Guide to the Pittsburgh Marriage Return Records, 1875-1909 AIS.1979.10
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Pittsburgh Marriage Return Records
Creator
Pittsburgh (Pa.). Department of Public Health
Collection Number
AIS.1979.10
Extent
53 microfilm_reels
Date
1875-1909
Abstract
This collection contains records submitted to the Department of Public Health pertaining to marriages performed by priests, rabbis, ministers, and aldermen within the City of Pittsburgh from 1875 to 1909.
Language
English
.
Author
Matthew Sohner.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
History
Pennsylvania's marriage laws were codified through a number of legislative acts over a 15 year period from 1870 to 1885. Pittsburgh first enacted a marriage law in 1870 in order to "establish a board of health, and [secure] the city of port of Pittsburg [sic] from the introduction of pestilential and contagious diseases." This law was a supplementary act to a state law enacted the same year by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that established that boards of health would keep registers of all marriage ceremonies performed in their jurisdictions. The law stipulated that all clergy and magistrates would keep records on the marriages they performed, as well as the penalties for noncompliance. This law also stipulated what information would be recorded on all parties involved in the marriage, and that these records would serve as "prima facie" evidence of said marriage in a court of law.
The state law was further amended in 1876 to grant boards of health the power to enact rules and regulations in order to carry out these duties. Marriage licenses were not issued in the state until an 1885 law established their creation, which further added provisions for age of consent and securing parent or guardian approval for marriage of individuals under the age of 21.
Existence and Location of Originals
Pittsburgh, Pa. Department of Health, Marriage Returns, MSS# 458, Library and Archives Division, Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Previous Citation
Pittsburgh Marriage Return Records, 1875-1909, AIS.1979.10, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Pittsburgh Marriage Return Records, 1875-1909, AIS.1979.10, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Processing Information
This collection was processed by the Archives Service Center staff in 1982.
Related Material
Pittsburgh, Pa. Dept. of Public Health Birth and Death Records, 1870-1905, AIS.1975.06, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Scope and Content Notes
The collection consists of 53 microfilm reels. Reel 1 is an index (alphabetical by husband's surname) of all marriage returns for the years 1875-1885, and also contains information about the collection's history and a brief history of Pennsylvania's marriage laws. The returns record the following information:
1. The husband's full name, occupation, residence, place of birth, and age at the time of marriage.
2. The wife's full name (maiden name), residence, place of birth, and age at the time of marriage.
3. Date and place of marriage ceremony, and the type of ceremony performed.
4. The race of both parties.
5. Name of the person performing the ceremony and their residence.
6. Date of the return.
According to the Index, only 50% of the married couples were residents of the City of Pittsburgh, while the remaining 50% were residents of Allegheny County, other western Pennsylvania counties, and other states. The records for 1875-1876 are either limited or missing, but all records following those years are complete. The original records reside at the Heinz History Center.
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