You found your ancestor’s marriage certificate. Case closed? Not necessarily. Marriage certificates can contain valuable clues about the couple, their parents, witnesses, and the circumstances of the wedding. But the certificate you found may not be the only version of the record—and another version could contain information that yours does not. Introduction A marriage certificate […]
Author: Kenneth R Marks
Kenneth R Marks was born and educated in the San Francisco Bay Area, receiving a BS in Mathematics in 1968. His career was in Information Technology; with the last 20 Years as a software executive with Boeing, Pearson, and NASA. His genealogy career began in 2004. He is an expert in newspaper research for genealogy, as well as additional genealogy topics. He regularly conducts webinars on the subject and has authored three genealogy books. See the About page for more details.
The Ancestor Hunt, founded in 2008, is focused on helping genealogy and family history researchers of all skill levels to achieve their goals, by providing links to free online genealogy collections, and search tips and techniques, largely via easy-to-understand Quick Reference Guides.
When an ancestor died suddenly, unexpectedly, or under unusual circumstances, their death may have triggered an investigation that created an entirely different set of records. A coroner’s inquest can reveal witnesses, family relationships, and details about an ancestor’s final days that may never appear on a death certificate or in an obituary. Introduction A coroner’s […]
Too young to marry without permission? That requirement may have created another record. An underage consent affidavit can do more than document approval of a marriage—it may identify a parent or guardian and provide evidence of a family relationship that is difficult to find elsewhere. Introduction When a prospective bride or groom was below the […]
Finding your ancestor’s marriage license is exciting, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve found proof that the wedding actually happened. A marriage license was permission to marry, and the original document may contain valuable information about the couple that never made it into the marriage certificate or register. Introduction A marriage license was an official […]
Before some couples could marry, someone had to put money on the line. A marriage bond was a financial guarantee that there was no legal reason the marriage should not take place—and the person signing that bond may provide an unexpected clue about the bride, groom, or their families. Introduction A marriage bond was a […]
Before there was a marriage certificate, there might have been three public announcements telling an entire congregation that a marriage was about to take place. Those announcements—the marriage banns—may survive even when the marriage record you are searching for does not. Introduction Marriage banns were public announcements of an intended marriage, traditionally made in a […]
Are you doing Maryland genealogy research and looking for Free Online Maryland Genealogy Records? Click on a link for your desired category’s free collection links: NewspapersYearbooksBirthsMarriagesDeathsBMD RecordsAlumni RecordsCemetery RecordsChurch RecordsCoroner RecordsCriminal RecordsDigital ArchivesDirectoriesDivorce RecordsImmigration RecordsInstitutional RecordsMilitary RecordsMortuary RecordsNaturalizationsObituariesPhotosProbate and WillsSchool RecordsTax RecordsVoter Records Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Want All of the Maryland’s Genealogy Resources […]
Ancestry.com continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of September 1-15, 2026, the new and updated collections are: I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
FamilySearch continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of September 1-15, 2026, the added/updated collections are: For a complete list of all added/updated collections, go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and […]
Are you doing Idaho genealogy research and looking for Free Online Idaho Genealogy Records? Click on a link for your desired category’s free collection links: NewspapersYearbooksBirthsMarriagesDeathsBMD RecordsAlumni RecordsCemetery RecordsChurch RecordsCoroner RecordsCriminal RecordsDigital ArchivesDirectoriesDivorce RecordsImmigration RecordsInstitutional RecordsMilitary RecordsMortuary RecordsNaturalizationsObituariesPhotosProbate and WillsSchool RecordsTax RecordsVoter Records Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Want All of the Idaho’s Genealogy Resources […]