Marriage records 1796-2005

About the marriage records

Search for your ancestors' marriage records in the following record collections. You can also search these records separately to narrow down your search:

• England & Wales marriages 1837-2005
• British nationals married overseas 1818-2005
• British nationals armed forces marriages 1796-2005
• Maritime marriages 1854-1972

What a marriage record will tell you

• Your ancestor's first names and last name
• The geographic place, year and quarter in which the marriage was registered
• Who your ancestor married (usually a definite name for records after January 1912 and a list of potential spouses for records before that date)
• Volume and page numbers that can be used to order a copy of the couple's marriage certificate

How to search the marriage records

• We only need the last name of an ancestor to start searching these records for you. This is the only required piece of information, everything else is optional.
• It's always best to start searching with basic information, like your ancestor's first and last name. If there are too many results, you can refine your search and add more detail.
• You can click the 'refine search' button on the search results page to return to this search box and add more information.
• Do you have Irish ancestors? Search for them in our Irish birth, marriage and death records

• One search per marriage

• • Previously you had to search for both spouses separately and match them up yourself as the records were not name-indexed. Now, not only can you perform just one search, we will actually match up your ancestors' records, providing you with one definite marriage match, or a list of possible matches.
  • When you receive a definite spouse match, we will also provide you with the volume number and page number for both spouses' records. These are essential when ordering marriage certificates, so this will save you time.

  • Can't find who you're looking for?

  • • Try leaving the 'county' field blank. Your ancestors may not have married in the place you would expect, so you could be excluding relevant results by selecting the wrong county.
    • Don't select a year range, or make the year range wider. The year you think your ancestors married may not be accurate, so you could be excluding relevant results.
    • Keep the 'include variants' boxes underneath the name fields ticked. This means your search results will include spelling variations of the names you've entered.
    • If your ancestor's name could be easily misspelled, try using a wildcard search. Just use a * symbol in place of a letter or multiple letters. For example, instead of searching for Jennings you could search for Je*ngs or *enning*.
  • For more detailed information on searching marriage records, try our experts' advice section.