Warwick County (Va.) Marriage Licenses 1893, 1902-1912

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Creator:
Newport News (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Warwick County (Va.) Marriage Licenses, 1893, 1902-1912, include the following information: name of husband, name of wife, date license recorded in circuit court, date of marriage, place of marriage, full names of husband and wife, race, ages of husband and wife, condition of groom and bride at time of marriage (single, widowed, or divorced), place of birth (husband and wife), place of residence (husband and wife), names of parents (husband and wife), and occupation of husband. The marriage licenses also include marriage certificates signed by ministers who officiated the marriage. Information found in certificates includes name of minister, name of religious denomination, date certificate returned to courthouse, and signature of minister. The back of the license includes the page number and line number the marriage was recorded in the marriage register. The collection also includes a small number of unrecorded marriage licenses.

Biographical / historical:

Warwick County (extinct) was named either for Robert Rich, earl of Warwick, a prominent member of the London Company, or for the county of Warwick in England. The county was originally called Warwick River and was one of the original shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634. The shorter name was adopted in 1643. Warwick County became extinct in 1952, when it became the city of Warwick. The new city was consolidated with the city of Newport News in 1958 and took the latter's name. Denbigh was the county seat.

County court records were destroyed at several times with most destruction occurring during the Civil War. The clerk's office was burned on 15 December 1864. County court minute books and loose records from 1787 to 1819 were destroyed by the fire. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

Acquisition information:
These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfer of court papers from Newport News under the accession number 43558.
Arrangement:

Organized by date of marriage

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
0.9 cu. ft. (2 boxes)