When researching our ancestors, we seek original records, but at times, it can be challenging to determine the status of a record. Take, for instance, an entry in a county marriage record book. Is this an original or a derivative, copied from an original marriage certificate into the marriage book? In this blog post, we’ll examine two instances of the marriage record of my 2nd great-grandfather, John C. Harris, and explore what we can learn from them.

The Original Marriage License and Certificate

My father began his genealogy research in the 1970s and wrote to many courthouses and state government agencies in search of information about his family. In 1977, he wrote to the Milam County, Texas, Courthouse seeking the record of John C. Harris’s second marriage to Rebecca D. (Alford) Harris, which occurred in 1888. The clerk responded:

Dear Mr. Shults:

Enclosed is a copy of the marriage record on John C. Harris and Rebecca Harris married 1888. Enclosed also is the original marriage license. We hope you will be happy to receive this.

We were not able to locate the marriage record on John C. Harris and Elizabeth married in 1865 as the courthouse burned down and everything on record was destroyed in 1874.

If this office can be of service to you at any time, please do not fail to call on us.

Very truly yours,

Wayne B. Wieser, County Clerk

Milam County, Texas

As noted in the letter, the clerk sent both the original marriage license and a black-and-white photocopy of it. In the image below, you can see the different colors of ink used – brown for the license in the top half of the document and purple ink for the marriage return on the bottom half. Also visible is the raised bronze seal, which features the words “County Court of Milam County Texas” printed around a star.

Examining the document further, we see that it was a pre-printed form issued by the state of Texas, and the clerk filled in the county, the names of the bride and groom, and the dates for the marriage license. The wedding officiator was to fill in the bottom half once the wedding was performed and return it to the clerk. ¹

The couple obtained the marriage license on 24 January 1888 and were married two days later, on 26 January 1888, by H.L. Clark, Minister of the Gospel. Comparing the handwriting between the license and the return, it is evident that two different men filled out the record: the county clerk, W. M. Baines, filled out the top half, and H.L. Clerk, the minister, filled out the bottom half. The letters are formed quite differently, and the pen used is different – brown vs purple ink.

The document was folded into quarters, with the title page of the Marriage License and filing information completed.

Marriage License

J.C. Harris

Mrs. R. D. Harris

Issued Jany 24th 1888

W. M. Baines Co. Clerk

 

Returned and filed for record the 28 day of January A.D. 1888, and Recorded

the 9 day of Feby 1888

W.M. Baines Clerk

by L.B. Deputy

The County Marriage Book

Now, let’s examine the entry for the same marriage in the Milam County, Texas, marriage book, which County Clerk W. M. Baines maintained. The marriage book was filmed at the county courthouse on 19 August 1975 by the Genealogical Society of Utah, now FamilySearch International. These records are now digitized and available on FamilySearch for viewing. The image below shows the Harris marriage in the top right corner.²

To learn more about the original marriage book, I scrolled back through the digitized images to find the actual volume and dates: Volume 4, covering the years 1886-1889. The image shows that this is page 234.

Zooming in on the Harris marriage record, we can see that the wording in the marriage book is identical to the wording on the marriage license issued by the courthouse to the couple and then returned by the minister. W. M Baines, county clerk, appears to have filled in the marriage license information, but the marriage return certifying that H. L. Clark, Minister of the Gospel, performed the ceremony is in a different handwriting, likely that of the deputy, L.B.

Final Analysis

After carefully comparing the two marriage records, I concluded that both the entry in the marriage book and the marriage license issued to the couple were original records, created at the time of the event and representing the first recording of the event. Comparing the two records in depth helped me better understand the process of recording the marriage and the care taken by the minister, county clerk, and deputy to ensure accuracy.

I am fortunate to have the original marriage license issued to my 2nd great-grandfather, John C. Harris. We don’t often have these handed down through the family, or in my case, sent to my father by the county clerk. However, understanding more about the recording of marriages in county books helps us use the information in our research with more confidence. Taking the time to carefully review all the information in a record and those surrounding it can deepen our knowledge and understanding of the record-keeping process.

Best of luck in all your genealogical endeavors!

1. Milam County, Texas, Marriage License and Return, no. 1678, J.C. Harris – Mrs. R.D. Harris, 24 January 1888; personal files of Diana Elder (Highland, Utah).
2. Milam County, Texas, Marriage Book 1882-1886, p. 234, J.C. Harris – Mrs. R.D. Harris, 24 January 1888; imaged, “Marriage Records 1882-1886, 1886-1889,” FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GP3P-8MY : accessed 6 July 2025), IGN 004820282, 440 of 509.