Showing 1 results

Archival description
Marriage registration index
Print preview View:

Marriage registration index

  • GR-2985
  • Series
  • 1872-1942

Index to marriage registrations compiled on an early computerized system by the Registrar's office in Victoria from indexes created in regional offices. It was printed out sometime in the early 1960s and the pages were bound into volumes which have been microfilmed for public reference purposes.

This index consists of two separate alphabetical listings of all persons married and registered within the Province of British Columbia, from the beginning of 1872 to the end of 1929. The first listing is by the surnames of grooms, and the second listing is by surnames of brides. However, unlike the fiche index (GR-3033), there is no single alphabetical sequence (they are grouped by date) and a conversion list at the beginning of each reel must be used to locate the microfilm reel number for the actual registration.

Each entry contains, from left to right: the last four digits of the record (or registration) number; the name of the groom or bride; the name of the spouse (bride or groom); the place of the marriage; the date of the marriage (format is month/day/year, e.g., 05/21/1885); the volume number in which the registration is found; and the full record (or registration) number.

On each reel the index is preceded by a volume list that shows the BCA and GSU microfilm reel numbers on which each volume of marriage registrations is filmed. This list shows, from left to right: the accession number; the box number; the volume number; the volume description (this consists of the record title "marriage registrations", the range of registration numbers in the volume [also called "record number" in the index] the communities or regions covered in the volume, and the alphabetic range covered in the volume); the date range covered in the volume (this is referred to as the "start date" and "end date" (which are recorded in this format: year/month/day, e.g., 1885/05/21); the number given to the microfilm reel by the British Columbia Archives (BCA); followed by the number given to the microfilm reel by the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU).

To find an individual registration using this index, first look up a person's name in the bride or groom index. These are alphabetical within date groupings (see finding aid for reel list). When the right name and marriage has been found, make note of the volume number, the date of the marriage, and the record number. Then return to the volume list at the beginning of the microfilm reel. Look first for the volume number, then make sure that the record number (called registration number on the volume list) and marriage date fall within the ranges shown in the entry for that volume. If they match, make note of the microfilm reel number to the right of the date range. The BCA number consists of six digits beginning with the letter "B". The GSU number consists of seven digits Instructions for locating the actual registration can be found in the Finding Aid for GR-2962.

British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency