How do I index a marriage record when I dont know if a name is the bride's or groom's?
So I'm indexing https://www.familysearch.org/indexing/batch/5fdaf11b-acf4-414c-9524-9c5fd4d7bb75 and, while it's primarily a record of baptisms, there are a few marriages as well. The trouble is that It odes not say who is the bride and who is the groom. What do I do?
Best Answer
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Disclaimer: Community member not FamilySearch representative.
You are correct - the primary record is birth with the marriage note included on some lines. The Project Instructions:
- Some images in this project include more than 1 entry type on the same image. For example, an image may include baptism, marriage, and death records for the year on the same image. Please index each entry using the appropriate entry type of Baptism/Birth/Christening, Marriage, or Burial/Death. If baptism dates for the bride and groom were recorded on the marriage record, index only the marriage record since it is the primary record.
This seems to be indicating to index only the primary record - you can wait for an official response.
If you decide to also index the marriage with an additional entry line you would use your best judgment in entering bride/groom - and ultimately not worry if you mixed the two -the index helps find the record.
A reviewer may decide to delete your marriage entry line if they read the rules strictly in a different manner. Your question will best be answered with official response from Project Administrators/FamilySearch.
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I agree with genthusiast, we only index the primary record. Very rarely there will be a project where the instructions tell us to create a record for each event.
This project, Zimbabwe Church Records has the specific instruction to create one entry showing the primary event, in this case baptisms. The index and link to the digital images for this collection is free to the public so the person who finds the record will be able to see the marriage entry.
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This updated paragraph is from [Part C] of Zimbabwe, Archdiocese of Harare--Church Records, 1892-2021
- Some images in this project include more than 1 entry type on the same image. For example, an image may include baptism, marriage, and death records for the year on the same image. Please index each entry using the appropriate entry type of Baptism/Birth/Christening, Marriage, or Burial/Death. If baptism dates for the bride and groom were recorded on the marriage record, index only the marriage record since it is the primary record.
Unfortunately, as usual, the examples given were not updated, to show this.
But FS did add this paragraph to What to Look for While Reviewing as well. So I took it to mean that all the entries were not being indexed.
The example of the marriage record (Marriage Register, Example 1) they refer to has Original Marriage Register, at the top of each entry form. It is a separate register (Note government register number sometimes written on it.). These would only have one entry per register form.
Images that are not specifically labeled, but which include multiple events serve as a record in the person's life in the church (Baptism Register, Example 2). In some churches, both parties must be baptized before being married in the church, so the dates will show the baptism and marriage on the same day.
Plus, Records in this project are often damaged or otherwise difficult to read. I think the idea of adding multiple entries enhances the changes of researchers finding their ancestor's. Yes, there may be separate birth, marriage, and death records. But are they legible, were they indexed properly? Do they exist?
To Cade Joshua Allred's question,
If gender is not indicated on one of these multi-entry forms, it can be difficult to determine the bride and groom, especially with native names. That was one of the main reasons I didn't enter separate marriage entries in Part B. I'm of the mind to continue that in Part C, especially when there is often a field for the gender available.
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The instructions tell us to only index the marriage when it is a marriage record, not to add multiple entries, even if we think it enhances the researchers chances. These are not multi-entry forms.
If baptism dates for the bride and groom were recorded on the marriage record, index only the marriage record since it is the primary record.
There will be a primary record for the baptism somewhere in their collections. So, we would not create a baptism record in addition, even if the bride and/or groom were baptized on the day of their marriage. If it is a baptism record, then you index it as a baptism and ignore the marriage date; likewise, the marriage will have its own primary record in the collection.
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