Marriage Bans

Colette Jolayne Jensen

What do I do when a batch of Marriage bans appears since it doesn't fit into any of the entry categories?

Melissa S Himes

It is helpful if you keep one of the batches and share the batch code to help with the discussion. The batch code is the series of letters/numbers in the brackets following the title of the project. [XXXX-XXX]

Generally, marriage banns are indexed using the latest [usually the 3rd) banns date. The field helps will tell you what to do. Field helps are accessed by clicking on the purple question mark that appears when you click on an entry field.

Melissa S Himes

This is duplicated question, so I will make sure it gets answered.

Marriage banns are indexed the same as Marriages. There is an example in the Project Instructions (How to Index a Marriage Banns Record). The project instructions can be viewed at any time by clicking on the last icon on the toolbar, the words Project Instructions at the bottom of an entry form, or the Help tab and Project Instructions.

The example shows that you index the last date of the banns. In addition, by clicking on the field help, you will find a priority list of dates to index for marriage records when the actual marriage date is not given. Field Helps are accessed by clicking on the purple question mark that appears when you click on an entry field.

"Index the date that the marriage actually took place. If the actual marriage date was not recorded, index the marriage date based on the following priority:

1. Certificate date
2. License date
3. Application date
4. Return date
5. Latest (usually 3rd) banns date
6. Date the marriage record was signed"

Hope that helps. If not, ask more questions.

Colette Jolayne Jensen

I am returning all the batches with marriage banns because I don't know what to do with them. Please advise.

Colette Jolayne Jensen

I am returning all the batches with Marriage banns as I don't know how to enter them. Please advise.