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Arlington County (Va.) Marriage Register, 1853-1879, records the date and place of marriage, the full names of both parties, the age and condition of both parties before marriage, their places of birth, their places of residence, the names of their parents, the occupation of the husband, the name of the minister performing the ceremony and any additional remarks (such as references to consent.) By 1860, the date of the marriage license is also listed. A consecutive numbering system was used for each entry on each page of the register. There are numerous references throughout the volume to both Free African American and African American marriages. Sometimes, the religious denomination of the parties was noted as well--especially in the 1850's when the county had a large influx of Irish immigrants.

Arlington County (Va.) Marriage Registers, 1850-1881, consist of two separate volumes. The first volume dates from 1850-1865 and includes 210 pages. This volume is divided into three distinct sections. Pages 1-74, 1850-1854, include the date of the marriage license, names of groom and bride, record of ministers' returns and written consents from parents. On page 7, there are listed two marriage returns from the Quakers or Society of Friends. In the 1850s, marriages between persons of Irish descent are noted. Beginning in 1852, page 26, information is added under the bride's name regarding her age. Pages 75-132 1/2, 1854-1861, include the date of the marriage license, the names of the groom and bride and whether a consent was given. Pages 134-210, 1861-1865, include the number of the marriage license--a consective numbering system used for each year, the date when the license was issued, the names of the groom and bride, the ages of the groom and bride, information on the parents' consent, date of ministers' returns and record of ministers' returns (including date and by whom married.) There are numerous references to marriages between "free persons of color" throughout the volume. This volume also contains an internal index arranged alphabetically (A-Y) by groom's name according to page number.