses of Tyrrell County begin in 1877. We will assess the status
of these records as we transcribe the licenses and compare them to marriage register entries.
In order to provide the best information available from both sources, we are transcribing
all marriage licenses and ONLY those marriage register entries for which no license exists.
The project to transcribe these licenses and marriage register entries will terminate at
the year 1920 to avoid living persons.
The sequence of events in this project is to transcribe the existing licenses first. They
are transcribed in chronological order. This step has been completed. Next, they will be
compared to the marriage license register to determine the missing licenses for which a
register entry exists. Information from these entries in the marriage register will then
be transcribed and placed in a separate set of files. So until the last phase is complete,
don't give up hope of finding a marriage license for that missing ancestor.
We will also index all brides, grooms, mothers and fathers listed in the
marriage licenses and all brides and grooms listed in the marriage register in one consolidated index. (Parents
are not shown in the marriage register, but may be listed in a transcription of parental
consent where the bride or groom was under 18 years of age.) Witnesses, applicants, the county Register of Deeds, Justices of the
Peace and Ministers are not indexed. The index will also show the type of the surname for
females and the source of the surname. Entries for type surname will indicate whether
a female's surname appears to be a MAIDEN surname or a MARRIED surname based on age and other
information in the marriage license or marriage register. Entries for source will be
either LICENSE, REGISTER or IMPLIED. LICENSE means the surname is as written on the license.
REGISTER means the surname is as written on the marriage register. IMPLIED means the surname is
implied from other data on the license. Examples are:
(1) - The new surname the bride acquires by virtue of the marriage. The entry in type surname
in this case is MARRIED and the source is IMPLIED. Every bride has an entry of this type, even if she is
marrying someone with the same surname.
(2) - Where the bride's surname is different from her father's surname the license is
probably for a second or third marriage so the bride's maiden surname can be implied from
the father's surname.
(3) - Where a mother's surname is different from the father's surname it may be her
maiden surname, so a married surname can be implied. If the father is dead and the
mother living, it can also indicate a subsequent marriage.
There are, of course, other circumstances such as bastardy, etc. which can make these
assumptions not valid. But since the purpose of the index is solely as a finding aid
the resulting errors do no harm. By indexing the way we have, you can find those second
and third marriages you didn't know about and locate females whose maiden name is unknown.
No indexing of the marriage licenses has been accomplished for marriage licenses transcribed thus far.
You may read through the marriage licenses and register entries by using the table below.
All pages are linked to the next page and previous page. If you are searching
for a specific person or surname use the index. Pick the approriate index in males or females
below. This will take you to an alphabetical index of names. Once you find a name of
interest, click on it and you will be taken to the license or marriage register entry in which
that person appears. To return to the index where you left it use the "back" button
on your browser.
The licenses you will view are virtual copies of the actual licenses. The only thing
missing is the numbered superscripts to each blank, underlined area on the license
where information was to be entered and the legend to the superscripts explaining what
information to enter in the blanks. These were omitted to save space. A facsimile of
a complete blank license with superscripts and legend may be viewed by clicking
here. A few licenses were hand written. These have been
transcribed as if a form was used and annotated below the license. Marriage register
entries contain all information in the actual register.