Discover if your ancestors married in the British county of Yorkshire. Find their names, parishes, and dates of birth by searching more than 3 million records spanning almost 400 years.
Each record contains a transcript and, where available, an image of the original record. The information contained can vary but you could find out the following about your ancestor:
• Name
• Birth year
• Marriage date
• Marriage place
• Residence
• Occupation
• Marital status
• Spouse’s name
• Spouse’s residence
• Spouse’s occupation
• Spouse’s marital status
• Father’s name
• Spouse’s father’s name
• Witnesses
There are over 3 million records covering Anglican parishes across the three historic Yorkshire counties as well as records from some Roman Catholic parishes. This record set brings together the parish records held in nine separate Yorkshire archives and family history societies to form a comprehensive collection of parish records for the whole county.
Yorkshire, in the north of England, is the largest British county. Historically Yorkshire was divided into the three Ridings. The word “riding” is derived from the old Danish “Threthingr” meaning a third. The three ridings were called North Riding, West Riding and East Riding.
Yorkshire has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The area was once ruled by the Celtic Queen Cartimandua and her consort Venutius under the Romans. Under Roman rule, the fortified city of Eboracum (now York) was the joint capital of Roman Britain.
Parish records are the best source of birth, marriage and burial records before the introduction of civil registration in 1837. The Church of England mandated the keeping of records in all its parishes from 1537 with the earliest records generally starting in 1538.
The earliest registers were a single book recording all life events, but after 1774 separate registers were required for marriages and marriage banns.
Banns were read out on three consecutive Sundays in the parish church of both bride and groom. They allowed for any civil or canonical objections to be raised. Marriage licences were introduced in the 14th century to allow the banns to be waived, with a sword declaration and fee to affirm that there was no impediment to the marriage taking place.
Between 1754 and 1837 all marriages had to be registered in a Church of England parish regardless of the denomination of the bride and groom. The only religious groups who were exempt from this rule were the Quakers and the Jews.
Borthwick records are from records in the custody of the Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York.
Doncaster records reproduced with permission from Doncaster Borough Council.
East Riding records reproduced with the permission of The East Riding Archives & Local Studies Service, East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
North Yorkshire images copyright North Yorkshire County Record Office.
Sheffield records reproduced with permission from Sheffield City Council Libraries Archives and Information Services.
Teesside records reproduced with permission from Teeside Archives
Ripponden transcripts have been created by the Calderdale Family History Society.
There are also records available from Cleveland Family History Society, Doncaster Archives, Huddersfield and District Family History Society and Sheffield & District Family History Society.