Posted by DivorceLine in Free Public Marriage Records Through The Internet
For the purpose of preserving historical Public Marriage Records Online of Illinois residents, the Illinois State Archives tied up with the Illinois State Genealogical Society in joint effort to compile records of marriages that took place in Illinois from 1763 to 1900. More than a million records have been filed and it is the aim of these two organizations to make them readily accessible by people who want to trace them.
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 Illinois Marriage Records information online without having to leave home or office, saving a great deal of time and costs in traveling and waiting in line. They only have to get onto a computer and log on to the Internet.
The information are mainly tapped from the original marriage files that are placed under the official custody of the various County Clerks. Marriage registers, licenses, certificates are examples of documents included in the compilation. Publications of county genealogical societies and private individuals provide additional information.
Typically, the information consists of the personal particulars of the marrying couple, their parents’, names of witnesses and officiant of the marriage and the date and place of the occasion. Although a ceremony or wedding is not mandatory, it must be in the county for which the marriage license is granted if one is conducted but neither of the couple need to be a local resident of the county. Therefore, if a search fails in the known county of residence, it’s worth a shot to extend it to a statewide one instead.
All public Free Illinois Marriage Records in Illinois are listed on the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. Original marital records or microfilm copies for several of them are kept under the holding of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD). Uncertified copies of marriages of more than 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois are available at IRAD. Those which are not can be requested directly from the County Clerks. They are also the only officers authorized to provide certified copies of marriage records of their county.
Another increasingly popular option for marriage record search is the commercial record providers. These private enterprises operate record databases on a professional basis. On top of public sources such as the Illinois State Archives, universities and Genealogical societies, they also tap into private and proprietary networks. By and large, they are hassle-free and their coverage is nationwide. This is particularly handy when time is a factor and multiple states are concerned.
