This volume is the thirteenth in the author’s series on Maryland marriages and the fifth book for Harford County. It is a comprehensive compilation of about 1,000 marriages, actual and implied, for the five years from 1871 through 1875 for those persons married during that time and who also remarried subsequently, and the marriages of many of their children thereafter. Marriages and vital information were gleaned from license books, marriage certificates, probate records, court records, divorce cases, newspaper articles, tombstone inscriptions, church registers, Bible records, census records, obituaries, death certificates, military records, some family histories and secondary sources, plus information from others whose names have been cited within the text.
As with his previous marriage books, this one is much more than just a listing of names and dates. In many instances the readers will find complete dates of birth and death, full names of parents, grandparents, children, siblings, other relations, ministers, places of residences and later migrations, occupations, military service, subsequent marriages, some children’s marriages, nicknames, and more. Marriages have also been noted for some persons who resided in other states and counties who had a family connection to Harford County. In many cases there is ample information about family relationships to enable researchers to establish family lineages for three generations, thus carrying the members of some branches well into the 20th century.
The reader will also find in many instances in this book the date that the parties obtained a marriage license followed by the date they actually married. Over the years many researchers have mistaken the former for the latter. It should be further noted that in some instances the dates of marriages are exact dates while in other cases they are approximations due to the lack of actual marriage records. Many discrepancies were found in different sources with respect to the dates of marriages and the spellings of names. Dates of birth and death in death certificates, Bible records, tombstone inscriptions and obituaries, were also different and such discrepancies have been noted.
The marriages herein have been arranged alphabetically by the surnames of the grooms, while the brides’ names and other persons mentioned have been cross-referenced within the text, in alphabetical order as well, thus precluding the need for a separate index.
