I have a source record that has more information on the indexed record than on the image, is that co

LegacyUser

I have a source record that has more information on the indexed record than on the image, is that common? Or any idea where they got the additional information?

Specifically I am looking at a 1920s marriage record that has the bride and groom's names and ages. The image does not list their parents, however the indexed information for the record shows both their parents' names.

X24 MOM

@Virginia Kestler​ can you share a link to the record your email referring to? Sometimes there is an additional page or More if you click the left and right arrows, perhaps this is where the info came from?

LegacyUser

Oh! You're so right! It was the next page of 4000 something. Thank you. Hypothetical question... Did my great-grandfather lie about his age and where he was born to get the girl? This stuff is so great!

JeffWiseman

I don't know about your great-grandfather, but in my experience, 25%-30% of all the marriage licenses for first time marriages I have gone through for southern and SE Ohio all had instances where at least the wife had lied about her age (or was under-aged with a consent).

 

If the marriage license is the only record I have providing birth dates, I will use them, but if other more reliable sources are around, I will use them instead.

 

At one time in Ohio the woman had to be 19 to get married where in Kentucky, it was like 17 or 18, so many couples crossed the river to get married.

 

My grandmother had barely turned 16 when she got married (again, over the river in Kentucky). My Grandfather was 17 years older than her!

 

But the real kicker was when I discovered that one of the documented witnesses was actually her own father! I guess he must have wanted her out of the house as badly as she did 😏

X24 MOM

i find that a lot of info on records doesn’t always match up ... the biggest thing I’ve found on marriage records would the claim of first marriage... when other records clearly show it’s not the first. Sometimes (I’m assuming) people would lie about their ages in order to be able to “legally” marry... 🤷🏻‍♀️i dont know🤷🏻‍♀️ what, if any documentation was required as proof of age all those years ago.

JeffWiseman

Don't know about proof of age back then, but the state laws did exist. One thing of interest is that when they lied about their age it was usually only the birth YEAR that was adjusted. The day and month of birth (when given) were usually correct!

 

Also, if they show up on a census record very soon after the marriage (e.g., 2 or 3 years), the lie is perpetuated.