MARRIAGE DATES in USA records

Sometimes you may see more than one marriage date for a couple. This
can be confusing unless you know that there can be three dates for a
marriage recorded in the courthouse (depending on the state and
county):

first, the date the license was purchased;

second, the date of the actual marriage ceremony; and,

third, the date of the "returns." (This is the date the pastor, Justice of the Peace, etc. filled out his portion of the license and returned it to the
courthouse.)

Sometimes a license was taken out and never used.

For example, in Dickson County, TN, a license was taken out for Oliver McMenn and Elizabeth Reddon on October 11, 1841. This note of explanation is
entered: "License returned by Oliver and he stated that same was not
executed that the girl backed out from the engagement June 22, 1842".

A marriage license would appear to be the best source. However, in
the case of my own parents (married in Rapides Parish, La.) the
license was taken out June 16, 1923. The preacher filled out his
portion of the license (I have a copy of that license) and returned
the license to the courthouse, but forgot to enter the actual date of
marriage (which was June 17, 1923). So the only dates for their
marriage entered in the courthouse were the date they purchased the
license and the date of the return.

Floreda

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