From a genealogist's point of view, a marriage license is considered an original source. It’s not a copy or secondhand information—it is filled out by the primary participants. Often, the details on the record are considered facts. These documents are incredibly valuable to family historians because they often list the bride and groom's parents, offering a window into one more generation back on both sides of the family tree. Awesome!
On December 1, 1943, my grandparents filled out their marriage license, no doubt a happy day for them! However, there was an unexpected snag for my Grandma Betty. When asked to list her parents on the document, she didn’t write down her biological mother and father. She didn’t even name the relatives who raised her. Instead, she listed her aunt and uncle—the ones who legally adopted her.
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| Harry and Alma Allen are not Betty's parents. They are her aunt and uncle. |
As a family member who recognized the names on the document (and that they weren't her parents!), I have the advantage of asking difficult questions. I can explore Betty’s complicated relationships and try to understand why she made this choice.
But what if I didn’t have this personal knowledge? What if a non-family genealogist was researching Betty’s family tree? Would they blindly accept the mother and father listed on her marriage license and move on, potentially exploring a completely different lineage?
I’ll admit, I’ve accepted the information on many marriage certificates of my ancestors as fact. I rarely stop to ask, “Were those REALLY their parents?” Most people know the names of their parents, right?
This example gets to the heart of genealogy. Records tell one story, but they don’t always tell the truth—even firsthand, original source records.
My grandparents' marriage license is a reminder that family trees are complicated and that, at the end of the day, genealogists might never know the real story.
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| Regardless of the paperwork, my grandma and grandpa got married the next day and were happily married for almost 40 years. |
Family member name: Betty Lee Sullivan (Adoptive name: Allen)
Years of life: 1922 - 2007Relation: My grandma (my mom's mom)
